St. James Church, Sydney
Encyclopedia
St James' Church is an Anglican
church in King Street
in Sydney
, Australia
. Consecrated
on 11 February 1824, the church was designed by the transported convict architect Francis Greenway
during the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie
, and is part of the historical precinct of Macquarie Street which includes other early colonial buildings such as Hyde Park Barracks
. Although not the first Anglican church in the colony, St James' is now the oldest church in Sydney's inner city region and has maintained its special role in the city's religious and musical life.
Worship at St James' is in a style commonly found in the High Church
and moderate Anglo-Catholic
traditions of Anglicanism. St James' maintains the traditions of Anglican church music, with a robed choir singing psalms, anthems and responses. This is in contrast to the great majority of churches in the Diocese of Sydney
where services are generally celebrated in styles associated with the Low Church
and Evangelical traditions.
St James' is known for having more liberal and diverse theological perspectives than most other churches in the diocese on certain issues, particularly sexuality and the ordination of women. The church has close associations with the city's legal and medical professions through its proximity to the Law Courts and Sydney Hospital
. Its work in the service of the city's poor and needy began in the early 19th century.
St James' is listed on the Register of the National Estate
. In the BBC
television series Around the World in 80 Treasures
(2005), Dan Cruickshank
described the church as one of the world's 80 greatest man-made treasures.
The church is located at 173 King Street, Sydney
, in Sydney's legal and commercial district. It is situated near Hyde Park
and adjoins Queen's Square from which runs Macquarie Street, and forms part of an important group of colonial buildings known as the "Macquarie Street Precinct". Adjacent to St James' and of the same date is the Old Supreme Court Building, and across the square, the Hyde Park Barracks
building was designed by the architect Greenway to align with the church. Beside the Barracks stands Sydney's oldest public building, part of the General Hospital built in 1811, and now known as the Mint Building. Separated from the Mint by Sydney Hospital
is a second part of the early hospital, now housing the New South Wales State Parliament.
In the immediate vicinity of St James', and overshadowing it are high rise buildings containing Sydney Law School
, Supreme Court of New South Wales
and High Court of Australia
facilities. Located to the south-east of the church is the underground and eponymous St James railway station, Sydney. The precinct around the church is sometimes called "St James".
in 1819, designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway
and constructed between 1819 and 1824 using convict labour. The building was originally intended to serve as a courthouse
as Macquarie had plans for a large cathedral to be built on the present location of St Andrew's but these plans were put on hold by the intervention of Commissioner Bigge
who had been commissioned to investigate the colonial government. The design of the courthouse was modified prior to construction with the addition of a steeple at the western end, in order to serve as a church, while the adjacent school buildings were put into use as a courthouse.
The Reverend Samuel Marsden
delivered the first sermon on first sermon on 6 July 1824. In 1836 the first Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
was installed at St James, as there was still no cathedral. Broughton regularly officiated at St James.
Built in a period of intense Protestant revival, the original interior differed greatly in layout from that of the present. There was no structural chancel, the focus of the church being a large pulpit centrally placed against one of the longer walls. Galleries overlooked the pulpit from three sides. In 1900, the interior was reoriented to face east. Most of the 19th century interior was removed, including the original galleries, although the western gallery remains. The memorials were retained and rearranged. An "important improvement" was "the placing of double windows on the King-street side to shut out the sound of the traffic, which hitherto has been a serious annoyance to both the officiating clergymen and the congregation". Eight large stained glass
windows were installed between 1903 and 1913, along with a new pulpit
, altar
and retable
, all of which were given as memorials. Further changes were made in 1894 and from 1904 to 1907. The south portico was remade into a side chapel at the beginning of the 20th century and then remodelled at century's end into the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
town church. Greenway used a classical
tradition, unaffected by the revivalist
styles that were being debated in London at the time he arrived in the colony. St James' is built of local brick, its walls defined by brick pilasters into a series of bays with the same proportions as the wall itself. The walls are pierced by large generous windows with round arched heads in a colour that separates and defines them against the walls. The roof carries over the end walls where the gable is a triangular pediment carrying a cornice across the eaves line. Thus the architectural treatment on the side walls can be continued around the end walls. The building was constructed between 1820-24 and later additions were made by in 1834 by John Verge
who designed the vestries at the eastern end of the church. Varney Parkes
and Burcham Clamp renewed the exterior and reconstructed the interior between 1892 and 1901. The furniture in the church is of cedar.
funded the redesign which replaced the brick walls with three walls of stained glass. Since its reconstruction, the stained glass is the main feature of this space. "The Creation Window", designed by David Wright of Melbourne, fills the whole of the three exterior walls and represents the interaction of earth, air, fire and water, symbolic of the action of the Spirit in creation, in life and in rebirth in Christ. The new furniture for the chapel was designed by Leon Sadubin.
and another is used as a lending library
for parishioners.
The western bay on the south side of the crypt is the Chapel of St Mary and the Angels, better known simply as "The Children's Chapel". It was opened in 1929 as a chapel for younger children and a specially adapted form of Eucharist
was celebrated there on Sundays. All four walls of the chapel and its ceiling are decorated with murals
designed by writer and artist Ethel Anderson
and executed by the Turramurra Wall Painters Union, a group of modernist
painters she founded in 1927. The murals underwent extensive conservation in 1992-1993.
The restoration of St James' Church Sydney won the Greenway Award for Heritage (a New South Wales architecture award). The jury said that the restoration work, by Design 5 Architects, showed "consummate care by the architect, the engineer and the builder in conserving the original structure and fabric of the building, improving its strength, performance and waterproofing".
After this restoration, further necessary work was identified, including to the roof and perimeter fence. The church roof is of slate
. It was last replaced using Spanish slates in the 1970s but these proved not to be durable in Sydney's climate due to their high iron content. Furthermore, they were damaged by their poor fixing. The solution to the roof deterioration is to replace the slates using Welsh slates
. The effort to raise funds for this purpose is supported by the National Trust of Australia
.
of the South". The first monument erected in the church was the memorial to Commodore Sir James Brisbane
, who died in Sydney on his way to serve in South America in command of HMS Warspite
. It was sculpted by Sir Francis Chantrey, sent to Sydney by Lady Brisbane and installed in the church in 1830. Five other monuments were installed between 1830 and 1839. The largest single memorial of the 20th century is the war memorial
, to the design of Hardy Wilson
, dedicated on 14 June 1922. It commemorates more than 50 men associated with St James' who were killed in the First World War
.
and music. In particular, the services of Easter, the Advent
carols, the Nine Lessons and Carols
, the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
and a series of orchestral Masses held in January are high points of the church's year.
justices in ceremonial costume. The church has also been associated with the most distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
since 1950.
One expression of St James's concern with social justice is its continuation of the Sister Freda Mission - a service that provides weekly lunches to the needy and a full dinner at Christmas time. Sister Freda was a member of the Community of the Sisters of the Church
, a religious order that started the Collegiate School in Paddington, New South Wales
in 1895. Sister Freda (Emily Rich) and other members of the Order took over the organisation of its mission to the homeless in 1899. On Christmas Day in 1901, for example, "about 60 men were entertained at dinner at St James' parish hall, and later in the afternoon 250 unemployed men were treated to tea in the same building by the sisters of the church." After her death in 1936, her name was given to the Mission and St James' took over responsibility for its organisation. Since 1954, this service has operated out of the church crypt, relying on donations and the efforts of volunteer parishioners.
in its liturgies
is incorporated via its professional choir, its fine three-manual pipe organ
and its bellringing
. Beyond its services, concerts and recitals are held throughout the year.
, Wednesdays at the 6:15pm Choral Evensong
, monthly at the 3.00 pm Choral Evensong held on the last Sunday of the month, as well as at a number of midweek feast days held during the year. The choir have recorded three CDs - Christmas at St James (2003), No Ordinary Sunday (2004) and Any Given Sunday (2007) - and broadcasts regularly on ABC Radio
, both in their own right as well as with leading ensembles such as Australian Baroque
Brass. On 22 January 2011 they were directed by Peter Phillips
in a performance with the Tallis Scholars Summer School of a program which included Tallis's Spem in alium
. They have also toured the Southern Highlands and given a recital at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
.
platform at the eastern end where it still remains.
and hung previously in St Paul's Church, Bristol, England. Bells 1 - 7 were cast in 2002 by John Taylor, Bellfounders in Loughborough
, England. The bells were dedicated on 27 July 2003. They are named after people in the early settlement in Sydney, as follows:
There is also the service bell, called the Mears Bell, made at Whitechapel Bell Foundry
in 1820 and repaired there in 2011.
led to its closure in 1857. Bishop Broughton also set up St James' College to provide tertiary education for secular students as well as to prepare students for ordination
. The St James' School closed in 1882 and the government resumed the Greenway building.
In the 21st century, St James' continues to have a Sunday School for children, held in the crypt. For adults, educational activities are offered through the St James' Institute which provides a range of programs open to all to explore the Christian faith and engage in debate about contemporary issues from a theological perspective.
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
church in King Street
King Street, Sydney
King Street is today the central thoroughfare of the suburb of Newtown in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's in this street that the residents of the area are most visible, confirming Newtown's reputation as a cosmopolitan community with a higher than average concentration of students,...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 11 February 1824, the church was designed by the transported convict architect Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway
-References:* *...
during the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
, and is part of the historical precinct of Macquarie Street which includes other early colonial buildings such as Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park Barracks may refer to*Hyde Park Barracks, London in England*Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney in Australia...
. Although not the first Anglican church in the colony, St James' is now the oldest church in Sydney's inner city region and has maintained its special role in the city's religious and musical life.
Worship at St James' is in a style commonly found in the High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
and moderate Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
traditions of Anglicanism. St James' maintains the traditions of Anglican church music, with a robed choir singing psalms, anthems and responses. This is in contrast to the great majority of churches in the Diocese of Sydney
Anglican Diocese of Sydney
The Diocese of Sydney is a diocese within the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is Evangelical and low church in tradition and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology....
where services are generally celebrated in styles associated with the Low Church
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
and Evangelical traditions.
St James' is known for having more liberal and diverse theological perspectives than most other churches in the diocese on certain issues, particularly sexuality and the ordination of women. The church has close associations with the city's legal and medical professions through its proximity to the Law Courts and Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first received the name Sydney Hospital in 1881.Currently...
. Its work in the service of the city's poor and needy began in the early 19th century.
St James' is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
. In the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Around the World in 80 Treasures
Around the World in 80 Treasures
Around the World in 80 Treasures is a 10 episode art and travel documentary series by the BBC, presented by Dan Cruickshank, and originally aired in February, March, and April 2005...
(2005), Dan Cruickshank
Dan Cruickshank
Dan Cruickshank is an art historian and BBC television presenter.-Early life:As a young child he lived for some years in Poland...
described the church as one of the world's 80 greatest man-made treasures.
Location
King Street, Sydney
King Street is today the central thoroughfare of the suburb of Newtown in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's in this street that the residents of the area are most visible, confirming Newtown's reputation as a cosmopolitan community with a higher than average concentration of students,...
, in Sydney's legal and commercial district. It is situated near Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Sydney
Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney central business district. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Port Jackson . It is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the...
and adjoins Queen's Square from which runs Macquarie Street, and forms part of an important group of colonial buildings known as the "Macquarie Street Precinct". Adjacent to St James' and of the same date is the Old Supreme Court Building, and across the square, the Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park Barracks may refer to*Hyde Park Barracks, London in England*Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney in Australia...
building was designed by the architect Greenway to align with the church. Beside the Barracks stands Sydney's oldest public building, part of the General Hospital built in 1811, and now known as the Mint Building. Separated from the Mint by Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first received the name Sydney Hospital in 1881.Currently...
is a second part of the early hospital, now housing the New South Wales State Parliament.
In the immediate vicinity of St James', and overshadowing it are high rise buildings containing Sydney Law School
Sydney Law School
Sydney Law School is the law faculty of the University of Sydney and is regarded as one of the most prestigious institutions of legal education in Australia and the Asia Pacific. Located in the main Camperdown campus of the University, with some operations at the St...
, Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
and High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
facilities. Located to the south-east of the church is the underground and eponymous St James railway station, Sydney. The precinct around the church is sometimes called "St James".
Building
History
The building of St James' Church was commissioned by Governor Lachlan MacquarieLachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
in 1819, designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway
-References:* *...
and constructed between 1819 and 1824 using convict labour. The building was originally intended to serve as a courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
as Macquarie had plans for a large cathedral to be built on the present location of St Andrew's but these plans were put on hold by the intervention of Commissioner Bigge
John Bigge
John Thomas Bigge was an English judge and royal commissioner.Bigge was born at Benton House, Northumberland, England, the second son of Thomas Charles Bigge, High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1771...
who had been commissioned to investigate the colonial government. The design of the courthouse was modified prior to construction with the addition of a steeple at the western end, in order to serve as a church, while the adjacent school buildings were put into use as a courthouse.
The Reverend Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
delivered the first sermon on first sermon on 6 July 1824. In 1836 the first Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton was the first Bishop of Australia of the Church of England....
was installed at St James, as there was still no cathedral. Broughton regularly officiated at St James.
Built in a period of intense Protestant revival, the original interior differed greatly in layout from that of the present. There was no structural chancel, the focus of the church being a large pulpit centrally placed against one of the longer walls. Galleries overlooked the pulpit from three sides. In 1900, the interior was reoriented to face east. Most of the 19th century interior was removed, including the original galleries, although the western gallery remains. The memorials were retained and rearranged. An "important improvement" was "the placing of double windows on the King-street side to shut out the sound of the traffic, which hitherto has been a serious annoyance to both the officiating clergymen and the congregation". Eight large stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were installed between 1903 and 1913, along with a new pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
and retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
, all of which were given as memorials. Further changes were made in 1894 and from 1904 to 1907. The south portico was remade into a side chapel at the beginning of the 20th century and then remodelled at century's end into the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Architecture and fittings
St James' is thought to one of Greenway's finest works. Relying on the "virtues of simplicity and proportion to achieve his end",the architect produced a building that retains the external character of a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
town church. Greenway used a classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
tradition, unaffected by the revivalist
Revivalism (architecture)
Revivalism in architecture is the use of visual styles that consciously echo the style of a previous architectural era.There were a number of architectural revivalist movements in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries....
styles that were being debated in London at the time he arrived in the colony. St James' is built of local brick, its walls defined by brick pilasters into a series of bays with the same proportions as the wall itself. The walls are pierced by large generous windows with round arched heads in a colour that separates and defines them against the walls. The roof carries over the end walls where the gable is a triangular pediment carrying a cornice across the eaves line. Thus the architectural treatment on the side walls can be continued around the end walls. The building was constructed between 1820-24 and later additions were made by in 1834 by John Verge
John Verge
John Verge was an English architect, builder, pioneer settler of New South Wales, who migrated to Australia and pursued his career there. Verge was one of the earliest and the most important architect of the Greek Revival in Australia. He also brought more comprehensive range of Regency style than...
who designed the vestries at the eastern end of the church. Varney Parkes
Varney Parkes
Varney Parkes was an Australian politician.He was born in Ryde, the seventh child of Henry Parkes and Clarinda Varney. He attended public schools and then The King's School in Parramatta before working at the Bank of New South Wales and the Colonial Architect's Office...
and Burcham Clamp renewed the exterior and reconstructed the interior between 1892 and 1901. The furniture in the church is of cedar.
Chapel of the Holy Spirit
The church's south portico had been made into a side chapel in 1904. It had functioned as a vestry, including seating and space for the organ. In 1988, it was totally remodelled and dedicated as the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. The parish and the Bicentennial Council of New South WalesAustralian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...
funded the redesign which replaced the brick walls with three walls of stained glass. Since its reconstruction, the stained glass is the main feature of this space. "The Creation Window", designed by David Wright of Melbourne, fills the whole of the three exterior walls and represents the interaction of earth, air, fire and water, symbolic of the action of the Spirit in creation, in life and in rebirth in Christ. The new furniture for the chapel was designed by Leon Sadubin.
Crypt and Children's Chapel
Beneath the church is a large brick-vaulted undercroft which has served many purposes. It has been used for the parish's schools; as a verger's residence; and as a shelter for service men in war time. The bays on either side of the crypt's central corridor are now used for a variety of purposes. At the eastern end they house a commercial kitchen. Some bays are used as offices. One bay contains a columbariumColumbarium
A columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
and another is used as a lending library
Lending library
A lending library is a library from which books are lent out. The earliest reference to or use of the term "lending library" yet located in English correspondence dates from ca. 1586; C'Tess Pembroke Ps. CXII. v, "He is .....
for parishioners.
The western bay on the south side of the crypt is the Chapel of St Mary and the Angels, better known simply as "The Children's Chapel". It was opened in 1929 as a chapel for younger children and a specially adapted form of Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
was celebrated there on Sundays. All four walls of the chapel and its ceiling are decorated with murals
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
designed by writer and artist Ethel Anderson
Ethel Anderson
Ethel Anderson was an early twentieth century Australian poetess, essayist, novelist and painter. She considered herself to be mainly a poet, but is now best appreciated for her witty and ironic stories...
and executed by the Turramurra Wall Painters Union, a group of modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
painters she founded in 1927. The murals underwent extensive conservation in 1992-1993.
Conservation and awards
The church has had to undertake several conservation projects, including work on the building fabric, the stained glass windows, the mosaic floors in the chancel and sanctuary and continuing conservation of the Children's Chapel. The spire was re-dedicated on 20 October 2010 following restoration work carried out during 2008-2010, including its orb and cross, the interior framing and tower masonry and the copper covering. The restorations were awarded the National Trust Built Heritage Award on 4 April 2011.The restoration of St James' Church Sydney won the Greenway Award for Heritage (a New South Wales architecture award). The jury said that the restoration work, by Design 5 Architects, showed "consummate care by the architect, the engineer and the builder in conserving the original structure and fabric of the building, improving its strength, performance and waterproofing".
After this restoration, further necessary work was identified, including to the roof and perimeter fence. The church roof is of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. It was last replaced using Spanish slates in the 1970s but these proved not to be durable in Sydney's climate due to their high iron content. Furthermore, they were damaged by their poor fixing. The solution to the roof deterioration is to replace the slates using Welsh slates
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
. The effort to raise funds for this purpose is supported by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
.
Memorials and monuments
As well as the large stained glass windows and some of the church's furnishings, St James' contains over 300 memorials commemorating important members of 19th century colonial society and parishioners from the 20th century. Some memorials are to members of the congregation and others to those who had served the colony generally. In 1876, the wall tablets were described as "full of sad memories to the old inhabitants, interesting reminiscences to those who have studied Australian history". The church was sometimes called "The Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
of the South". The first monument erected in the church was the memorial to Commodore Sir James Brisbane
James Brisbane
Captain Sir James Brisbane, CB was a British Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Although never engaged in any major actions, Brisbane served under both Lord Howe and Horatio Nelson and performed important work at the Cape of Good Hope, prior to the Battle of...
, who died in Sydney on his way to serve in South America in command of HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1807)
HMS Warspite was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1807. She served in the Napoleonic Wars and was decommissioned in 1815. After conversion to a 76-gun ship in 1817 she circumnavigated the world, visiting Australia. She was cut down to a single decker 50-gun...
. It was sculpted by Sir Francis Chantrey, sent to Sydney by Lady Brisbane and installed in the church in 1830. Five other monuments were installed between 1830 and 1839. The largest single memorial of the 20th century is the war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, to the design of Hardy Wilson
William Hardy Wilson
William Hardy Wilson was an Australian architect, artist and author. He "is regarded as one of the most outstanding architects of the twentieth century".-Early years:...
, dedicated on 14 June 1922. It commemorates more than 50 men associated with St James' who were killed in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Windows
The majority of the windows were donated as memorials by parishioners in the period from 1900 to 1910. There are five large windows on the northern and southern walls and additional windows in stairwell to the belltower and on the western wall. The Creation Window in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit is a 20th century addition.Services
The rector of St James' is assisted by associate rectors; the current associate rector is the Reverend John Stewart. The assistant priest is the Reverend Andrew Bowyer. The Guild of Servers are present at all main services. Festival services at St James are popular and known for their standard of liturgyLiturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and music. In particular, the services of Easter, the Advent
Advent
Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
carols, the Nine Lessons and Carols
Nine Lessons and Carols
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format for a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus that is traditionally followed at Christmas...
, the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
and a series of orchestral Masses held in January are high points of the church's year.
Rectors
- 1824-1836 Richard Hill
- 1836-1838 Robert Cartwright
- 1838-1840 George Napoleon Woodd
- 1840-1884 Robert AllwoodRobert AllwoodRev. Canon Robert Allwood, B.A., was an English-born clergyman and academic in colonial Sydney.Allwood was born in 1803, and he was the son of Chief Justice Allwood, of Jamaica. He was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1825...
- 1885-1895 Henry Latimer Jackson
- 1896-1910 William Isaac Carr-Smith
- 1910-1916 W.F. Wentworth Shields
- 1917-1937 Philip Arthur MicklemPhilip Arthur MicklemThe Very Rev Philip Arthur Micklem, DD was an eminent Anglican Priest in the mid 20th century. He was born on 5 April 1876, educated at Harrow and Hertford College, Oxford and ordained after a period of study at Ripon College Cuddesdon in 1903. After a curacy at Shere he was a Lecturer at St...
- 1938-1955 Edwin John Davidson
- 1956-1962 William John Edwards
- 1962-1975 Frank Leslie Cuttriss
- 1976-1983 Howard Charles Hollis
- 1984-1997 Peter John Hughes
- 1997-2001 Richard Warwick HurfordBishop of BathurstThe Bishop of Bathurst is the the ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst in the Anglican Church of Australia.-List of bishops:-References:...
- 2001-2009 Peter Walter Kurti
- 2010-present Andrew John Sempell
Community service
The church's work for the poor as well as for the city's legal and medical professions has been ongoing since the nineteenth century. For example, as the law courts are nearby, the beginning of the legal year is marked with a service attended by the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
justices in ceremonial costume. The church has also been associated with the most distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
since 1950.
One expression of St James's concern with social justice is its continuation of the Sister Freda Mission - a service that provides weekly lunches to the needy and a full dinner at Christmas time. Sister Freda was a member of the Community of the Sisters of the Church
Community of the Sisters of the Church
The Community of the Sister of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience...
, a religious order that started the Collegiate School in Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
in 1895. Sister Freda (Emily Rich) and other members of the Order took over the organisation of its mission to the homeless in 1899. On Christmas Day in 1901, for example, "about 60 men were entertained at dinner at St James' parish hall, and later in the afternoon 250 unemployed men were treated to tea in the same building by the sisters of the church." After her death in 1936, her name was given to the Mission and St James' took over responsibility for its organisation. Since 1954, this service has operated out of the church crypt, relying on donations and the efforts of volunteer parishioners.
Music
St James' is also notable for its music - a strong musical and choral tradition has been present since the 1820s. A high standard of sacred musicChurch music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
in its liturgies
Christian liturgy
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis....
is incorporated via its professional choir, its fine three-manual pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and its bellringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. Beyond its services, concerts and recitals are held throughout the year.
Choirmasters
- 1827-1831 James Pearson
- 1831-1835 William Merritt
- 1836-1844 James and William Johnson
- 1844-1860 James Johnson
- 1860-1874 James Furley
- 1874-? Schofield
- 1876-1897 Hector Maclean
- 1897-1907 Arthur Mason
- 1907-1961 George Faunce Allman
- 1961-1965 Michael Dyer
- 1966-1994 Walter Sutcliffe
- ?-? Anthony Jennings
- ?-2008 David Drury
- 2008-present Warren Trevelyan-Jones
Choir
The choir sings on Sundays at the 11.00am Choral EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, Wednesdays at the 6:15pm Choral Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
, monthly at the 3.00 pm Choral Evensong held on the last Sunday of the month, as well as at a number of midweek feast days held during the year. The choir have recorded three CDs - Christmas at St James (2003), No Ordinary Sunday (2004) and Any Given Sunday (2007) - and broadcasts regularly on ABC Radio
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
, both in their own right as well as with leading ensembles such as Australian Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
Brass. On 22 January 2011 they were directed by Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips (conductor)
Peter Phillips was born in Southampton on 15 Oct 1953. After winning a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford in 1972, Phillips was offered the opportunity to study Renaissance music with the influential musicologists David Wulstan and Denis Arnold...
in a performance with the Tallis Scholars Summer School of a program which included Tallis's Spem in alium
Spem in alium
Spem in alium is a forty-part Renaissance motet by Thomas Tallis, composed circa 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. The sacred text has been used as a basis for other choral settings, such as and the...
. They have also toured the Southern Highlands and given a recital at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
.
Organ
The original organ, installed in the west gallery, was built by John Gray of London and was played for the first time on 7 October 1827. It was modernised and enlarged in the 1870s by William Davidson. After a number of moves around the galleries, it was placed in what had been intended as the south porch. At the time the church's interior was reconstructed at the turn of the 20th century, it was positioned on either side of the chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
platform at the eastern end where it still remains.
Bells
The church's eight bells are rung by the Guild of St James' Bellringers which is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. The tenor bell (known as the Rudhall bell) was cast in 1795 by John RudhallRudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
and hung previously in St Paul's Church, Bristol, England. Bells 1 - 7 were cast in 2002 by John Taylor, Bellfounders in Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
, England. The bells were dedicated on 27 July 2003. They are named after people in the early settlement in Sydney, as follows:
- Treble - Francis GreenwayFrancis Greenway-References:* *...
sounds the note of GG (musical note)Sol, So, or G is the fifth note of the solfège starting on C. As such it is the dominant, a perfect fifth above C.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle G note is approximately 391.995 Hz... - 2 - Mary ReibeyMary ReibeyMary Reibey was an Englishwoman who was transported to Australia as a convict but went on to become a successful businesswoman in Sydney.-Early life:...
sounds the note of F# - 3 - Sister Freda sounds the note of EE (musical note)E or mi is the third note of the solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle E is approximately 329.628 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.-Designation by octave:...
- 4 - King George IV sounds the note of DD (musical note)D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
- 5 - Reverend Richard Hill sounds the note CC (musical note)C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
- 6 - Lachlan MacquarieLachlan MacquarieMajor-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
sounds the note BB (musical note)B, also known as H, Si or Ti, is the seventh note of the solfège. It lies a chromatic semitone below C and is thus the enharmonic equivalent of C-flat.... - 7 - EoraEoraThe Eora are the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area, south to the Georges River, north to the Hawkesbury River, and west to Parramatta. The indigenous people used this word to describe where they came from to the British. "Eora" was then used by the British to refer to those Aboriginal people...
sounds the note AA (musical note)La or A is the sixth note of the solfège. "A" is generally used as a standard for tuning. When the orchestra tunes, the oboe plays an "A" and the rest of the instruments tune to match that pitch. Every string instrument in the orchestra has an A string, from which each player can tune the rest of... - Rudhall BellRudhall of GloucesterRudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
- St James sounds the note G
There is also the service bell, called the Mears Bell, made at Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
in 1820 and repaired there in 2011.
Education
In the 19th century, religious denominations made a major contribution to education at all levels before this was taken over by the state. From its beginnings, St James' was involved in education for both children and adults. The first rector, Richard Hill, was a pioneer of kindergarten education and established a pre-school at St James'. By 1823 Greenway's school building had been erected in Elizabeth Street and the principal St James' School was situated there until 1882, becoming the Anglican "normal" school with more than 600 students and a range of experienced teachers. In secondary education, a Sydney branch of the King's School operated briefly in the Greenway building and Bishop Broughton operated the St James' Grammar School in a building erected in Phillip Street, which lasted until competition from the new University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
led to its closure in 1857. Bishop Broughton also set up St James' College to provide tertiary education for secular students as well as to prepare students for ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
. The St James' School closed in 1882 and the government resumed the Greenway building.
In the 21st century, St James' continues to have a Sunday School for children, held in the crypt. For adults, educational activities are offered through the St James' Institute which provides a range of programs open to all to explore the Christian faith and engage in debate about contemporary issues from a theological perspective.
Tourism
As one of Sydney's most historic buildings, St James' attracts many tourists. They are interested in a range of features of the church, including its architecture; its monuments and memorials; the contemporary stained glass of the Holy Spirit Chapel; and the decoration of the Children's Chapel.External links
- St James' Church website
- Heritage NSW record, Updated November 1997