St. John the Baptist's Anglican Church, Ashfield, Sydney
Encyclopedia
St John the Baptist Anglican Church is an active Anglican church located between Alt and Bland Streets, Ashfield
, a suburb of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Founded in 1840, on land donated by Elizabeth Underwood
, the church building is the oldest authenticated surviving building in Ashfield, having been built at the time when subdivision increased the population density sufficiently to turn Ashfield into a town. It was also the first church built along the Parramatta Road
which linked the early colonial towns of Sydney and Parramatta
. The earliest remaining parts of the building are one of the first Sydney designs by the colonial architect Edmund Blacket
, who later became renowned for his ecclesiastical architecture
.
The expansive church grounds contain a cemetery dating back to 1845 that contains the remains of many notable Ashfield residents. Australia's only memorial to Australian Air Force Cadets
occupies a prominent position near the entrance to the church. The St John's site has been listed on the Local Environment Plan Heritage Schedule, and the Register of the National Trust of Australia
.
St John's is one of three churches, along with St Albans, Five Dock
, and St Oswald's, Haberfield
, which make up Christ Church Inner West, operating within the parish of Ashfield, Five Dock, and Haberfield, as part of the South Sydney Region of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney
. The church has had 18 rectors, including William George Hilliard
who later became the Bishop of Nelson
. Andrew Katay has been rector since early 2005.
(then known as Rose Hill), during a time of rapid church building when many of the oldest churches in Sydney were erected. Since 1810 the Parish of Ashfield had extended from Balmain
to Strathfield
, and from Enfield
to the Parramatta River
, and in 1840 this was formalized into an ecclesiastical district.
, 2 roods, and 36 perches (a total of 0.698 ha), was provided as a gift by the local landowner Elizabeth Underwood
who was subdividing "Ashfield Park". The Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
added urgency by expressing his "intention of having a Place of Worship erected immediately, on the allotment of land appropriated for that purpose". Another benefactor was William Bland
, a doctor and politician who had been sent to the colony having been convicted of manslaughter after pistol duel which left his opponent mortally wounded, and after whom Bland street is named. He gave a donation of £200 and land. Fellow local medical practitioner, James Bowman, contributed a "similarly munificent donation". By mid-1839 the funds received were thought to be sufficient to commence building. The exact location was determined in February 1840, and appeals continued to fund a building of sufficient size for the surrounding population.
, and had begun to plan the church building. W. G. Broughton made an address at the ceremony. The anniversary sermon was preached by Robert Allwood
.
Building work on the church began in 1841, but construction came to a standstill due to construction problems and insufficient subscriptions. The following year the colonial architect Edmund Blacket
, as one of his first assignments after arriving in Sydney, was requested to inspect the church's walls, then still under construction. As a result of his report, the walls were demolished and re-erected, although continued funding problems, and the transfer of J. K. Walpole to Windsor
caused further delays. The church was licensed for operation on 1 October 1843. Much of the interior woodwork was carved by the third rector, Frederick Wilkinson. The roof was strengthened in around 1845 by the installation of timber support columns. On 16 August 1845, at a cost of £100 the church purchased an additional 2.5 acres (1 ha) of land from Elizabeth Underwood who remained a parishioner until her death, and is buried in a prominent grave within the church cemetery. The church was eventually consecrated on 19 August 1845.
After 29 years, as the Bishop of Sydney Frederic Barker
put it "the population of Sydney had invaded these sylvan shades", so an expansion was required. Blacket designed the current stone transept
and chancel
, to transform the church into a cruciform plan. These were built during the period 1874–1875 at a cost of around £150 – raised without the help of grants from the government or the English societies. The foundation stone of addition was laid by Barker on 24 October 1874, and included a copy of Australian Churchman and the Sydney Morning Herald. At the time this addition accommodated an extra 250 seats, bringing the total capacity to 446.
Construction of the choir vestry and a wooden porch outside the western door were completed in 1885, and dedicated by Bishop Alfred Barry
. This work was overseen by the Blacket brothers, who had followed the trade of their late father.
Arthur Blacket then designed the west tower. The eight-bell peal was ordered from England after a generous bequest by one of the "Melanesia
n boys", David Marguay, and subsequent fundraising. The tower was then quickly constructed at a cost of around £250 in memory of the recently deceased rector James Christian Corlette, and dedicated as The Corlette Memorial Tower on 1 November 1901. The memorial bells proved depressing amongst the local populace, and were rearranged in 1904, with louvres added to the previously open arches. This was apparently ineffective, as the bells were removed within a few years.
, a seraphine and then an harmonium
were used for musical accompaniment. The first organ was installed above the gallery at the western end of the church by William Davidson at the request of the rector J. C. Corlette, and was transferred to the south transept in about 1879, where it remained until 1882 when it was sold to St Bartholomew's, Pyrmont, and later St Luke's, Northmead.
The 1883 Hill and Son organ, including 844 pipes, costing a total of £550, was installed in 1884, and located in the north-east corner of the transept. It is still in use, with original pipework, making it faithful to the original tones. The organ was refurbished and rebuilt in 1950, 1975, and 2008.
The 1950 change from mechanical to electrical action was motivated by removing the increasingly noisy pedals and trackers. This refurbishment also included detachment of the console (to the other side of the transept), and replacement of the bellows with a "pressure equaliser". The façade pipes were sprayed to a dull gold colour, covering over the original diapering
, described desparagingly at the time as "all over the pipes without much rhyme or reason; fleurs-de-lys in profusion, dots, bands, triangles in all the colours of the rainbow rioted in confusion". This work was carried out by R. A. and D. A. Wiltshire.
By 1975 the organ had become unplayable, and a reconversion to mechanical action was undertaken. The console was moved back to the organ side of the transept, with the action going backward under the floor into the organ. This necessitated removal of floor joist
s and foundation piers
, but the unsupported floor caused further problems long term, and during the 2008 rebuild it was re-electrified.
The church had a significant choral history, with significant events often celebrated with a full choir, sometimes accompanied by an orchestra. In the late 19th century the St John's choir participated in regional choir festivals.
of Australia, William Saumarez Smith
in inclement weather on 2 February 1895. The architect was E. A. Scott, and his building design was of a "domestic style... with a highly decorated front". It cost £625 10s
, was complete within three months, and seated up to 400. However, by 1903, the Sunday school had once again outgrown the space available, and an additional infants classroom was built nearby. This is now called the Small Hall, and is used as a classroom for the St John's Preschool.
A rectory was first provided for the rector J. C. Corlette and his large family in 1879. A block of land, located on what is now the corner of Rectory Avenue and Alt Street, was purchased for £444, and the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Barker in 1880. This original rectory was sold in 1922 for £1800. The current rectory, on the main grounds of the church, was founded by Archbishop John Charles Wright
in the same year, during the rectorship of William George Hilliard
, and built at a cost of £2500.
Gravel pathways lined with Phoenix canariensis palms, the lawn in front of the church, and the stone churchyard fence were also constructed in the 1920s. The Alt Street wall was erected in 1922, and dedicated to the previous rector Alfred Yarnold. The Bland Street wall was dedicated in 1927 by Archdeacon Davies, and commemorates one of the key contributors, R. A. Forsaith.
The cemetery, which had been in existence since soon after the foundation of the church (the first interment was Frederick Underwood, Elizabeth's 11-month-old grandson, on 1 May 1845), was consecrated by the Archbishop of Sydney, Howard West Kilvinton Mowll, on 8 September 1934. By this stage it reportedly already contained the remains of 1,396 people. He was asked by the rector of the time to "set apart the area, containing 4 acres and 4 perches (1.63 ha), as a burial-place for the bodies of Christian people living in and about Ashfield".
Australia's only memorial to Australian Air Force Cadets
occupies a prominent position on the grounds, and a memorial service attended by the Cadets has been held annually since it was opened by the State Governor Lieutenant General John Northcott
in 1946. It was built by Squadron Leader Arthur Whitehurst who had commanded a squadron at Ashfield during the period 1941–1946, and whose son Douglas Arthur Whitehurst had died in action in World War II
.
A children's playground was installed near the Alt St boundary in 2011, and opened by Ashfield Municipal Council Mayor Ted Cassidy and Strathfield
MP Charles Casuscelli
.
residents to reach the church, using a conveniently located fallen tree across Iron Cove Creek
.
As the population of Sydney's Inner West
grew, many of the Anglican churches in the area were established by the congregation of St John's (including four during the final thirty years of the nineteenth century). These include Balmain, Burwood, Five Dock, St Thomas' Enfield (declared a separate parish in 1868), and St Oswald's Haberfield (1908). Because of this involvement, St John's was later referred to as the "Mother Church of Western Suburbs".
Joseph Kidd Walpole was the first rector, during the period 1840–1842. He was originally from England, and went on mission to Madras in 1836, but his health gave way, and he was transferred to New South Wales. He was ordained as a Deacon in 1936, and as a Priest in 1937. After disappointing progress on the building, he was transferred to Richmond
after two years.
William Stone, B.A. was the rector during the period 1842–1843. He grew up in a clerical family in Ireland, married his first cousin, and had nine children, seven of whom joined their parents on the journey to Australia in 1841. When appointed at St John's, he set aside a room in their family home, deemed by the Bishop as temporarily licensed as a place of worship since the church was not yet complete. At the time he was also the minister of the Parish of Concord, and earned a government stipend of £150. He was transferred to Sutton Forest in 1843.
Frederick Wilkinson, M.A., was the rector during the period 1843–1854. He personally carved much of the woodwork in St Johns. During his rectorship, he also organized for St Mary's church to be built in Balmain, and then St Thomas' Enfield. Once St Mary's was built, he presided alternately in Ashfield and Balmain. During his time at Ashfield, the Wilkinsons lived in a "picturesque, many-gabled wooden house called The Meads in Enfield" (near Burwood road), where he had a large workshop for his wood-carving. He also established a private school at The Meads, which enjoyed a "high reputation as the best collegiate school in the colony". Apart from a return trip to England (serving as the ship's chaplain during the journeys), he continued his leadership of St John's until June 1854 when he accepted 'a special commission for the cure' at Holy Trinity at Millers Point.
Thomas Hatham/Hattam Wilkinson was the rector during the period 1854–1860. He had originally come to the colonies in the company of his father's brother, Frederick. Since then he had been curate-in-charge at Balmain under his uncle, got married to Julia Sarah Underwood (Elizabeth's daughter) at St John's, served a short period as chaplain to Darlinghurst Gaol
and three years as the assistant minister of St John the Baptist, Canberra
. After his uncle left St John's, he became the rector. After leaving St John's, he moved to Enfield, and later Appin
, finally returning for burial in the St John's cemetery after his death in 1876.
William Lumsdaine was the newly ordained rector during the period 1860–1865. He had come to Australia with his two brothers and a sister in 1836 in the charge of Bishop Broughton. When he became rector, he rented Ashfield Park House, Elizabeth Underwood's original house as his family residence. Along with Ashfield, he simultaneously held the incumbency for the parishes of Burwood
, Enfield, and Five Dock. During his time at St John's, two of his children died of diphtheria
on the same day. After finishing at St John's, he continued to serve at Five Dock and Burwood. He died in 1902 aged 78 and is buried in the St John's cemetery.
William Cecil Cave-Browne-Cave was the rector during the period 1865–1867. He was a grandson of the ninth Cave-Browne-Cave Baronet
. He was recently married when he arrived at St John's. Later in his career he held the rectorship at St Thomas' North Sydney.
Canon James Christian Corlette, D.D., was the rector during the period 1867–1900. His previous appointment had been in Jamberoo
. He was married to Frances Edith Manning, a daughter of the politician Sir William Montagu Manning
. In 1877 she was elected to the committee of the newly formed Infant's Home, as an indication of Anglican support. The home cared for abandoned babies, and was the subject of a storm of protest, with the Roman Catholic Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran accusing it of a "vindication of promiscuous practices". The Corlettes' eight children were all born during his time at St John's. Perhaps not surprisingly, during this period St John's first began to provide a residence for the rector. Corlette encouraged Ashfield's Melanesian population to worship at St John's, and many later returned to the islands as missionaries. He provided more frequent and regular services than his predecessor, and emphasized Saint's Days, Communion and music. During the period 1868–1884 he concurrently held the precentorship at St Andrew's Cathedral, and in 1897 again served there as canon. In 1893 he was chaplain to the Bishop of Sydney, and became rural dean of Petersham in 1895. Along with many of his family, he is buried in the St John's cemetery.
Alfred Yarnold was the rector during the period 1901–1916, which were the final fifteen years of his career. Immediately previously he had spent nineteen years as the rector of Christ Church, Lavender Bay
. Overlapping with his time at St John's, he was also the chaplain to the Archbishop of Sydney, and the rural dean of Petersham.
William George Hilliard
, M.A., was the rector during the period 1916–1926. He was recently ordained when he joined St John's, having completed only a four year curacy at Dulwich Hill. His first wife died during his time at St John's. When he completed his time at St John's, he became the Headmaster of a local private school, Trinity Grammar School. In 1934 he became the Bishop of Nelson
. He was described as "one of the most popular evangelicals in the Church life of Australia, and a forceful preacher".
Ainslie Arthur Yeates, M.A., was the rector during the period 1927–1928. He came to Ashfield from St John's Woolwich
. Soon after he arrived he suffered a breakdown in his health, was very sick throughout his time at Ashfield, and died after a four year incumbency.
Herbert Stanley Cocks, B.A. Th.L., was the rector during the period 1931–1939. He brought with him a wide experience of church work. Having been ordained just before World War I
he had been a chaplain for the A.I.F., and after demobilization a missionary, school principal, and chaplain in India. Most recently he had been rector of Holy Trinity, Erskineville
.
Leonard Neville Sutton, M.A., was the rector during the period 1939–1949. He was a keen teacher, having previously been principal at St Andrew's Cathedral School
, chaplain at The King's School, and vice-principal at Brighton Grammar School
. He was very interested in the welfare of young people. This enthusiasm led him to start the St John's Preschool. The Sunday School also had 350 pupils at the time.
Frederick Allen Seymour Shaw, B.A. Th.L., was the rector during the period 1949–1966. He had already served as an assistant clergyman at St John's during 1930–1931. During that time, he was ordained. Eighteen years later he returned to St John's as the rector.
John R. Seddon, Th.L. Dip.R.E., was the rector from 1966 until he transferred to St Luke's Mosman in 1973.
Percy William "Bill" George Twine, Th.L. L.T.C.L., was the rector during the period 1973–1980. He had long been an organ player, and inclined toward high church
style. He died suddenly whilst still the rector.
Stanford Ronald Colefax, R.F.D. Dip.Th., was the rector during the period 1980–1990.
Dennis P. Robinson, Th.L. was the rector during the period 1990–2003.
Andrew Katay, B.D. M.Th., became the rector in early 2005. He was previously a Senior Associate Minister at St. Barnabas, Broadway
, and Anglican chaplain at The University of Sydney, while leading the staff team of the Sydney University Evangelical Union
. His arrival at the church marked a change from two traditional communion services to congregations with a variety of styles.
Septimus Hungerford was acting rector in 1879. He had previously been the rector of St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale
. Later he became the incumbent at St Thomas' Enfield.
William Hough took temporary leadership in 1889 whilst J. C. Corlette undertook the precentorship of Goulburn Cathedral
.
Arthur Christian Corlette stood in temporarily for his older brother J. C. Corlette in 1898.
Robert William Phayre Montgomery filled in at St John's after the death of J. C. Corlette, during the period 1900–1901. He was an Irishman who came to Australia as a missionary chaplain in 1891. After leaving St John's he took up a position as vicar of Cressy
Arthur Killworth M.A. LL.B., acted as rector during the period 1928–1931.
Archdeacon William Apedaile Charlton led St John's for four months in 1939 after the departure of H. S. Cocks. He had already served in Sydney churches for 55 years.
James R. Le Huray, Th.L. was the acting rector during the period 2004–2005.
Catholic education in the area flourished, and seeing this, J. C. Corlette wrote to England to Miss Ellen Clarke, suggesting that she start a school for young ladies in Ashfield. This went ahead, the school known as Normanhurst School began in a cottage in Bland Street. Although it was officially non-denominational, Normanhurst maintained strong links with St John's. The school grew, and moved premises to Orpington Street, but eventually closed down in 1941.
Free Gothic. The transepts and chancel are constructed from Sydney sandstone
, whereas the nave
and tower are rendered brick. The roofs are all slate.
The interior has been described as "architecturally much more satisfying than its exterior". It has a hammerbeam ceiling
with a curved rafter roof with colonettes, plaster walls, and stained glass in every window from a range of periods. The reredos
and pulpit
are distinctive cedar carvings by the early rector F. Wilkinson.
A number of notable former Ashfield residents are buried at St John's. First Fleet
convict, John Limeburner/Linburner, had been transported for stealing clothing to the value of about one pound, eventually died in 1847 aged 104. His headstone was defaced by vandals in 1965. Several members of the Wilkinson and Underwood families were significant in the early European settlement of the Ashfield district. Louise Taplin (1855–1901) was matron of The Infants Home in Ashfield for 15 years until her death, and led the home through the 1890s depression, despite a shortage of salaried staff. Henry Halloran (1811–1893) was a poet and resident of Ashfield, and was married to Elizabeth Underwood's daughter Elizabeth. Thomas Walker
, a banker and philanthropist who owned and developed Yaralla Estate
, is in a family grave with his wife Jane, and daughter Eadith's ashes. Samuel Henry Terry, a wealthy landowner and politician is also buried at St Johns, having spent the last part of his life in an Ashfield residence named The Lilacs. Randolph John Want was a solicitor and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
. Edward Thomas Jones Wrench was one of the founding partners of real estate agents Richardson and Wrench. Amy Schauer was a cookery instructor and author. The graveyard also contains members of the Taverner, Uhr and Rodd families, after whom the localities Taverner's Hill
, Uhr's Point, and Rodd Point are named. There are also graves of three former rectors: T. H. Wilkinson, W. Lumsdaine, and J. C. Corlette, and members of their families, together with a pioneer clergyman, E. Rogers.
Beside these prominent figures, many of the St John's graves contain children. Typhoid and whooping cough epidemics took heavy tolls in the Victorian period. Although Ashfield was known as a healthy area, many families lost two or even three children.
Burial rates at St John's declined rapidly around the turn of the 20th century. The rector's notes from the time indicate that many funeral services conducted at the church now preceded burial at Rookwood Cemetery
. Although the cemetery has never officially been closed, no burial plots have been sold for some years. A memorial garden for the interment of ashes was opened in the time of J. R. Seddon, providing a popular resting place for the Ashfield community.
Since the late 1970s day-release prisoners have assisted with maintenance of the cemetery grounds. In Australia's bicentennial year, 1988, a $16,000 grant was awarded for restoration work in the cemetery, at which time some broken gravestones were cemented together, and some illegible ones were 'cut back' and the letters repainted.
Since July 2006 it has run a mothers and children group, which discusses Christian parenting issues, and teaches English to those for whom it is not their native language.
In 2010 the church began an outdoor film festival showing ghost and horror movies in the historic cemetery.
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
, a suburb of 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...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 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...
. Founded in 1840, on land donated by Elizabeth Underwood
Elizabeth Underwood
Elizabeth Underwood was a pioneering Australian land owner who founded the village of Ashfield, New South Wales....
, the church building is the oldest authenticated surviving building in Ashfield, having been built at the time when subdivision increased the population density sufficiently to turn Ashfield into a town. It was also the first church built along the Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road
.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
which linked the early colonial towns of Sydney and Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. The earliest remaining parts of the building are one of the first Sydney designs by the colonial architect Edmund Blacket
Edmund Blacket
Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
, who later became renowned for his ecclesiastical architecture
Church architecture
Church architecture refers to the architecture of buildings of Christian churches. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions...
.
The expansive church grounds contain a cemetery dating back to 1845 that contains the remains of many notable Ashfield residents. Australia's only memorial to Australian Air Force Cadets
Australian Air Force Cadets
The Australian Air Force Cadets , known as the Air Training Corps until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force...
occupies a prominent position near the entrance to the church. The St John's site has been listed on the Local Environment Plan Heritage Schedule, and the Register of 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....
.
St John's is one of three churches, along with St Albans, Five Dock
Five Dock, New South Wales
Five Dock is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Five Dock is located 10 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local Government Area of the City of Canada Bay.-Location:...
, and St Oswald's, Haberfield
Haberfield, New South Wales
Haberfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Haberfield is located 9 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield....
, which make up Christ Church Inner West, operating within the parish of Ashfield, Five Dock, and Haberfield, as part of the South Sydney Region of the Anglican 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....
. The church has had 18 rectors, including William George Hilliard
William George Hilliard
The Rt Rev William George Hilliard was the 5th Anglican Bishop of Nelson whose Episcopate spanned a 6 year period in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in Sydney on 29 May 1887, educated at the University of Sydney and ordained in 1912. He first worked as a curate at Dulwich...
who later became the Bishop of Nelson
Diocese of Nelson
The Diocese of Nelson is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the top part of the South Island of New Zealand, which is mostly the area north of a line drawn from Greymouth to Kaikoura.The diocese was...
. Andrew Katay has been rector since early 2005.
History
St John's was the first church to be established between the colonial towns of Sydney and ParramattaParramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
(then known as Rose Hill), during a time of rapid church building when many of the oldest churches in Sydney were erected. Since 1810 the Parish of Ashfield had extended from Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
to Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
, and from Enfield
Enfield, New South Wales
Enfield is a suburb, in the Inner-West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Enfield is located 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Burwood Council.-History:...
to the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
, and in 1840 this was formalized into an ecclesiastical district.
Early contributors
The first portion of grounds, an area of 1 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
, 2 roods, and 36 perches (a total of 0.698 ha), was provided as a gift by the local landowner Elizabeth Underwood
Elizabeth Underwood
Elizabeth Underwood was a pioneering Australian land owner who founded the village of Ashfield, New South Wales....
who was subdividing "Ashfield Park". The Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton was the first Bishop of Australia of the Church of England....
added urgency by expressing his "intention of having a Place of Worship erected immediately, on the allotment of land appropriated for that purpose". Another benefactor was William Bland
William Bland
Dr. William Bland was a transported convict, medical practitioner and surgeon, politician, farmer and inventor in colonial New South Wales, Australia.-Early life:...
, a doctor and politician who had been sent to the colony having been convicted of manslaughter after pistol duel which left his opponent mortally wounded, and after whom Bland street is named. He gave a donation of £200 and land. Fellow local medical practitioner, James Bowman, contributed a "similarly munificent donation". By mid-1839 the funds received were thought to be sufficient to commence building. The exact location was determined in February 1840, and appeals continued to fund a building of sufficient size for the surrounding population.
Church building
The church was founded on 9 September 1840. The service on that day was read by the first rector, Joseph Kidd Walpole, who had come to the district from Christ Church, KelsoKelso, New South Wales
Kelso is a suburb of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, in the Bathurst Regional Council area.-History:Kelso was the original European settlement in the area. In 1816, the initial settlement of Bathurst was established on the eastern banks of the Macquarie River, in current-day Kelso...
, and had begun to plan the church building. W. G. Broughton made an address at the ceremony. The anniversary sermon was preached by Robert Allwood
Robert Allwood
Rev. 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...
.
Building work on the church began in 1841, but construction came to a standstill due to construction problems and insufficient subscriptions. The following year the colonial architect Edmund Blacket
Edmund Blacket
Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
, as one of his first assignments after arriving in Sydney, was requested to inspect the church's walls, then still under construction. As a result of his report, the walls were demolished and re-erected, although continued funding problems, and the transfer of J. K. Walpole to Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
caused further delays. The church was licensed for operation on 1 October 1843. Much of the interior woodwork was carved by the third rector, Frederick Wilkinson. The roof was strengthened in around 1845 by the installation of timber support columns. On 16 August 1845, at a cost of £100 the church purchased an additional 2.5 acres (1 ha) of land from Elizabeth Underwood who remained a parishioner until her death, and is buried in a prominent grave within the church cemetery. The church was eventually consecrated on 19 August 1845.
After 29 years, as the Bishop of Sydney Frederic Barker
Frederic Barker
Frederic Barker was the second Anglican bishop of Sydney.- Early life :Barker was born at Baslow, Derbyshire, England, fifth son of the Rev. John Barker and his wife Jane, née Whyte. He was educated at The King's School, Grantham and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1831, M. A....
put it "the population of Sydney had invaded these sylvan shades", so an expansion was required. Blacket designed the current stone transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and chancel
Chancel
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...
, to transform the church into a cruciform plan. These were built during the period 1874–1875 at a cost of around £150 – raised without the help of grants from the government or the English societies. The foundation stone of addition was laid by Barker on 24 October 1874, and included a copy of Australian Churchman and the Sydney Morning Herald. At the time this addition accommodated an extra 250 seats, bringing the total capacity to 446.
Construction of the choir vestry and a wooden porch outside the western door were completed in 1885, and dedicated by Bishop Alfred Barry
Alfred Barry
Dr. Alfred Barry was the Third Bishop of Sydney, who over the course of his career served as headmaster of several independent schools, Principal of King's College London, and founded several prominent Anglican schools....
. This work was overseen by the Blacket brothers, who had followed the trade of their late father.
Arthur Blacket then designed the west tower. The eight-bell peal was ordered from England after a generous bequest by one of the "Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
n boys", David Marguay, and subsequent fundraising. The tower was then quickly constructed at a cost of around £250 in memory of the recently deceased rector James Christian Corlette, and dedicated as The Corlette Memorial Tower on 1 November 1901. The memorial bells proved depressing amongst the local populace, and were rearranged in 1904, with louvres added to the previously open arches. This was apparently ineffective, as the bells were removed within a few years.
Music
Prior to the installation of a pipe organPipe 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...
, a seraphine and then an harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
were used for musical accompaniment. The first organ was installed above the gallery at the western end of the church by William Davidson at the request of the rector J. C. Corlette, and was transferred to the south transept in about 1879, where it remained until 1882 when it was sold to St Bartholomew's, Pyrmont, and later St Luke's, Northmead.
The 1883 Hill and Son organ, including 844 pipes, costing a total of £550, was installed in 1884, and located in the north-east corner of the transept. It is still in use, with original pipework, making it faithful to the original tones. The organ was refurbished and rebuilt in 1950, 1975, and 2008.
The 1950 change from mechanical to electrical action was motivated by removing the increasingly noisy pedals and trackers. This refurbishment also included detachment of the console (to the other side of the transept), and replacement of the bellows with a "pressure equaliser". The façade pipes were sprayed to a dull gold colour, covering over the original diapering
Diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, silverwork etc. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.-Etymology:...
, described desparagingly at the time as "all over the pipes without much rhyme or reason; fleurs-de-lys in profusion, dots, bands, triangles in all the colours of the rainbow rioted in confusion". This work was carried out by R. A. and D. A. Wiltshire.
By 1975 the organ had become unplayable, and a reconversion to mechanical action was undertaken. The console was moved back to the organ side of the transept, with the action going backward under the floor into the organ. This necessitated removal of floor joist
Joist
A joist, in architecture and engineering, is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof, or floor. It may be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Typically, a beam is bigger than, and is thus distinguished from, a joist...
s and foundation piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
, but the unsupported floor caused further problems long term, and during the 2008 rebuild it was re-electrified.
The church had a significant choral history, with significant events often celebrated with a full choir, sometimes accompanied by an orchestra. In the late 19th century the St John's choir participated in regional choir festivals.
Site development
A small hall for Sunday school was erected in 1865 by the generosity of L. H. Smythe. By 1895 the hall had fallen into disrepair, and the needs of the children had outgrown it. The current Parish Hall was planned to replace it. The memorial stone for the replacement building was laid by the PrimatePrimate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of Australia, William Saumarez Smith
William Saumarez Smith
William Saumarez Smith was an Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.Smith was born in Saint Helier, Jersey the eldest twin son of the Lieutenant Richard Snowden Smith and his wife Anne, née Robin. Smith was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A...
in inclement weather on 2 February 1895. The architect was E. A. Scott, and his building design was of a "domestic style... with a highly decorated front". It cost £625 10s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
, was complete within three months, and seated up to 400. However, by 1903, the Sunday school had once again outgrown the space available, and an additional infants classroom was built nearby. This is now called the Small Hall, and is used as a classroom for the St John's Preschool.
A rectory was first provided for the rector J. C. Corlette and his large family in 1879. A block of land, located on what is now the corner of Rectory Avenue and Alt Street, was purchased for £444, and the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Barker in 1880. This original rectory was sold in 1922 for £1800. The current rectory, on the main grounds of the church, was founded by Archbishop John Charles Wright
John Charles Wright
John Charles Wright, was an Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, responsible for significantly reducing the influence of Anglo-Catholicism in the diocese....
in the same year, during the rectorship of William George Hilliard
William George Hilliard
The Rt Rev William George Hilliard was the 5th Anglican Bishop of Nelson whose Episcopate spanned a 6 year period in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in Sydney on 29 May 1887, educated at the University of Sydney and ordained in 1912. He first worked as a curate at Dulwich...
, and built at a cost of £2500.
Gravel pathways lined with Phoenix canariensis palms, the lawn in front of the church, and the stone churchyard fence were also constructed in the 1920s. The Alt Street wall was erected in 1922, and dedicated to the previous rector Alfred Yarnold. The Bland Street wall was dedicated in 1927 by Archdeacon Davies, and commemorates one of the key contributors, R. A. Forsaith.
The cemetery, which had been in existence since soon after the foundation of the church (the first interment was Frederick Underwood, Elizabeth's 11-month-old grandson, on 1 May 1845), was consecrated by the Archbishop of Sydney, Howard West Kilvinton Mowll, on 8 September 1934. By this stage it reportedly already contained the remains of 1,396 people. He was asked by the rector of the time to "set apart the area, containing 4 acres and 4 perches (1.63 ha), as a burial-place for the bodies of Christian people living in and about Ashfield".
Australia's only memorial to Australian Air Force Cadets
Australian Air Force Cadets
The Australian Air Force Cadets , known as the Air Training Corps until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force...
occupies a prominent position on the grounds, and a memorial service attended by the Cadets has been held annually since it was opened by the State Governor Lieutenant General John Northcott
John Northcott
Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during World War II, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan...
in 1946. It was built by Squadron Leader Arthur Whitehurst who had commanded a squadron at Ashfield during the period 1941–1946, and whose son Douglas Arthur Whitehurst had died in action in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
A children's playground was installed near the Alt St boundary in 2011, and opened by Ashfield Municipal Council Mayor Ted Cassidy and Strathfield
Electoral district of Strathfield
Strathfield is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was first created in 1988, and derives its name from the suburb of the same name. Strathfield is an urban electorate, covering 17.94 km² and taking in the suburbs of Strathfield,...
MP Charles Casuscelli
Charles Casuscelli
Charles Casuscelli MP, an Australian politician in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Strathfield for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2011.-Early years and background:...
.
Regional influence
A number of local street names were derived from the presence of St John's. Church Street, which ends directly opposite the church entrance, was originally the track used by BurwoodBurwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
residents to reach the church, using a conveniently located fallen tree across Iron Cove Creek
Iron Cove Creek
Iron Cove Creek was a creek in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the inner-western suburbs of Croydon, Ashfield, Haberfield and Five Dock...
.
As the population of Sydney's Inner West
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
grew, many of the Anglican churches in the area were established by the congregation of St John's (including four during the final thirty years of the nineteenth century). These include Balmain, Burwood, Five Dock, St Thomas' Enfield (declared a separate parish in 1868), and St Oswald's Haberfield (1908). Because of this involvement, St John's was later referred to as the "Mother Church of Western Suburbs".
Rectors
St. John's has had eighteen rectors to date.Joseph Kidd Walpole was the first rector, during the period 1840–1842. He was originally from England, and went on mission to Madras in 1836, but his health gave way, and he was transferred to New South Wales. He was ordained as a Deacon in 1936, and as a Priest in 1937. After disappointing progress on the building, he was transferred to Richmond
Richmond, New South Wales
Richmond is a town in New South Wales, north-west of Sydney, in the Local Government Area of the City of Hawkesbury. It is located at a latitude of 33° 35' 54" South and a longitude of 150°45' 04" east, 19 metres above sea level on the alluvial Hawkesbury River flats, at the foot of the Blue...
after two years.
William Stone, B.A. was the rector during the period 1842–1843. He grew up in a clerical family in Ireland, married his first cousin, and had nine children, seven of whom joined their parents on the journey to Australia in 1841. When appointed at St John's, he set aside a room in their family home, deemed by the Bishop as temporarily licensed as a place of worship since the church was not yet complete. At the time he was also the minister of the Parish of Concord, and earned a government stipend of £150. He was transferred to Sutton Forest in 1843.
Frederick Wilkinson, M.A., was the rector during the period 1843–1854. He personally carved much of the woodwork in St Johns. During his rectorship, he also organized for St Mary's church to be built in Balmain, and then St Thomas' Enfield. Once St Mary's was built, he presided alternately in Ashfield and Balmain. During his time at Ashfield, the Wilkinsons lived in a "picturesque, many-gabled wooden house called The Meads in Enfield" (near Burwood road), where he had a large workshop for his wood-carving. He also established a private school at The Meads, which enjoyed a "high reputation as the best collegiate school in the colony". Apart from a return trip to England (serving as the ship's chaplain during the journeys), he continued his leadership of St John's until June 1854 when he accepted 'a special commission for the cure' at Holy Trinity at Millers Point.
Thomas Hatham/Hattam Wilkinson was the rector during the period 1854–1860. He had originally come to the colonies in the company of his father's brother, Frederick. Since then he had been curate-in-charge at Balmain under his uncle, got married to Julia Sarah Underwood (Elizabeth's daughter) at St John's, served a short period as chaplain to Darlinghurst Gaol
Darlinghurst Gaol
Darlinghurst Gaol was an Australian prison located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The site is bordered by Victoria, Burton and Forbes streets, with entrances on Forbes and Burton Streets.-History:...
and three years as the assistant minister of St John the Baptist, Canberra
St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia, and also the oldest building within Canberra's city precinct. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue in the suburb of Reid.-Construction:...
. After his uncle left St John's, he became the rector. After leaving St John's, he moved to Enfield, and later Appin
Appin, New South Wales
Appin is a town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia in Wollondilly Shire. It is situated about 16 kilometres south of Campbelltown and 35 kilometres north west of Wollongong.-Early history:...
, finally returning for burial in the St John's cemetery after his death in 1876.
William Lumsdaine was the newly ordained rector during the period 1860–1865. He had come to Australia with his two brothers and a sister in 1836 in the charge of Bishop Broughton. When he became rector, he rented Ashfield Park House, Elizabeth Underwood's original house as his family residence. Along with Ashfield, he simultaneously held the incumbency for the parishes of Burwood
Burwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
, Enfield, and Five Dock. During his time at St John's, two of his children died of diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
on the same day. After finishing at St John's, he continued to serve at Five Dock and Burwood. He died in 1902 aged 78 and is buried in the St John's cemetery.
William Cecil Cave-Browne-Cave was the rector during the period 1865–1867. He was a grandson of the ninth Cave-Browne-Cave Baronet
Cave-Browne-Cave Baronets
The Cave, later Cave-Browne, later Cave-Browne-Cave Baronetcy, of Stanford in the County of Northampton, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 30 June 1641 for Thomas Cave, a Royalist who fought in the English Civil War...
. He was recently married when he arrived at St John's. Later in his career he held the rectorship at St Thomas' North Sydney.
Canon James Christian Corlette, D.D., was the rector during the period 1867–1900. His previous appointment had been in Jamberoo
Jamberoo, New South Wales
Jamberoo is a small picturesque village approx 11 km inland from Kiama on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census, Jamberoo had a population of 935 people...
. He was married to Frances Edith Manning, a daughter of the politician Sir William Montagu Manning
William Montagu Manning
Sir William Montagu Manning KCMG LLD was an English-born Australian politician, judge and University of Sydney chancellor.-Early life:...
. In 1877 she was elected to the committee of the newly formed Infant's Home, as an indication of Anglican support. The home cared for abandoned babies, and was the subject of a storm of protest, with the Roman Catholic Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran accusing it of a "vindication of promiscuous practices". The Corlettes' eight children were all born during his time at St John's. Perhaps not surprisingly, during this period St John's first began to provide a residence for the rector. Corlette encouraged Ashfield's Melanesian population to worship at St John's, and many later returned to the islands as missionaries. He provided more frequent and regular services than his predecessor, and emphasized Saint's Days, Communion and music. During the period 1868–1884 he concurrently held the precentorship at St Andrew's Cathedral, and in 1897 again served there as canon. In 1893 he was chaplain to the Bishop of Sydney, and became rural dean of Petersham in 1895. Along with many of his family, he is buried in the St John's cemetery.
Alfred Yarnold was the rector during the period 1901–1916, which were the final fifteen years of his career. Immediately previously he had spent nineteen years as the rector of Christ Church, Lavender Bay
Christ Church, Lavender Bay
Christ Church, Lavender Bay is an Anglican church in the Sydney suburb of Lavender Bay, New South Wales, Australia, just north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The church is listed on the Register of the National Estate.-History:...
. Overlapping with his time at St John's, he was also the chaplain to the Archbishop of Sydney, and the rural dean of Petersham.
William George Hilliard
William George Hilliard
The Rt Rev William George Hilliard was the 5th Anglican Bishop of Nelson whose Episcopate spanned a 6 year period in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in Sydney on 29 May 1887, educated at the University of Sydney and ordained in 1912. He first worked as a curate at Dulwich...
, M.A., was the rector during the period 1916–1926. He was recently ordained when he joined St John's, having completed only a four year curacy at Dulwich Hill. His first wife died during his time at St John's. When he completed his time at St John's, he became the Headmaster of a local private school, Trinity Grammar School. In 1934 he became the Bishop of Nelson
Diocese of Nelson
The Diocese of Nelson is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the top part of the South Island of New Zealand, which is mostly the area north of a line drawn from Greymouth to Kaikoura.The diocese was...
. He was described as "one of the most popular evangelicals in the Church life of Australia, and a forceful preacher".
Ainslie Arthur Yeates, M.A., was the rector during the period 1927–1928. He came to Ashfield from St John's Woolwich
Woolwich, New South Wales
Woolwich is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolwich is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill....
. Soon after he arrived he suffered a breakdown in his health, was very sick throughout his time at Ashfield, and died after a four year incumbency.
Herbert Stanley Cocks, B.A. Th.L., was the rector during the period 1931–1939. He brought with him a wide experience of church work. Having been ordained just before World War I
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...
he had been a chaplain for the A.I.F., and after demobilization a missionary, school principal, and chaplain in India. Most recently he had been rector of Holy Trinity, Erskineville
Erskineville, New South Wales
Erskineville is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Erskineville is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
.
Leonard Neville Sutton, M.A., was the rector during the period 1939–1949. He was a keen teacher, having previously been principal at St Andrew's Cathedral School
St Andrew's Cathedral School
St Andrew's Cathedral School is an independent, non-selective, Anglican, co-educational, day school located in the heart of the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, chaplain at The King's School, and vice-principal at Brighton Grammar School
Brighton Grammar School
Brighton Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day school for boys, located in Brighton, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. He was very interested in the welfare of young people. This enthusiasm led him to start the St John's Preschool. The Sunday School also had 350 pupils at the time.
Frederick Allen Seymour Shaw, B.A. Th.L., was the rector during the period 1949–1966. He had already served as an assistant clergyman at St John's during 1930–1931. During that time, he was ordained. Eighteen years later he returned to St John's as the rector.
John R. Seddon, Th.L. Dip.R.E., was the rector from 1966 until he transferred to St Luke's Mosman in 1973.
Percy William "Bill" George Twine, Th.L. L.T.C.L., was the rector during the period 1973–1980. He had long been an organ player, and inclined toward 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...
style. He died suddenly whilst still the rector.
Stanford Ronald Colefax, R.F.D. Dip.Th., was the rector during the period 1980–1990.
Dennis P. Robinson, Th.L. was the rector during the period 1990–2003.
Andrew Katay, B.D. M.Th., became the rector in early 2005. He was previously a Senior Associate Minister at St. Barnabas, Broadway
St. Barnabas, Broadway
St Barnabas, Broadway is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Sydney, Australia. The church property is located on Broadway, near the University of Sydney....
, and Anglican chaplain at The University of Sydney, while leading the staff team of the Sydney University Evangelical Union
Sydney University Evangelical Union
The Sydney University Evangelical Union is a student led Christian group that has operated at the University of Sydney since 1930...
. His arrival at the church marked a change from two traditional communion services to congregations with a variety of styles.
Acting rectors
From time to time, an acting rector or locum tenens has taken on temporary leadership, or filled a gap between rectors.Septimus Hungerford was acting rector in 1879. He had previously been the rector of St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
. Later he became the incumbent at St Thomas' Enfield.
William Hough took temporary leadership in 1889 whilst J. C. Corlette undertook the precentorship of Goulburn Cathedral
Goulburn Cathedral (St. Saviour)
St Saviour's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia. The Cathedral is named after the Saviour Himself. The current Dean is the Very Reverend Phillip Saunders.-History:...
.
Arthur Christian Corlette stood in temporarily for his older brother J. C. Corlette in 1898.
Robert William Phayre Montgomery filled in at St John's after the death of J. C. Corlette, during the period 1900–1901. He was an Irishman who came to Australia as a missionary chaplain in 1891. After leaving St John's he took up a position as vicar of Cressy
Cressy, Tasmania
Cressy is a small town located south-west of Launceston, Tasmania. It came into existence in the 1850s to service the surrounding wheat farms. At the 2006 census, Cressy had a population of 670...
Arthur Killworth M.A. LL.B., acted as rector during the period 1928–1931.
Archdeacon William Apedaile Charlton led St John's for four months in 1939 after the departure of H. S. Cocks. He had already served in Sydney churches for 55 years.
James R. Le Huray, Th.L. was the acting rector during the period 2004–2005.
Education
In the mid-1850s St John's established a Church of England Denominational Day School in a small, plain white stone building near the corner of Charlotte and Bland St, which was reported as being in good repair with 28 pupils in 1867. However, when the Ashfield public school expanded in 1875, the church school proved unable to compete, and by 1880 it was closed. The building was sold to the newly begun Ashfield Boy's College in 1882, but was demolished in 1885.Catholic education in the area flourished, and seeing this, J. C. Corlette wrote to England to Miss Ellen Clarke, suggesting that she start a school for young ladies in Ashfield. This went ahead, the school known as Normanhurst School began in a cottage in Bland Street. Although it was officially non-denominational, Normanhurst maintained strong links with St John's. The school grew, and moved premises to Orpington Street, but eventually closed down in 1941.
Land and buildings
Church
Having evolved over a long period, the church building displays elements of a range of styles including Colonial Gothick Picturesque, Victorian and FederationFederation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
Free Gothic. The transepts and chancel are constructed from Sydney sandstone
Sydney sandstone
Sydney sandstone is the common name for Sydney Basin Hawkesbury Sandstone, historically known as Yellowblock, is a sedimentary rock named after the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney, where this sandstone is particularly common....
, whereas the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and tower are rendered brick. The roofs are all slate.
The interior has been described as "architecturally much more satisfying than its exterior". It has a hammerbeam ceiling
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
with a curved rafter roof with colonettes, plaster walls, and stained glass in every window from a range of periods. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
and 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...
are distinctive cedar carvings by the early rector F. Wilkinson.
Cemetery
The cemetery is geographically aligned with the church, and takes up a large portion of the land area. The oldest graves are on the eastern side of the path, and typically face west. Newer graves on the western side of the path generally face east.A number of notable former Ashfield residents are buried at St John's. First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
convict, John Limeburner/Linburner, had been transported for stealing clothing to the value of about one pound, eventually died in 1847 aged 104. His headstone was defaced by vandals in 1965. Several members of the Wilkinson and Underwood families were significant in the early European settlement of the Ashfield district. Louise Taplin (1855–1901) was matron of The Infants Home in Ashfield for 15 years until her death, and led the home through the 1890s depression, despite a shortage of salaried staff. Henry Halloran (1811–1893) was a poet and resident of Ashfield, and was married to Elizabeth Underwood's daughter Elizabeth. Thomas Walker
Thomas Walker (philanthropist)
Thomas Walker was an Australian politician and banker; he and his daughter Dame Eadith Walker were important philanthropists.-Life and career:...
, a banker and philanthropist who owned and developed Yaralla Estate
Yaralla Estate
The Yaralla Estate, also known as the Dame Eadith Walker Estate, is located in Concord West, New South Wales, Australia.-History:Yaralla was the home of Eadith Walker and her father Thomas. The estate is historically significant as one of the last large nineteenth century estates remaining in...
, is in a family grave with his wife Jane, and daughter Eadith's ashes. Samuel Henry Terry, a wealthy landowner and politician is also buried at St Johns, having spent the last part of his life in an Ashfield residence named The Lilacs. Randolph John Want was a solicitor and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. Edward Thomas Jones Wrench was one of the founding partners of real estate agents Richardson and Wrench. Amy Schauer was a cookery instructor and author. The graveyard also contains members of the Taverner, Uhr and Rodd families, after whom the localities Taverner's Hill
Taverners Hill MLR station
Taverners Hill MLR station is a planned light rail stop located adjacent to Parramatta Road at the border of the suburbs of Lewisham, Summer Hill, Haberfield and Leichhardt on the Metro Light Rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stop is planned for completion in 2012...
, Uhr's Point, and Rodd Point are named. There are also graves of three former rectors: T. H. Wilkinson, W. Lumsdaine, and J. C. Corlette, and members of their families, together with a pioneer clergyman, E. Rogers.
Beside these prominent figures, many of the St John's graves contain children. Typhoid and whooping cough epidemics took heavy tolls in the Victorian period. Although Ashfield was known as a healthy area, many families lost two or even three children.
Burial rates at St John's declined rapidly around the turn of the 20th century. The rector's notes from the time indicate that many funeral services conducted at the church now preceded burial at Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery is the largest multicultural necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Although the cemetery has never officially been closed, no burial plots have been sold for some years. A memorial garden for the interment of ashes was opened in the time of J. R. Seddon, providing a popular resting place for the Ashfield community.
Since the late 1970s day-release prisoners have assisted with maintenance of the cemetery grounds. In Australia's bicentennial year, 1988, a $16,000 grant was awarded for restoration work in the cemetery, at which time some broken gravestones were cemented together, and some illegible ones were 'cut back' and the letters repainted.
Ministry
Andrew Katay became the 18th rector in early 2005. In 2008 the church was part of an amalgamation with the parish of Five Dock and Haberfield, forming Christ Church Inner West Anglican Community (CCIW) with Andrew Katay continuing as the rector of the new parish. There are currently three Sunday services at Ashfield, and two at Five Dock.Since July 2006 it has run a mothers and children group, which discusses Christian parenting issues, and teaches English to those for whom it is not their native language.
In 2010 the church began an outdoor film festival showing ghost and horror movies in the historic cemetery.