St John's Church, Parish Centre & Cottage

Statement of Significance

Excellent example of Victorian architecture in Western Australia.
The internal woodwork and window sashes were completed by convicts in Fremantle.
The churchyard contains the remains of many early pioneers and prominent families.
(Burials date from 1840s - 1870s.)

Physical Description

The Church was built in the rustic style of Victorian Britain. Constructed of local red brick,
the original shingled roof has been replaced by clay tiles. Excellent jarrah furnishings and
stained glass windows. Wooden bell tower stands in the churchyard dated to 1848. The
graveyard surrounds the church and the site is fronted by an imposing red brick wall and
black iron entry gates (donated by the McLarty family).

History

The Government made the first allocation of land in the area bounded by James Street and
the Murray River in 1840 for a church site. However, the first official Sunday service in the
region took place in February 1842 with a visit by Archdeacon John Wollaston. He wrote:
I held service in a barn where the Dandalup flows into the Murray. There were
twenty-one present and it was the first service ever taken by a clergyman on a
Sunday, as [George] King’s monthly visits were on a weekday.
In 1843 the first Anglican Church in Pinjarra was constructed near the Murray River and
close to the site of the present church. It is likely that the building was a wattle and daub
church with a thatched roof. The church was consecrated in the name of St. John in 1848
by Bishop Augustus Short. At the time it was noted that: ‘Nothing could exceed the highly
respectable appearance of this little church and congregation’. A few years later, the original
St. John’s was described as being a ‘neat little church’ and a ‘valuable acquisition’ for the
locality.
However, in 1860 John McLarty noted that the Church was ‘going to ruins’ because it was
‘being so seldom used’.
In 1861 the earlier building was replaced by the present St. John’s Church, built by Anthony
Cornish for £263.
Convicts from Fremantle made the window sashes and some of the interior woodwork.
The porch was added in 1879.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.