St George's Anglican Church Group, Bluff Point

Values

• The place is a good example of Interwar Romanesque architectural style church and late twentieth Century Ecclesiastical Parish Hall.
• The place is associated with the prominent architect Herbert Eales, who designed the church.
• The place is associated with the prominent builder Mr TP Crother’s, who constructed the church.
• The place is significant as a place of worship for the Anglican Community.

Physical Description

‘St George’s Anglican Church is a simple church modelled along lines of an old English church. It is reminiscent of some of Father Hawes work and may have been an effort to raise the image of Anglican Churches in the district so that they could stand equally alongside the local Roman Catholic ecclesiastical works.’ ‘The church has walls of local stone (from Narra Tarra in the Chapman Valley) with rendered surrounds to semi-circular arched windows, quoining and parapets. The bell tower rises to a three storey high scale above the stone gable end to the nave and combines with an enclosed entry porch to create as asymmetrical front elevation. The roof of the church is tiled, including the bell tower pyramid supported on corbelled brickwork around its eaves. The top of the tower has arched louvered openings to match the leadlight windows down the sides of the church. The side entry to the sanctuary and vestry towards the rear, has a triple arched window giving balance to the taller windows of the nave and the wider of the entry doors, all on the same north elevation.’ ‘The eastern approach to St George’s is through a small Lychgate, built more recently, but sympathetic to the character of the original church and constructed of a darker, redder stone. The gate is of wrought iron featuring a St George and the dragon theme. To the west, the site faces the ocean and an open pergola colonnade and sundial, also built at a later date.

History

‘From 1928 and prior to the construction of St Georges Anglican Church, services were held in the local hall at Bluff Point Hall. The services were first conducted by the Rev. Henry Vine, Rector of Christ Church, Geraldton. The construction of a new church was chiefly owing to the efforts of Miss Cecily Biddle who was able to raise generous donations locally and from friends in Brede, England. By 28 March 1935, half of the cost of the building has been covered by donations.’ ‘Mr Herbert Eales, of Messrs Eales, Cohen and Bennett of Perth, was the architect of the new church and the builder was Mr T.P. Crothers. Stone for the church was donated by Mr Frank Green from a quarry on his property at Narra Tarra in Chapman Valley. The stone was carted to the site by Mr William Webber and volunteers. The foundation stone was laid in May, 1935. ‘A newspaper article describes the building close to completion: ‘A special feature is the triple arch over the sanctuary step. The Sanctuary is an apse and the High Alter will have a marble top and be constructed of compressed cement. The Alter in the Lady Chapel is the gift of the contractor, Mr TP Crothers. The windows are a rich shade of amber and will cost £2,000. Pews for the church were donated by local families (Geraldton Guardian, 14/12/1935).’ ‘The church was consecrated on 15 December 1935, by the Bishop of the North West, the Right Reverend John Frewer. The first Rector was the Reverend K.B. Halley. The name of St George was chosen because both Miss Biddle and the Bishop had spent their early years in Brede, England, where their parish church was dedicated to St George. A piece of stone quarried in France approximately 1000 years ago, formally part of the cornice on St George Church in Brede, England was fixed to porch wall of the Bluff Point Church and unveiled by Rt. Rev. J. Frewer in October 1961.’ ‘The tower contains a bell which was made in England at the foundry of Mears and Stainbank. Hung in 1938, the bell weighs over six hundredweight. The church alter is a memorial to Rev. C.C. Frewer, a former Rector of Brede, England. The pulpit was installed in 1947 as a memorial to those who died during the Second World War.’ ‘Built in 1950, the stone colonnade, situated immediately behind the church, was designed by Messrs Forbes and Fitzhardinge. It was erected in memory of Miss Biddle’s companion, Elizabeth Estwick. Miss Biddle’s Sunday School staged nativity plays here. The sundial is a memorial to one of the alter boys of the church. The Lych gate, positioned in front of the church was built in 1957 in memory of Elizabeth Howes. The iron gate features the figures of St George and the dragon. The adjacent Parish Hall, also designed by Forbes and Fitzhardinge, was opened on 4th December 1960.’

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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