St Patrick's Church of England

Statement of Significance

The church is one of the few buildings remaining at Mourambine. Mourambine is important because of the part it played in the evolving development of the agricultural communities of East Beverley in the early years of the State and had a profound effect on the social and religious life of the community during that period. The Church is still highly regarded by the community as indicated by the care and attention paid to it and by its continued use as a burial ground.

Physical Description

The Church stands on a hill top above the undulating countryside with the cemetery on both sides and at the rear, the whole being enclosed in a five sided irregular allotment. It is a small Victorian Academic Gothic style church comprising a nave and entry porch and is approached via a memorial stone arch and gates that were erected in 1949 in memory of two young men of the district who perished in action during the Second World War. The whole building is of stone with stone gables and buttresses. The buttresses to the walls and corners of the building, and the corners of the porch are simple stepped buttresses and have been rendered over, whether originally or subsequently is not known. The pointing to the stonework is in good condition and has presumably been carried out recently. The roof is high pitched, single raftered with collar ties. There are two c.150X150 ties running across the nave at approximately third points. Externally across the rear of the church is a further tie comprised of two metal rods (c.35 mm. dia.) hooked together in the center of the elevation (possibly to obviate the need for a further interior timber tie which would intrude on the main interior aspect of the church). The roof originally shingles has been covered by unpainted c.g.i sheeting. The shingles remain and form the ceiling to the nave. There are no gutters or downpipes. (The ground between the butresses has been paved and rendered presumably so as to deflect any run off away from the walls and foundations). The Municipal Inventory (1996) reports there is a small cross at the altar end of the roof apex however this does not seem to appear on the recent photographs. The floors to the nave are of timber tightly fitted and polished; to the porch jarrah planks. The interior walls to the nave have been rendered, set, and painted white (no cracks are visible). The interior walls to the porch rough rendered. The interior of the church is austere with the altar table on a slightly raised flooring across the front of the nave. There are three narrow lancet windows with awning sashes on each side of the nave and with three lancet windows across the altar wall. The windows are lead lined and glazed with diamond shaped plain colored glass segments. The entry has a simple ledged and braced door, Tudor shaped and flimsy for its size. There is no electricity connected. Glass kerosene lamps are mounted at regular intervals along both side walls (Only the glass base parts and wicks. No mantles or chimneys). There is an organ at the rear on the right hand side on entering the church shielded behind a fabric enclosure. One of the features is the collection of pews made by convict labour from York and each family followed the English custom of renting a pew. A belfry without a bell stands to the side of the church. 2. GRAVEYARD. The graveyard is located on each side and at the rear of the church and is still in use with the graves representative of the settlers of the district. The earliest graves are Francis Maria Bailey (aged 39) in 1876. Her mother Margaret Maria Seabrook 1889. W.E.Sewell (Maplestead) 1880, Flora Diana Courthope Smith (aged27) 1883, Charles Chapman Smith (Beambine) 1904. Annie Smith 1918. There are quite a few family groupings including the Shaddicks, the Gilletts, and the Smiths. Recent burials are Norman Gillett (1981) (eldest son of The Rev.Gillett.), Helen Gillett (1991), and Ethney Florence (1998). Norman Gillett would have been a descendant of the original Rev. F.C.Gillett. The graveyard is in generally good condition, not overgrown, and still in use. Some of the memorial stones could be cleaned up somewhat. The metal barriers to graves so fitted are rusted and should be treated and painted.

History

Construction 1873 Builder: Builder. – William Atkins: stonemason Assisted by local settlers, William Shaddick, Messrs Seabrook and Robinson. The first land was taken up in the Mourambine area by Lewis John Bayley in 1846. A permanent settlement was established around 1860 and called Mourambine after the Aboriginal name of a nearby spring. Following rumours of the imminent construction of the Beverley Albany Railway , the Mourambine townsite was gazeted in 1884. The town consisted of a school, church, store, gaol, stone well, some homes and a little later a district hall. The town became a staging for teamsters, sandal wood cutters, and drovers who found that the store’s gallon license made their stay pleasant. The Great Southern Railway completed in 1889 passed 10 km. west of Mourambine and a small settlement was established at the siding there, soon to be known as Pingelly. The growth and development of Pingelly , gazetted in 1898, marked the beginning of the demise of Mourambine. Today Mourambine is almost deserted and only a few families remain. St. Patrick’s Church was constructed in 1873. Charles Chapman Smith devoted a considerable portion of his time towards the progress and welfare of developing the district in which he lived. A foremost supporter of the Anglican Church , he represented the vestry at St. Patrick’s Mourambine. The church was originally to be constructed of wood and shingles. However a burning off operation on Smith’s property escaped control and destroyed the stacked timber. Charles Chapman’s immediate reaction to this apparent disaster led him to instruct his employees to take the wagon and cart stone to the site, a measure that proved in the long term to be a blessing.. The erection of the church was a community effort as the total cost was eighty nine pounds. It was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Perth, the Right Rev. Matthew Bladen Hale on the 18th May 1873. The Church was administered by the Rev. Fred Lynch of Gilgering, near York, who had to travel nearly 50 miles (80 km.) to visit Moorumbine. There was some dissatisfaction felt by the parishioners at this arrangement. In 1885 a man died on June 2nd, but could not be buried until June 5 because there was nobody to read the service and they could not take the remains into the Church because of a strong smell of decayed possum. In 1892 as a sign of Mourambine’s increasing importance a new parish was formed – that of Mourambine under the care of the Rev. F. C. Gillett previously of Southern Cross and a new rectory built. One of the first duties was as groom to his own bride lately arrived from England. The service was conducted by Bishop Parry in St. Patrick’s, Mourambine. Mt Gillett’s Parish was enormous, extending to Narrogin, Williams, Marradong and sometimes to Pinjarra, necessitating frequent and lengthy periods from home. His transport was a buggy and pair and he often camped out under the stars. In 1904, at the age of 38, Mr Gillett was stricken with a fatal illness leaving a widow and seven young children. Eric, his second eldest son was a well known solicitor, Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, member of the University Senate for 36 years and former Mayor of Claremont. No successor to Mr Gillett was appointed. In 1902, St. Lukes Church was consecrated in Pingelly and with the gradual drift of population to Pingelly the attendance at St Patrick’s consequently diminished. The church is still regarded in the community and services are held when possible. The church and graveyard are maintained by community efforts.

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