Local Government
Bayswater
Region
Metropolitan
41 Eighth Avenue Maylands
Bayswater
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1956
Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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Heritage List | Adopted | 25 Feb 2020 |
Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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RHP - To be assessed | Current | 21 Aug 2020 |
Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
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The place is associated with the development of the Church of Christ community in Maylands and demonstrates the evolution of non-conformist Christianity in Western Australia in the post-WWII era.
The place is an aesthetically distinctive Post-War church building that contributes to the streetscape of Eighth Avenue in Maylands.
The place has strong social, cultural and spiritual associations for present and past members of the Church of Christ congregation.
Church of Christ, Maylands, was constructed in 1956 as a purpose built Church building. On the Historic Heritage database, it fits into the category of the Post-War Ecclesiastical style but can be more accurately be said to reflect the Inter-War Functionalist style. It is sited on Eighth Avenue in Maylands and has a minimal setback. The building is constructed of bricks in shades of salmon with terracotta brick courses. Symmetrical, it has two slightly recessed wings with narrow fenestration on the ground floor and three sets of three-fold windows on the upper. The central entrance, reached by a small flight of stairs, is a pale wood double door. A mural has been painted on the retaining wall surrounding the façade which encloses garden beds either side of the front steps.
Before settlement of the Swan River Colony, Noongar people occupied the south-west of Western Australia for tens of thousands of years. The Whadjuk Noongar moved between the lakes, coastal strip and hills across the Perth region utilising the rich resources and continuing a strong spiritual connection to the land. The arrival of Europeans disrupted this way of life from 1831.1 In the second decade of the twentieth century, the Maylands area was still largely undeveloped as a residential suburb, although the population was growing steadily. By 1913 there were 600 residential and 60 business addresses listed in the Post Office Directory. During this period, a number of civic and public buildings were constructed,2 including the first Church of Christ (1904), P00135 Baptist Church (1906), P09394 Maylands Primary School (1903) and P02417 Maylands Police Station and Quarters (1908). Following the World War II, Maylands developed quickly as the Commonwealth and State Governments acquired large tracts of relatively cheap land close to facilities to address the housing shortage, with building in Bedford Park the first major activity in Bayswater. The Bayswater Road Board District was well placed for the suburban expansion of Perth due to its location close to the city centre of Perth. Between 1947 and 1954, the population of the area more than doubled to 14,555.3 In the 1950s-60s the Maylands area grew as new housing was developed. There has been a Church of Christ on Eighth Avenue, Maylands, since 1904.4 A plan suggests the original church was located almost directly opposite the current site, which was a wood yard until after 1935.5 At some point, in the early 1950s, a decision was made to build a new church. The following information has been taken from the Below Threshold assessment of P01894 Church of Christ Tabernacle, Northam, May 2004: The first members of the Church of Christ arrived in Western Australia in 1886; however, they were only four in number and were unable to do much in the way extending the cause. In October 1889, at the first Inter-colonial Conference of the Churches of Christ, it was resolved that a committee be established to raise funds and appoint a member of the Brethren to promote the church in Western Australia. Brother T. H. Bates was appointed to undertake the work in Western Australia and arrived in Perth on 21 October 1890. On 2 November, Bates held the first breaking of bread at Veryard’s Temperance Hall in Wellington Street. Eleven people were at this ceremony, which was followed by a gospel service which was attended by 50 people. Albany Bell was the first person to be converted to the cause and was baptized in the Swan River in March 1891. In January 1897, the first Church of Christ Chapel was opened on donated land in Lake Street. This was followed by Coolgardie in 1897 and the Fremantle Church in High Street in March 1898. Initially members of the Baptist Church appeared to have taken part in the activities of the Churches of Christ in Western Australia, but withdrew to their own congregations in the late 1890s by which time their numbers had swelled due to the state’s goldrushes. By 1898, the membership of the Church of Christ had itself grown to comprise 289 members and the first Western Australian conference was also held in this year. By 1899, Churches had been established in Kalgoorlie, Harvey, Kanowna, Subiaco, Boulder and Southern Cross. In 1940, during the Jubilee celebrations of the Churches of Christ in Western Australia, it was stated that the Church had a membership of approximately 2,700 people comprising: 30 Churches possessing, 23 Chapels, 14 Recreation and School Halls, 34 Bible Schools with 2382 Scholars and 262 Teachers, 23 Clubs with 480 Members, and 37 Christian Endeavour Societies with 773 members.6 The biggest growth in membership of the Christ in Western Australia occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, when active membership grew from 3273 to 5123 members. Twenty new churches were established at this time, including that at Maylands. The Post-War Functionalist design can be said to be a response to the philosophical underpinnings of the Church of Christ movement, which rejected the traditional architecture of Christian churches. Also at this time, debts relating to the establishment of the Beaufort Street Christian Centre were paid off and land was purchased for future church needs. In 2020, there are approximately 66 Church of Christ churches across Western Australia.7 Church of Christ, Maylands is located in Eighth Avenue, Maylands but is not included in P15823 Eighth Avenue Precinct, which was removed from the Heritage Council’s Assessment Program in 2005. The Precinct includes a variety of civic, commercial and residential buildings constructed c.1895.
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.