St John's Church, Albany given heritage listing

13/2/95

Heritage Minister Richard Lewis announced today that St John's Church in Albany had been placed on the State Register of Heritage Places.

The Minister said the church and surrounding buildings, St John's Hall, the adjacent war memorial and Scots Church situated opposite, provided a historic focal point for the town's main street.

"The Church and the Rectory buildings will now be given the full protection of the Heritage of Western Australia Act," Mr Lewis said.

St John's, which was constructed between 1841 and 1848, was the first church to be consecrated in Western Australia, and provided a place of worship for the Church of England community in the Albany region.

The Minister said St John's had a very interesting history which showed there had been a great commitment to the church over many years from the local community.

"The depressed economic conditions in the 1840s made building funds for the church difficult to come by and construction of the church came to a standstill," Mr Lewis said.

"In 1848, the Government provided a grant to complete the roof and support a clergyman, but the building was still incomplete when first consecrated on October 25 in the same year.

"Stone from quarries at Mount Clarence and Mount Melville are believed to have been used for the building's foundations and walls, which are more than 50 centimetres thick."

In 1853, major additions were made to the church, the distinctive tower was built and a chancel and gas lighting were also added.

More than 100 years later in 1961, the Lady Chapel and vestries were built.

Mr Lewis said the church was an excellent example of Old Colonial Gothic Picturesque architecture and had been well maintained.

"There remains one of the original stained glass windows that replaced the calico covers first used to shield the interior of the building from the elements," he said.

The Heritage Council of WA recommended the buildings be placed on the register on an interim basis.

The Minister said the decision to register the Church and the Rectory recognised that the buildings had played a significant role in WA's history.

"St John's not only provided a place of spiritual worship over many years but also a link to the early development of the community in the region," he said.

Media contact:  Bronwyn Hillman 222 9595, 221 1377 or 480 5125 (pgr).