St John the Baptist Church (Canberra)

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Front view of the church
School next to the church
inside view
Mural in the hall

The St John the Baptist Church (Eng. "Church of St. John the Baptist") is the oldest church and at the same time the oldest surviving building in the Australian capital Canberra . It belongs to the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn of the Anglican Church of Australia and is located in the Reid district, on the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue.

history

The foundation stone was laid in 1841 and Reverend William Grant Broughton , the first (and only) Bishop of the Church of England in Australia, consecrated the church on March 12, 1845. Construction was carried out in three steps: the original church by Robert Campbell (1841– 1845), the extension of the nave by George Campbell and the installation of the pulpit by John Campbell (1872–1873). In addition, the church tower built in 1845 was demolished 19 years later and replaced by a new building from 1865 to 1870; the steeple was built in 1878. William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle , Governor General of Australia from 1961 to 1965, donated the new church bells.

Building

The church faces east , with the nave to the west is and the input (with choir and organ above) to the east. The cemetery was consecrated that same year, and Canberra's first school was established on the site, which at the time was just a large collection of homesteads. The school was in operation from 1845 to 1907. It has been used as a museum since 1969, showing everyday school life in the 1870s. There is a cemetery around the church . Buried on this is William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil , a Governor General of Australia .

On the south side of the hall there is a wall painting depicting people and events in the parish and the surrounding area. The painting shows very different motifs: a theodolite , a microscope , a male Aborigine , several Bogong butterflies , merino sheep , liturgical objects, a girl scout badge and a girl in scout uniform, a boy scout, the Old Parliament House , the first pastors of the church as well Settlers like Robert Campbell and his nearby house "Duntroon" (now part of the Royal Military College ).

Web links

Commons : St John the Baptist Church, Reid  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Randall Wilson: Sanctuary in the city . The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, Canberra 2012, ISBN 978-0-646-57445-5 .
  2. ↑ ... take a step back in time and get in touch with Canberra's early history. St John's Canberra, accessed March 8, 2020 .
  3. ^ The bells of St John's. St John's Canberra, accessed March 8, 2020 .
  4. ^ St John's Schoolhouse Museum. St John's Canberra, accessed March 8, 2020 .
  5. ↑ St John's Churchyard. St John's Canberra, accessed March 8, 2020 .

Coordinates: 35 ° 17 ′ 16 ″  S , 149 ° 8 ′ 26 ″  E