St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan, eastern Victoria, was officially opened 22nd of July 1866.
The following year, on the 13th August 1867, the Hobart Mercury reported that James Urie, one of the principal partners in the Victorian Stained glass firm of Ferguson & Urie, had been “sojourning” in Tasmania with a catalogue of the firm’s designs for ecclesiastical and secular stained glass. The Presbyterian Church at Ballan, St Paul’s, was mentioned in the article as one of many Victorian Churches that had recently received stained glass windows by Ferguson & Urie.
[…] This gentleman is now in Launceston, and we were much gratified yesterday by inspecting a large portfolio of designs for church and other windows which his firm has executed or has in hand […]
I visited St Paul’s (now a Uniting Church) in Ballan in December 2010 and found that all the windows were original Ferguson & Urie stained glass, none of which appear to have been repaired or restored since they were erected in the church over 140 years ago.
The principle triple light east window has the typical Ferguson & Urie scroll design. In the ribbon of the centre light is the verse from John 14-6: “I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE”
The text at the bottom of each lancet has the names of each of the donors:
“Ye gift of Mrs John Edols AD 1866” | “Ye gift of Mrs Dugald Macpherson AD 1866” | “Ye gift of Mrs Peter Ingles AD 1866”
Photos were taken 29 Dec 2010.
Some of the dark patches seen in the borders of some windows in the vestry are from a thick carpet of spider webs on the inside and outside of the windows.
The Donors:
Edols:
Mrs John Edols (Margaret) was the wife of John Edols Esq (1817-1888)., of Dariwell Park, he was appointed as a trustee[1] of the Ballan Race track and recreational reserve in July 1860, along with Dugald MacPherson and others and also acted as a steward[2] at the Ballan racing events. Margaret Edols (nee Brown) died[3] at “Ingliston” on the 17th of September 1872 and was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery on the 19th of September 1872 [4]. John Edols left the Ballan area circa 1888 and died at “Bryan O’Lynn”, near Warrnambool on the 28th December 1888 [5]. He was buried at the Tower Hill Cemetery.
MacPherson:
Mrs Dugald MacPherson was Mary Elizabeth MacPherson (nee O’Cock), wife of Ballan Councillor Dugald Macpherson (1820-1901) of Bungeeltap. She died at Bungeeltap-house” at Ballan in August 1916 and was buried at the Ballan New Cemetery on Wednesday 16th August 1916[6]. Dugald MacPherson died at Bungeeltap, Ballan, on the 20th of October 1901 aged 81 [7] .
Inglis:
Mrs Peter Inglis, wife of Ballarat magistrate, Peter Inglis of Ingliston. Peter Inglis died on the 6th of July 1869, aged 73 [8].
HISTORY OF BALLARAT, page 6
“In the year 1843, Mr. Peter Inglis, who had a station at Ballan, took up the Warrenheip run, and shortly after that purchased the Lal Lal station, and throwing them both together, grazed on the united runs one of the largest herds in the colony. The western boundary of Mr. Inglis’ Warrenheip run marched with the eastern boundary of Mr. Yuille’s run, the line being struck by marked trees running from Mount Buninyong across Brown Hill to Slaty Creek. Mr. Donald Stewart, now of Buninyong, was stock-rider for Mr. Inglis, on the Warrenheip and Lal Lal stations, and superintendent during the minority of the present owner of Lal Lal”.
Related posts: 22-07-1866 > 28-07-1866 > 13-08-1867
External links:
Museum Vic: Dugald Macpherson (1820-1901)
Obituaries: Peter Inglis.
The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Monday 12th July 1869, page 5.
Ferguson and Urie 