Category Union Memorial

Dec 1 2012

09-01-1885: Elm Street Hall, North Melbourne, Victoria.

The North Melbourne Presbyterian Church was initially founded in 1854 with the first services being conducted in a Blacksmiths shop near the site of the North Melbourne Town Hall. A temporary iron building was first erected for the congregation in Curzon street, and only a few years later a new bluestone church was erected, the foundation of which was laid by Sir Henry Barkly on Friday the 8th of April 1859[1].

In less than twenty years this church was deemed too small for the growing congregation and in the 1870’s plans were afoot to erect a new one. The designs of local Brunswick architect Evander McIver were chosen and the foundation stone for the new Union Memorial Church was laid on the corner of Curzon & Elm Streets North Melbourne by the Hon James MacBain, M.L.A, on the afternoon of Tuesday 14th January 1879[2]. In less than eight months the new Church was completed and was officially opened on Sunday 31st August 1879[3].

At the same time as the new church was to be erected, the old one was dismantled and, using most of the original building material, was re-erected about fifty meters to the rear of the site and would later become known as the Elm Street Hall. In May 1889 the Sabbath School was erected[4] to the rear of the church and the Elm Street Hall.

The Elm Street hall has a series of four single lancet stained glass windows that are a memorial to David Howat (1814-1885), the father[5] of the Sabbath School Superintendent William Howat (1850-1935). William was most likely the one who commissioned Ferguson & Urie to create the memorial windows to his father and it’s possible that these windows may have been originally erected in the Sabbath School at the time of it’s erection in 1889 and later moved to the Elm Street Hall where they exist to this day in the liturgical south wall.

Photos taken: 21st July 2012.

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The four windows are in very poor condition and there are many pieces of modern uncomplimentary glass used to fill the gaps where pieces were broken at various times during their history. Three of the four pieces of text that describe the figurative depictions in each window are missing altogether and the memorial text at the base of each window is also missing a number of pieces. The only memorial text that can be ascertained at the base of each window is:

1.  “TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF”
Depicts possibly someone as the teacher? A woman or apostle seated with an open book and two children either side. The text below the figure, which may explain the precise depiction, is missing.

2. “(missing piece) HOWAT (missing piece)”
Depicts a child kneeling in prayer at the foot of an apostle? The text below the figure, which may explain the precise depiction, is missing.

3. “WHO DIED 9th JAN 1885 AGED 71”.
This window has the well known figurative depiction of Christ as the Good Shepherd. It has the partial text “The Good Shepherd”, holding a lamb in one arm and his crook in the other with sheep at his feet, so I presume the missing word are “I Am” and “The” to make up “I Am The Good Shepherd”.

4. “(All the memorial text is missing from this window)”.
This window appears to have the figurative depiction usually associated with “Suffer Little Children To Come Unto Me.” But, below the figure is the partial text “…Remember Now Creator…”. This is most likely from Ecclesiastes 12-1 which says “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them”.

The windows were a memorial to David Howat, at one time a session clerk of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Carlton. He was elected in 1872[6] and held office for more than twelve years until his death in 1885. He died at his residence at 180 William-street Melbourne on the 9th of January 1885 [7], in his 71st year. He was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery on the 12th of January 1885 [8] and many other family members, including his wife Sarah, infant son David, only daughter Mary and son William are buried in the same family plot.

The Union Memorial Sabbath School and William Howat.

North Melbourne Advertiser, Vic, Saturday 18th May 1889, page 3.

“AN INTERESTING CEREMONY”
“Last Saturday afternoon a large number of ladies and gentlemen interested in the Sabbath school work, met by invitation to celebrate the opening of the new infant school, erected in connection with the Union Memorial denomination, North Melbourne…”
“…Owing to the energy of their superintendent who had not an equal in the colony – in fact there was no superintendent like him, his heart and soul were in the glorious work – they were as a school able to declare the building completed, seated, and opened free of debt…”

The stained glass windows in the Sabbath School were described in the newspapers as:

“It is lighted with ornamental cathedral lancet lights of stained glass, which when finally completed will give a softened and effective tone to the interior…”

The much revered Superintendent of the Sabbath School was William Howat (1850-1935), the son of David Howat (1814-1885) and Sarah Robertson (1814-1891). He was born in Ayrshire Scotland and arrived in Australia with his parents and elder siblings, George and Mary, aboard the Lady Octavia from Greenock on the 31st December 1855 [9]–[10].

He had been associated with the Y.M.C.A and the Sunday School Union movement from his early 30’s and had for more than 70 years, a long business association with four generations of the wealthy Clarke family of pastoralists[11].

He was first involved with the establishment of a Sabbath School in connection with St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Carlton (now zoned in Brunswick) which was opened in August 1884[12] and his efforts in that area made him well qualified to exert himself in the cause for a Sabbath School in North Melbourne.

Apart from being the revered Superintendant of the Union Memorial Sabbath School, William Howat was an avid and eclectic antiques collector and over a 65 year period had amassed an extraordinary collection of books and all manner of curios from all over the world[13]. His love of books also extended to the Sabbath School where he donated the vast majority of the books to its library. At the opening of the Sabbath School in 1889 it was described:

“The library is a model. It contains some 1800 volumes, mostly the gift the superintendent. The teacher’s library is a collection of the best works extant…”[14]

William Howat died unmarried on the 1st of August 1935[15], at his home ‘Glaisnock’ in William Street West Melbourne aged 85. He left an estate reported to be worth £9,912[16] and apart from many bequests to relatives and friends, and charitable institutions, he bequeathed a life interest in most of his estate to his housekeeper.

The William Howat collection of books, art, and curios, was put up for auction in November 1935[17] which consisted of over 20,000 volumes of rare old editions and modern works on all branches of literature as well as a collection of native weapons, Chinese artworks and curios[18]. It was described in the papers as “one of the Greatest Sales ever held in Melbourne[19].”

Other References:

http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/#detail_places;884

http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/sound-in-space/12225/elm-street-hall-north-melbourne/

Foot notes:

[1] The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Saturday 9th April 1859, page 5.

[5] Vic Births Deaths & Marriages No: 6681/1935. William Howat, son of David Howat and Sarah Robertson.

[9] Prov.vic.gov.au (Fiche 084 page 002)

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Mar 18 2012

03-09-1879: Presbyterian Union Memorial Church, Curzon Street, North Melbourne.

The North Melbourne Presbyterian Church was initially founded in 1854 and the congregation used a temporary iron building until a new bluestone church was erected, the foundation of which was laid by Sir Henry Barkly on Friday the 8th of April 1859[1].

In less than twenty years the church was deemed too small for the growing congregation and plans were afoot to build a new one. The local Brunswick architect Evander McIver was selected as the preferred designer and it was officially opened on Sunday 31st August 1879[2]

Diagonally opposite the church was the Ferguson & Urie stained glass workshops, and it was this firm that the architect Evander McIver chose to create the entire cycle of stained glass windows for the church. As at 2012 the original stained glass workshops building still exists as number 42 Curzon Street but only the facade of the workshop is recogniseable.

Above the Apse of the Union Memorial church is a stained glass wheel window with an outer border of red and blue with a flower separating the alternating colours . The central roundel depicts the motto of the church of Scotland, the “Burning Bush” with the text “nec tamen consumebatur” (‘Yet it was not consumed’). The outer eight lobes surrounding the Burning Bush depict the four reformers and founders of the Presbyterian Church, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and Alexander Henderson. Each is separated by a roundel with the a geometric trefoil design in the centre. Flanking the wheel window are two single light lancet shaped windows depicting on the left  “The Good Shepperd” and on the right, “Suffer Little Children”.

The Church is closed for renovation as at 2012 and the windows are in storage. The Elm street Hall, located at the rear of the church, is the original church and was removed and re-erected a short distance to the rear to make way for the new 1879 church.

Chancel window Photographs by Adam Cawood (2004) with permission from the Congregation of Mark the Evangelist. Taken for the Sesquicentenary in 2004.

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As early as 1871 the old Presbyterian Church was the target of vandals and the article below provides an account of the damage to its stained glass windows. Whether the windows in this original church were made by Ferguson & Urie is not known but the Ferguson & Urie stained glass workshop was only across the street facing the church from circa 1860.

The Queenslander, Brisbane, QLD, Saturday 16th September 1871, page 9.

“THE MELBOURNE Age, in a recent issue, reports the following monstrous outrage:—”Last evening, whilst Divine service was being conducted in the Presbyterian Union Church, Hotham, a stone was launched with considerable violence through one of the large stained glass windows in the midst of the congregation. The Rev. A. D. Kinninmont, who was at the time delivering his discourse, remarked that during his thirty years’ experience as a minister of the gospel he never before witnessed an act like this in a civilised community. The church officer and one of the managers immediately made their exit, where they beheld about a dozen half grown men, who scampered away in every direction.”

In 1879 the new Church has been erected and, as expected, the Ferguson & Urie company provided all the glazing for the church.

The Argus, Melbourne, Wednesday 3rd September 1879, page 3.

“NEW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, HOTHAM.”

“The new Union Presbyterian Church at Hotham, which was opened for public worship for the first time on Sunday last, forms a prominent and handsome feature in architecture of the town…”.

 “… The church is well lighted from sides and front, with large windows filled with cathedral glass and stained margins, while there are three very handsome memorial windows at the rear end of the church, which are perhaps the most striking features of the edifice. The centre one is a large circular window, alternately filled with floras, and containing the medallions of the reformers, Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin, and Alexander Henderson. Another of the stained glass windows has representation of “Christ blessing little children,” with the companion text, “He carrieth His lambs in His arms, and folds them in His bosom …”.

 “…Messrs. Ferguson and Urie executed all the glazing…”

The Argus, Melbourne, Wednesday 15th January 1879, page 6

“UNION MEMORIAL CHURCH, NORTH MELBOURNE.

The congregation attending the Presbyterian Church in Curzon street, Hotham, the foundation stone of which was laid by Sir Henry Barkly in April, 1859 having for some time past felt the need of a larger and more commodious building, determined upon raising the necessary funds for the erection of a new church. Their efforts happily proved successful, and the memorial stone of the new church was laid yesterday afternoon by Mr. James MacBain, M.L.A, in the presence of a large number of spectators. The proceedings were commenced by the suiting of five verses of a metrical version of the 102nd Psalm. The Rev John Clark of Williamstown, then read a chapter from the Book of Kings, descriptive of the manner in which the Temple of Solomon was built. Prayer was offered by the Rev John Cooper of Coburg, and a hymn was sung, after which Dr Gilchrist presented Mr MacBain with an elegantly chased silver trowel, bearing the usual inscription, and a mallet similarly inscribed, and formally requested him to lay the stone. The stone having been declared to be well and truly laid, Mr. MacBain delivered an address congratulating the congregation on the courage they bad displayed in undertaking to build such a large church, which would, when erected, be at the same time an ornament to the town of Hotham, and a credit to the denomination. He was entitled to say that the Presbyterian Church of Victoria had always been a missionary church, and he hoped and believed that the pastor of the church the, the Rev. Dr. Gilchrist, would always be inspired by a missionary spirit. The Presbyterian Church had further claims on public support inasmuch as it had always been identified with educational progress, and had taken a foremost place in the struggle for civil and religious freedom. In the building of this church there would be some difficulties to be met with but he could not doubt that they would be overcome when he saw the crowd that had assembled to witness this ceremony and remembered what had been done towards establishing a college for theological students affiliated to the University. At the conclusion of his address another hymn was sung and a collection vas made in aid of the building fund.
The new church will occupy the same site as the old one which has been pulled down, viz., at the corner of Curzon and Elm streets with frontage to both.  The Early English style of architecture, has been adopted and when finished it will present an elegant and imposing appearance. The principal front of the building is towards Curzon street with a tower and spire at the angle 150ft high. The gable is in height 63ft,, having for its principal feature a large four light traceried window filled with cathedral glass and stained margins, with the main entrance door underneath and a lancet on each side of the door for lighting the main vestibule or corridor. In addition to the main entrance two separate exit doors are to be provided for the galleries, one in the tower, which contains a staircase at the end of the corridor, and the other in a porch, which also contains a staircase at the other end of the corridor. Two exit doors are also provided at the rear of the building, The interior of the church is divided widthways in three parts by columns of iron, which run up to carry the roof, and also support the side and end galleries. The roof over the side galleries and also centre roof are to be boarded and panelled, with deal, varnished. The front of the galleries, choir, stair and platform are to be of light ironwork on a deal base. The church will be 70ft long in the clear by 49ft. wide (exclusive of the area of gallery allotted for the choir and which is placed on the plan immediately behind the platform with, with a stair leading to one of the exit doors at the rear of the church), well lighted with windows in both sides and front filled with cathedral glass and stained margins and at the rear with a large circular window, filled with stained glass. A vestry is also provided contiguous to the platform. The height of the ceiling in the centre is 42ft., and to the side compartments 30ft. The sittings in area will accommodate 560, and in the galleries 350, making a total of 910. The materials for construction are of the best Brunswick bricks faced with the best black and white dressings on a concrete and bluestone foundations. Mr. J. Thurgood, of Hotham is the contractor for the building at the sum of £5,819, and Mr. Evander McIver of Brunswick is the architect. The new church will bear the same name as the old one, viz., the Union Memorial Church, which was built to commemorate the union of the different branches of the Presbyterian Church in the colony. The materials of the old buildings are being utilised in the erection of a commodious schoolhouse at the rear of the church. In the evening a tea meeting was held in the Hotham town hall which was largely attended. General satisfaction was expressed at the excellent manner in which purveying arrangements were carried out by Mr. Thurgood of Swanston-street. The tables being cleared, a public meeting was held at winch the Rev Dr Gilchrist presided and delivered an address Addresses were also delivered by Mr. James MacBain, Mr. Laurens, Mr. Cook, Rev. Duncan Fraser, Mr. Hutchison (mayor of Hotham), and the Rev. J. M. Abernethy. Some choice selections of music were rendered by the church choir”.

The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Monday 27th September 1954, page 13.

“This was born in a hotel”
By Jim Usher

NORTH MELBOURNE Presbyterian Union Memorial Church, 100 years old yesterday, was born in an hotel. It followed a meeting of 29 Scotsmen in the old Ayrshire Hotel in Chetwynd st. Two publicans, seven stonemasons and a waiter were among the founders. And yesterday more than 700 people attended the 11 a.m. centenary service. There were few seats left in the huge stately church. Worshippers heard Sir Dallas Brooks, Governor, and Mr. Shepherd, Education Minister, read the lessons. The Right Rev. F. W. Rolland, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, said in his sermon that people should never forget the church was a vital part of their daily life. The present church, built in 1879 in a gothic style, has a spire 135 ft. high. An upstair balcony inside the church – and unusual feature of the building – held more than a quarter of yesterday’s congregation. The original church – a sturdy brick building – still stands and is used as a Sunday school. The present church is a memorial to the uniting of the Presbyterian Church in Victoria. It was the first act of “The United Presbyterian Church of Victoria,” which was formed from three sections of the Church – The Church of Scotland, The Free Church and the united Presbyterian Church.”

Related posts:

03-03-1888: St Andrew’s, Brunswick, (F&U window to the memory of Evander McIvor’s wife, Mary)

Foot Notes:

[1] The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Saturday 9th April 1859, page 5.

[2] The Argus, Melbourne, Wednesday 3rd September 1879, page 3.

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