Tag Archives: 1876

Mar 12 2012

24-05-1876: Academy of Music, Bourke Street Melbourne, Victoria.

The Victorian Arcade and Academy of Music (The Bijou Theatre) was designed by Reed & Barnes.  The foundation stone was laid by the Governor of Victoria, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, on Tuesday 23rd May 1876 in Bourke Street Melbourne and opened in the same year. It was destroyed by a fire on the 22nd of April 1889.

The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, Melbourne, Saturday 10th June 1876.

 “… Mr. Aarons, in his determination to make the effect as handsome as possible, has instructed Messrs. Ferguson and Urie to fill in the screen between the landing of the dress circle door and the arcade with stained glass. This screen is divided by columns, mouldings, and other appropriate architectural devices, into a large central and several other window openings. The central opening is to be filled in with a copy, in stained glass, of Wenterholter’s [sic] portrait of Her Majesty the Queen, of which, fortunately there is a full-size copy in our Houses of Parliament …”.

Weekly Times, Melbourne, Vic, Saturday 22nd July 1876, page 11.

“THE NEW ARCADE AND ACADEMY OF MUSIC”
“…One of the most striking features of the whole design, however, will be an immense stained glass screen forming the end view from the arcade. This screen, divided into nine panels, has for the centre a colossal figure of Her Majesty the Queen, 11ft high, and done in the most exquisite manner by Messrs. Ferguson and Urie, of this city. Eight smaller panels – four on each side – will show allegorical pictures of music and the drama, while eight large circles will be filled with life-size busts of the most eminent musical and dramatic composers and authors – all done in stained glass…”

A new Bijou Theatre was designed by George Johnson but was demolished in the early 1900’s. The Commonwealth Bank (219-225 Bourke street) now stands on the site.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

External links:

♦ Web site: Australian Variety Theatre Archive

♦ Biography: George Lewis, first lessee of the Bijou Theatre.

Short link to this page: https://wp.me/p28nLD-p3

© Copyright

Mar 11 2012

06-01-1876: Holy Trinity (Greek Orthodox), Hobart, Tasmania.

The Mercury Hobart, Tasmania, Thursday 6th January 1876, page 2.
The Mercury Hobart, Tasmania, Monday 24th January 1876, page 2s.

“MEMORIAL WINDOW – A beautiful and richly coloured window (says the Church News) has lately been placed in Holy Trinity Church, Hobart Town, by a large number of the parishioners and friends of the Rev. Canon Davenport as a memorial of his eldest son. It is the work of Messrs. Ferguson and Urie, Melbourne, and the chief design is a Cross with the words, “Thou art my hope, O God. Jesu, Mercy”. The window also bears the following inscription:- “WALTER CHARLES DAVENPORT. Died 31st March, 1875. Aged 22 years. A tribute from Friends”. This mark of sympathy is deeply valued by Cannon Davenport and his family.”

Holy Trinity was designed in the Gothic Style by the convict architect James Blackburn. The Governor, Sir John Franklin, laid the foundation stone in October 1841 and the church was consecrated on the 27th December 1849.

Despite many attempts by the Anglican diocese to retain the church, it was found uneconomical  to pay the four million ongoing repair bill and it was eventually decided to sell it to the Greek Orthodox Church in 2009.

Apart from the Davenport memorial window, there are two other Ferguson & Urie windows in the church. The three windows are:

1. The Davenport memorial window has a blue cross with IHS above, floral and geometric designs with text : “THOU ART MY HOPE O GOD, JESU MERCY”, “WALTER CHARLES DAVENPORT. DIED 31st MARCH 1875 AGED 22 YEARS. A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.”

2. Christ carrying the cross with text: “THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL – ISAIAH 53 VER 6”.

3. A depiction of the Suffer little Children with the text, “OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”. The memorial text reads: “TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF SARAH NOWELL , DIED 29th NOV 1880”

All three windows, with closeup detail, are depicted in the slideshow:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

External links:

Short link to this page: http://wp.me/p28nLD-oL