Tag Archives: Almond Glass

Jun 6 2013

1878: St John’s Aboriginal Mission Church, Lake Tyers, Victoria.

St John’s Anglican Church at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Mission was built in 1878 to the designs of architects Terry and Oakden and formally opened on Sunday 26th October 1878[1].

Photo of the chancel window was taken 17th Dec 2012 and kindly contributed by Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass, Oakleigh.

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The first minister of the Aboriginal Mission at Lake Tyers was John Bulmer (1833-1913). Bulmer arrived in Australia aboard the ‘Emigrant’ on the 12th Jan 1853 with his employer John Eggars and his family (Eggars died on the voyage)[2] For the first three years in the colony Bulmer worked as a carpenter to repay his passage and assist the Eggars family to return to England.

In 1855, having witnessed the maltreatment of the Aborigines, Bulmer offered himself for the Church of England Aboriginal mission being planned for Yelta near the Murray River. He was accepted by the Church, despite his Methodist background, and in 1858, with the assistance of the Rev Friedrich Hagenauer, was invited to open a mission in the South Gippsland region and in 1862 he and his second wife Caroline began the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Mission[3].

Eighteen years later Bulmer sought to have a suitable house of god on the mission estate and in 1878 a wooden church was “erected by the blacks under the able superintendence of Mr Bulmer”[4]

In the presence of the Rev. Canon Stuart Lloyd Chase, who was the donor of the stained glass windows, the church was formally opened on the 26th October 1878.

Amongst the description of the building and its furnishings was the mention of the stained glass windows:-

“…painted glass in the three light window of chancel (presents by the Rev. Cannon Chase), as well as that of all other windows, were sent up from Melbourne…”

The three light chancel window is identified as the work of the Ferguson & Urie stained glass company of Curzon Street, North Melbourne. It has the typical Ferguson & Urie stained glass border design of alternating red and blue, but in this window it has a small depiction of a majestic crown separating each colour instead of the usual yellow or white flower.  In the left light is the Greek symbol of Alpha (the beginning) and in the right light the symbol of Omega (the end). The diamond in-fill quarries in each light are of a repeat depiction of the passion flower in grey, gold and pink. The centre light comprises a scrolling ribbon on a crimson background with biblical text:

“THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP”
(John 10-11, – King James Bible).

The three light chancel window has recently undergone restoration and conservation by Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass, Oakleigh, Victoria, in 2012.

Gippsland Times, Vic, Friday 1st November 1878, page 3

“NEW CHURCH AT LAKE TYERS.

The ceremony of opening a new church in connection with the Church of England Missions to the natives at Lake Tyers’ Aboriginal Station was celebrated on Sunday with unusual éclat. On Saturday, the Tanjil conveyed to the Lakes Entrance a party of visitors, among whom were the Rev. Canon Chase, W. E. Morris, Esq., Deputy Registrar of the Diocese, and hon. Sec. of the Mission, H. Henty, Esq., and other gentlemen, who were joined at Sale by the Rev. Canon Watson, the Rev. Mr. Hagenauer, and other friends. Several ladies were of the party. Bairnsdale was reached in the afternoon, and the steamer then went on to the Entrance, the party walking to the station, where they found accommodation. On Sunday, after a preliminary service conducted by the Rev. Mr. Hagenauer in the school-room, the congregation assembled in the new church. The opening sermon was preached by the Rev. Canon Chase. During the afternoon a missionary meeting was held, Mr. Henty in the chair, at which addresses were delivered, service in the evening being conducted by the Rev. Mr. Hagenauer. On Monday the programme was diversified by a most enjoyable pic-nic. During the evening several aboriginals were baptized. On Tuesday, the Rev. Canon Watson delivered an address in the Church, and on Wednesday morning the party left in the Tanjil, reaching Sale in time for the afternoon train for Melbourne, all exceedingly delighted with the excursion, and loud in their praises of the Tanjil. The occasion was one of great delight among the 120 natives at the station, the arrangements of which were the theme of general commendation. The following is a description of the new building:-
The Mission Church has a nave 40 feet long by 20 feet wide and about 16 feet high from floor to roof, which has a Gothic pitch. The chancel is 12 feet by 10 feet deep. The tower is square, rising well above the Church roof, is terminated by a stunted spire, crowned by a gilt weathercock vane. The lower stage of the tower forms a spacious porch, with double doors at each side window in front; above the porch is a ringing chamber, and over it a belfry, with lowered lights. The structure is of hardwood, and erected by the blacks under the able superintendence of Mr Bulmer. It is covered with painted weatherboarding outside, and lined inside, including also the roof, with slightly stained and well-varnished boarding. The roofs of nave, chancel, and spire, are covered with galvanised corrugated iron. The doors, windows, painted glass in the three light window of chancel (presents by the Rev. Cannon Chase), as well as that of all other windows, were sent up from Melbourne. The chancel arch is the full width of the Church, and is to have illuminated text round it. The Church ceiling is of a neat pierced wood-work executed on the station; the pulpit was a present from Melbourne; the pews of good solid character of polished deal, made in Melbourne. The plan was furnished gratuitously by Messrs Terry and Oakden, architects, Melbourne.”

Gippsland Times, Vic, Friday 12th March 1880, page 4

“…If the exterior of the Church pleased us, we were more than delighted with the interior. As the doors swung back, the glories of a large stained glass window, placed over the chancel, burst suddenly upon us…”

 ATNS – Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project   (Accessed 04/06/2013)

“The Lake Tyers Mission Station was established in 1861 by the Church of England Mission. In 1863, the Victorian Colonial Government set aside 2000 acres of land as the Lake Tyers Reserve. In the early 1900’s, residents from Ramahyuck moved to Lake Tyers as did those from Lake Condah and Coranderk after these stations were closed. By 1962 the State Government had announced plans to close Lake Tyers. In 1971, the Government returned the Lake Tyers Reserve, including 4000 acres, to the local Aboriginal community under the Aboriginal Lands Act 1970.”

“…In 1858, Bulmer married a young school teacher, Miss Stocks, and shortly afterwards was invited to open a mission in Gippsland. Mrs Bulmer died in Melbourne in 1861. Bulmer went to Gippsland where, with the help of local Aboriginal people, he chose a mission site on Lake Tyers. Returning to Melbourne Bulmer married Caroline Blay. Together they commenced the Lake Tyers Mission in 1862, with both church and government support…”

Traralgon Record, Vic, Tuesday 19th August 1913, page 2

“The Rev. John Bulmer, associated with the Lake Tyers Mission Station for over 50 years, died last Wednesday, in his 81st year.”

The Bairnsdale Advertiser, Friday 15th August 1913, page 3.

“BULMER.- The friends of the late Rev. John Bulmer are respectfully informed that his remains will be interred THIS (Friday) AFTERNOON. The funeral is appointed to leave St. Nicholas’s Church, Cuninghame, at 2 o’clock for the Cuninghame Cemetery. W.SHARROW, Funeral Director, Phone 27.”

The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Wednesday 10th July 1918, page 1.

“BULMER.- On the 2nd July, at Lakes Entrance, Caroline, widow of the late Rev. John Bulmer, formerly of the Lake Tyers Mission Station, in her 80th year.”

After John Bulmer’s death in 1913 the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines sought to have his wife Caroline and his daughter Ethel evicted from the Lake Tyers station. With the support of the Aboriginals, she petitioned the board to be allowed to stay on the station but after numerous failed attempts, she and her daughter were forced to leave[5]. Caroline Bulmer died five years later at Cunninghame near Lakes Entrance aged 80.

Footnotes:

[1] Gippsland Times, Vic, Friday 1st November 1878, page 3

[2] ‘Aboriginal Mission Stations in Victoria’, Aldo Massola, Hawthorn Press, 1970

[5] The Journal of the Public Records Office Victoria, September 2008, Number 7

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks to Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass for the correspondence, his contribution to the preservation of the historical stained glass, and for contributing the photo of the chancel window.

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Nov 14 2012

1895: Apsley House, Armadale, Melbourne, Victoria.

Apsley House in Armadale contains a magnificent Ferguson & Urie stained glass window in the stairwell. The window depicts the Patron Saint of England, St George, on horseback and in full armour, slaying the legendary dragon. Below the figure of St George is the “Order of the Garter” with the Latin text “Honi soit qui mal y pense” (loosely translated to “Shame on him who thinks evil of it”). [1] Conservation work on the window was completed in 2012 by Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass, Oakleigh [2].

Photos taken: 10th November 2012.

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An early colonial owner of Apsley house in the 1890s was the accountant William Crellin, who was the founding member, and first president of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants (the IIAV, now known as CPA[3] Australia).

William Crellin arrived in Australia in the 1850s and married Margaret Anne Fisher in Melbourne in 1856[4]. They began their family in Brunswick, first residing at “Parkside-Cottage,” [5] and later at 24 Peel-street, Windsor[6]. Between 1857 and 1870 they had seven children but only three boys, William, John, and Edward, survived to adulthood and all followed in their father’s footsteps to become accountants with William and John in their own business partnership[7].

During Crellin’s residency in Brunswick, he was both the council secretary[8] and auditor[9] and on the 8th of March 1870, J. W. Fleming, the Brunswick Mayor, declared that William Crellin was the only candidate nominated to fill a council vacancy created by the resignation of Councillor Thomas Clarke, and was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy[10], a position which he held until his resignation in March 1872 [11]

William Crellin lived and breathed his profession as an accountant and took great pride in his mathematical abilities. On numerous occasions, he felt the necessity to prove a point and was quite prolific at submitting “letters to the editor” of the tabloids, where he would refute the dubious calculations and claims of others in matters of accountancy. Apart from his role as the president of the IIAV, he held many positions among which were; Honorary Auditor to the Alfred Hospital [12], Honorary Treasurer of the Australian Health Society [13], and Secretary of the Australian Fresh Meat Company [14] and many other voluntary and paid positions. He had business premises at 46 Elizabeth street Melbourne and was regularly appointed as the trustee in many insolvency cases[15].

William Crellin died on Sunday the 17th of February 1895 at “Apsley” house in his 74th year [16]. He left an estate valued at £3,763 [17] which he left entirely to his wife Margaret.

It’s not known if William Crellin was the original owner of “Apsley”, or whether it was he who had commissioned Ferguson & Urie to create the St. George stained glass window. Crellin’s probate documents filed in March 1895 indicate that he was “formerly of “Lansmere,” Alma Road St Kilda in the colony of Victoria but late of “Apsley” Malvern Road Armadale,”[18]  indicating that he had possibly not resided in “Apsley” very long before his death in February 1895.

One of his sons, William Langdon Crellin, took up residence in “Apsley” after his wedding to Maggie Wauchope in September 1896 [19].

William Crellin’s wife, Margaret died on the 4th Oct 1915 in her 89th year [20]. They are both buried in the St Kilda Cemetery [21].

Circa 1915, “Apsley” house was then used exclusively as “Nurse Thomas’s” Private Nursing Home [22].

In 1925 “Apsley” was either owned or resided in, by the actor Arthur Styan, famous for his roles as “the mustache-twirling villain”[23] who had a 25-year career as a stage actor until his death on Christmas day in 1925 [24].

 In 1947 a Mrs Clarice Evelyn Herring resided at Apsley [25].

[3] “Certified Practicing Accountants”.

[4] Vic BDM: 2899/1856 Marriage; William Crellin & Margaret Anne Fisher.

[14] Vic Probate Record File: 106/177 in the estate of William Crellin 27th Mar 1895.

[18] Vic Probate Record File: 106/177 in the estate of William Crellin 27th Mar 1895.

[21] St Kilda Cemetery, Independent Monumental, Compartment A, Grave 9A.

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Oct 22 2012

1876: Werribee Park Mansion, Werribee, Victoria.

Werribee Park Mansion was built for the Scottish brothers, Andrew (1818-1890) and Thomas Chirnside (1815-1887) [1] between 1874 and 1876 to the designs of Colquhoun and Fox [2].

“…the contractor for the building. Mr. P. Colquhoun – has been the chief designer, assisted by Mr. Fox, architect, and by the Messrs. Chirnside themselves…” [3]

The most striking features of the mansion are the large acid etched picture windows, in, and surrounding the stairwell which was the work of the colonial Victorian stained glass firm, Ferguson & Urie (1853‐1899) of North Melbourne[4].

Photos taken: 20th October 2012.

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In October 1876 the Mansion was reported to be nearing completion and an extremely detailed account of the architecture, decorations and embellishments was reported in the Bacchus Marsh Express. On the windows it reported:

“…At the end of the staircase hall there is an immense window, for which Messrs. Fergusson [sic] & Urie are making a quantity of embossed glass, portions of which will contain large figures of St. Andrew and St. George…” [5]

The St. Andrew and St. George windows appear on the bottom floor flanking the first flight of stairs. Beneath the St George window is the Latin Motto “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE”, a French phrase meaning “Shamed be he who thinks evil of it”. On the opposite side of the stairs is the St. Andrew window, and beneath is the Motto “NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSAT,” meaning ‘No one attacks me with impunity’ or ‘No one can harm me unpunished’. Interestingly, the exact same cartoon used for the St. George window was also used for the full colour stained glass stairwell window extant in the Tolarno Hotel in St Kilda.

The centrepiece window of the Chirnside’s mansion is in the stairwell. The window contains an intricate reproduction of the famous 1869 wildlife painting of “Red Deer at Chillingham” by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802‐1873). It depicts a majestic stag in full profile with a deer and faun in the foreground, intricately acid etched into a single pane of glass of nearly five feet in height. Surrounding the central picture are twelve smaller panels depicting game that can be hunted in each month of the year. “…each representing the class of game obtainable here and in the old country…” [6]

These smaller panels make up the wide outer border with each “class of game” alternately separated by a panel of floral designs with birds. At the apex of the window appear the initials of Andrew and Thomas Chirnside as an interwoven logo of the letters “ATC”. Near the base of the window is the interwoven numbers of the year “1876”, the year the mansion was completed. Flanking the main window are two smaller arched windows. On the left is Britannia, wearing a medieval helmet and carrying the trident, and on the right side is depicted Victoria. Many other acid etched windows appear throughout the mansion.

“…the embossed glass, for instance, being extremely rich, and freely employed…” [7]

Various designs appears in doorways and fanlights and the conservatory includes a large cycle of windows from floor to ceiling depicting flowers in vases adorned with birds and other floral designs and an intricate bowl of fruit in a roundel above.

The concept and designs for the windows at Werribee Park began circa mid‐1875, at the time when the Ferguson & Urie stained glass windows for Sir William Clarke’s mansion “Rupertswood” at Sunbury were in course of erection.

“…Messrs. Chirnside are also adopting stained glass decorations; and if the design submitted be approved of, they will have “The twelve months of the year,” each representing the class of game obtainable here and in the old country, have made an elegant border. Many sketches, all in colors, some lay, others ecclesiastical, are to be seen in the establishment of Messrs. Fergusson [sic] and Urie, the bulk of which have been accepted and executed.- Age” [8]

It appears that Ferguson & Urie’s ideas and sketches were to be adopted as described in the historic newspaper articles, although not as expected in traditional full coloured stained glass. Although the company displayed full colour designs of the windows at their workshops in Curzon Street North Melbourne, the entire cycle of windows for the Chirnside’s mansion was eventually created in acid etched glass with no coloured stained glass whatsoever. This cycle of windows currently represents the single largest collection of acid etched windows known to have been created by the firm. Other smaller examples of the same kind of work by the company are extant at Mandeville Hall in Toorak (Flora & Pomona, in the doors to the conservatory, c.1878) and the entrance doors to the Deaf Children Australia building erected on St Kilda Road in 1866.

Above the sandstone eagle in a banner above the entrance to Werribee Mansion, and also in gold painted plaster in the vestibule, are the latin words “FAC AUT MORERE” which translates to “To do or Die”. The latter part of the saying dictated the next few years of Chirnside history.

WERRIBEE PARK MANSION 99d

After a long illness, and believing himself bankrupt, Thomas Chirnside shot himself in the laundry of the mansion on the 25th June 1887 [9]. After a lengthy illness, Andrew Chirnside died at his daughters residence at Irrewarra near Colac on the 30th of April 1890 [10].

Six years after Andrew’s death, his widow, Mary (nee Begby), commissioned Ferguson & Urie to create a memorial stained glass window for the Presbyterian Church at Werribee [11]. The Chirnside’s were liberal donors to the church and Thomas had originally donated the land for it. The three light chancel window was eventually erected in 1896 and depicts “The Last Supper” which, whether by design or coincidence, includes the characters St. Thomas and St. Andrew amongst the apostles portrayed in the window.

Mary Chirnside died at Colac aged 80 on the 4th of March 1908 [12]. A report published in the Bacchus Marsh Express [13] stated that she had died at Dr. Brown’s private hospital at Colac as a result of blood poisoning from an earlier knee injury.

By 1922 there was no Chirnside family involvement in the mansion and it was subsequently used as a Catholic Seminary until the Victorian Government acquired it in 1973 and is now managed as a tourist attraction by Parks Victoria.

The Bacchus Marsh Express, Vic, Saturday 14th October 1876, page 2.

“The mansion for Messrs. T. and A. Chirnside, which has been in course of erection for them upon their Werribee park estate, Wyndham, since February, 1874, is now nearly completed, the only work remaining to be done being the fixing of a few mantelpieces, a portion of the grand staircase, and some flagging of the arcade fronting the ground floor of the building. We have given occasional notices of this mansion during the course of its erection, and our readers may probably recollect that it is built of Barrabool freestone principally, so far as the ornamental work is concerned, and of bluestone in the rear portions. The quantity of dressed stonework is immense, an has added very much to the cost of the building and the time occupied in erecting it, and in this stonework lies the great beauty of the building, for nothing can equal the rich grandeur of cut stone, unless it be polished marble. The style of architecture adopted is Ionic, and the general appearance of he building is, so far as one word can convey an idea of it, stately. It will be a pity if an illustration of it is not given in one of the Melbourne illustrated papers, for, in our opinion, it is one of the few buildings in the colony which an architect can look upon with pleasure, especially one who prefers the solid beauties of the old orders of architecture to the more foreign-looking adaptions of the present day, known as Venetian-Gothic, &c. The house consists of a main building, facing the east, with about 100 feet frontage, by the same depth, and two stories high, with a basement beneath and a tower 80 feet high at the main entrance. All round the building and arcade is carried, composed of beautifully-proportioned freestone arches supporting a balcony fronted with the usual Ionic balustrade and cornices, and giving a promenade of 300 feet by 11 feet wide, a promenade of the same dimensions existing below, of course, in the arcade. The balcony is laid with Minton’s encaustic tiles, of elaborate pattern, showing seven colours. Ample and very ingenious provision is made for carrying off the rain water, which flows into a filter in the courtyard, whence it is taken to an immense 40,000 gallons tank, from which it can b pumped to five cisterns placed somewhere in the various roofs of the mansion, and possessing altogether a capacity of 5,000 gallons. Each cistern is provided with a gauge showing its contents, and visible from the central courtyard between the two wings which flank the main building. This courtyard is 40 feet by 80 feet, and could be used for a ballroom by laying down a floor in sections and covering it with an awning. The wings are about 80 feet by 30 feet, and in addition to these, and the main building, there are a billiard room 30 feet by 22 feet and a conservatory 30 feet by 14 feet, besides a number of substantial out-buildings. Returning to the arcade and balcony, it should be mentioned that the ceiling of the arcade is beautifully panelled and painted, and the floor or promenade is laid with Malmsbury rubbed flagging down the centre, with dove and white marble slabs at each side. The tower is of useful proportions, being 14 feet square as high as the roof of the mansion, and the two stories above are 12 feet square. This tower is a work of sculpture more than of masonry, and reflects very great credit indeed upon the artist (Mr. Samuel Peters) who has put so much beautiful work into it. One feature is specially noticeable – namely, the bunches of grapes and vine leave, which stand out from the stone as naturally as though hanging pendent from a vine. Over the main entrance the escutcheon of the Chirnsides is cut out, showing a hawk upon a shield, and the motto “Facaut Morere” (Do or Die!) beneath. This device also appears on each side of the entrance hall, in a portion of the cornice, and upon the centre of the very handsome white marble mantelpiece in the drawing room. From the principal doorway a hall 15 feet by 30 feet and 17 feet high is entered, profusely ornamented with cement work executed by Mr. Mackennal, and to be further embellished with stags’ heads, statues, and hall furniture. The whole of this hall, with a staircase hall beyond, 30 feet by 19 feet, is floored with Minton’s tiles of elaborate and handsomely illuminated pattern, which contrasts well with the snowy whiteness of the cement work of the walls. The doorways hereabout are all massively panelled in polished blackwood, with what are known as pyramid headings, supported on trusses. The staircase hall contains, of course, the grand staircase, which is of polished blackwood, 6 feet 6 inches wide in the central portion, and turning to the right and left to the first floor in 6 feet wide portions. The handrail, and iron-work beneath, are, as may be conjectured, a prominent feature in this part of he house. At the end of the staircase hall there is an immense window, for which Messrs. Fergusson [sic] & Urie are making a quantity of embossed glass, portions of which will contain large figures of St. Andrew and St. George. The portions of the building upon the first floor corresponding with the two halls below will form a picture gallery and museum, and are beautifully ornamented in cement work. In fact wherever the eye rests costly and yet severely chaste decorations are to be seen, and among them some exquisite Corinthian pillars and cornices. Niches have been left for statues, and nothing seems to have been overlooked to add a stately elegance to the general effect, without anything obtrusively gaudy, the embossed glass, for instance, being extremely rich, and freely employed. The domed ceiling to the tower at this floor is beautifully proportioned and embellished. Double doors from it give access to the balcony. To describe the 50 or 60 rooms in the house, exclusive of the basement cellars, would make these remarks too lengthy, although a description of each would show that all contain some special feature reflecting credit upon those who had the designing of them, and here we may say that the contractor for the building 0 Mr. P. Colquhoun – has been the chief designer, assisted by Mr. Fox, architect, and by the Messrs. Chirnside themselves. The dining room and the drawing room are both on the ground floor, and are each 30 feet by 22 feet, exclusive of bay windows 6 feet deep, and of grand proportions and decorations. These rooms have elaborately moulded cornices, and marble mantelpieces of special design. Next to the dining room, and forming part of it if need be, is the breakfast room, 24 feet by 18 feet 6 inches. The passages connecting these rooms with the butler’s department are very conveniently arranged, and several folding doors are provided to shut off the series of kitchen apartments (which are on a lower level) from the principal ground floor. In the same way separate suites of apartments are provided up-stairs for night and day nurseries. All the floors below stairs are laid with 3 inch Oregon boards, forming an exceedingly smooth and firm flooring. Upstairs 2 ½ inch Kauri boards have been used. In several of the principal rooms a 20 inch border has been laid down in polished rosewood and oak parquetry work, which has a noble appearance. All the passages in the house are 6 feet wide and 12 feet high, so that abundant ventilation is given even by this means and there is an appearance of roominess everywhere which is most gratifying, none of the rooms being less than 11 feet high, and the principal ones are 18 feet high. The baths in various parts of the house are most complete, and very numerous, the servants being provided with two. The principal baths are fitted with electric bells, of which there are thirty four altogether, and two speaking tubes. In one of the storeys of the tower there is a smoking room, and upon the top of the tower a 25 feet kauri pine flagstaff is erected, sheathed with copper, to act as a lightening conductor. The staircase in the tower, and the provision made for closing in the head of the stairway, are details which have been attended to with more than ordinary care for the comfort of persons ascending the tower, and for the protection of the building. From the top of the tower a fine view of Melbourne can be obtained, also of the bay, and the various ranges to the west and north. The grounds surrounding the building are at present being brought into cultivation as ornamental shrubbery, &c., by Mr. Webley, the gardener, who has a difficult task, as the soil is poor and the surface is almost dead level. Thirty acres have been laid off for present operations, and the design includes a small lake in the south-eastern corner. A sunk fence will divide the ornamental grounds from the rest of the estate, and a handsome lodge will be erected at the end of the principal carriage drive. Provision has been made for lighting the whole house with gas, which will have to be made somewhere adjacent. The cost of the building alone is estimated at £40,000, and of course a very large sum will be required for properly furnishing it, and improving the grounds surrounding it. We think the Messrs. Chirnside deserve commendation for having spent so much money and time in erecting a building which has given profitable employment for a long time to nearly every branch of he building industry in the colony, and the maintenance of which cannot fail to cause a large annual expenditure. They are frequently abused for being wealthy, as though it were a crime, but they have shown in a variety of ways that they desire to make their wealth of considerable benefit to individuals other than themselves, and to the colony at large, and especially to the neighbourhood in which they have made for themselves a home of such princely proportions”.

Conservation work:

Both sidelights to the front entry door at the mansion are the reproduction artwork of Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass based on the original  designs from the smashed originals in 2012 (The hydrofluoric immersion was conducted in Sydney).
(re: email, Bruce Hutton & Ray Brown 10th April 2013)

Related posts:

1875: Rupertswood Mansion, Sunbury, Victoria.
31-10-1878: Mandeville Hall, Toorak, Victoria.
23-05-1896: Presbyterian Church, Werribee, Victoria.

Other related links:

An album of my recent sepia photos of Werribee Mansion.

Footnotes:

[1] Biography: Andrew Spencer Chirnside (1818-1890) & Thomas Chirnside (1815-1887).

[2] London born and Hamilton based architect and designer, James Henry Fox. He also designed Holy Trinity Church at Coleraine which also has F&U windows.

Feb 26 2012

04-06-1870: Christ Church, Acland Street, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria.

In late May of 1870 the first five stained glass windows for the Chancel of Christ in Acland Street St Kilda were erected by the Ferguson & Urie Stained Glass company. These single light lancet headed windows represent the Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion & Burial and Resurrection. In the following four years the Ascension, Rising of Lazarus, Jairu’s Daughter, Good Shepherd and I.H.S. windows were erected.

The Argus, Melbourne, Saturday 4th June 1870, page 5.

“We have much pleasure in observing that the illuminated windows manufactured by Messrs. Ferguson, Urie, and Lyon, of this city, have been completed, and are now placed in the chancel of Christ Church, St. Kilda. They are five in number, representing the annunciation, birth, baptism, death, and resurrection of our Lord, and the Lamb of God. They add very greatly to the beauty of the edifice, and are an excellent sample of colonial art. These windows were obtained in response to an offer made by a member of the congregation to give the central window, provided the other four were subscribed for by the parishioners. This most desirable condition was fulfilled by a concert at the town-hall, Prahran, last September, at which several lady and gentleman amateurs performed, together with a donation of £20 given by Mr. E. Courtney towards the object to the lady who got up the concert.”

Photos taken: 11th February 2011.

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The article from 1870 only mentions the first five windows installed in the chancel of the church but there are a total of ten Ferguson and Urie windows in the church installed at different times in history.

1. Annunciation (Restored by Alan Sumner).

2. Nativity

3. Baptism (Restored by Alan Sumner).

4. Crucifixion and Burial

5. Resurrection (Restored by Bruce Hutton from Almond Glass).

6. Ascension (A copy of the original Ferguson & Urie Ascension by Alan Sumner in his own style).

7. The Rising of Lazarus from the Dead.

The lower panel has the finely painted roundel depicting the storm and shipwreck of the ‘British Admiral’ with the inscription:

“In memory of Miles Nicholson died 27th April 1974 Aged 28. William Dalzell Nicholson drowned in the wreck of the British Admiral 23rd May 1874 Aged 25″. Interestingly there is also a memorial to Nicholson on King Island.

The morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, QLD, Friday 2nd December 1887, page 6.

 “King Island has been the scene of a terrible number of ship wrecks and the remains of these are to be seen all round the coast. On the southern side stands a marble monument erected by the late Hon. William Nicholson tot he memory of his son who was lost with 78 others in the “British Admiral” which foundered there in 1874. There is much of interest derived from the trip of the naturalists and there is no doubt that they have made most of the opportunity offered to them. November 24, 1887”.

The marble monument on King Island reads:

“Head stone erected to the memory of Wm. Dalzell Nicholson who with ‘Tilly’ Dale & many others perished in the vicinity in the wreck of the ‘British Admiral” 23rd May 1874″.

This window has its own fascinating and sad story and I have written an individual article about it. See: post: 27-04-1874: All Saints Church, St Kilda, Victoria.

8. Jairus’s daughter restored to life. (Restored by Bruce Hutton from Almond Glass).

This window is the Constance Emily Fanning memorial window and is claimed to be the second window to be installed in the church. It was badly damaged in 1995 and has been restored by Bruce Hutton of Almond Glass. There is the biblical reference on the window “‘S. Mark C.5. V.47” which I believe is an error as there is no Verse 47 in chapter 5 of St Mark.What I believe it should refer to is Mark c5-v41 which in the King James Bible reads; “And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee. arise”. 

The scroll and text to the lower edge of the window reads:
“Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord” and “In Memory of Constance Emily Fanning. Died 28th May 1874.”

9. I am the Good Shepherd.

The plaque at the base reads: “In memory of John Jennings Smith died 7th August at Adelaide South Australia 1871 in his 21st year”.

South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail, Adelaide, SA, Saturday 2nd September 1871, page 6.

John Jennings Smith drowned in the river whilst on a boating expedition with friends. His first, last, and fatal mistake was that he could not swim!

South Australian Register, Adelaide, SA, Monday 14th August 1871, page 5.

“SMITH.- On the 7th August, in his 21st year, John Jennings Smith, eldest son of Francis Grey Smith, of the Bank of South Australia, and grandson of the late Rev. John Jennings Smith, M.A., first Incumbent of St. Paul’s, Paterson, New South Wales.”

10. The monogram “I.H.S” set into a trefoil shaped window.

This window is to the memory of the Rev. John Stanley Lowe who was the Vicar of Christ Church for a 36 year period between 1868 and 1904 and also Chaplain General to the Victorian Forces.

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