St John's Church, Adelaide

St. John's is an Anglican Church at the south-east corner of the City of Adelaide dating from 1841. The first building was demolished in 1886 and its replacement opened in 1887.

History

St John's, Halifax Street c. 1875
St John's, Halifax Street c. 1890. The two storey house next door is the Rectory.
Key:-
1
St John's
2
St Paul's
3
St Mary Magdalene's

In 1840 the first Anglican church building, Trinity Church, was erected on North Terrace, Adelaide, but soon demands arose for a second place of worship to cater for members in and around Unley and the foothills, and to that end Osmond Gilles donated to the Church Building Society of South Australia half an acre of his section 581 on Halifax Street near the corner of East Terrace and South Terrace.[1] The location could not have been much further within the city from Trinity Church, and the land between the two was little more than rough scrub and tracks that became a quagmire in winter. For many years after its establishment it was known colloquially as "St. John's in the Wilderness".[2]

On 18 October 1839 the foundation stone was laid by Governor Gawler[3] The foundations had been laid using ₤540 that had been collected in Adelaide, then for over a year little progress was made due to a shortage of funds. Generous friends in England raised some more and church, which seated around 300, was erected for around ₤2,100.[4] and the first service was held on 24 October 1841, conducted by Rev James Farrell and the Colonial Chaplain C. B. Howard.[5]

Farrell inherited the title of Colonial Chaplain, meaning he had to take over Trinity Church and close the doors of St John's until a replacement could be found. That replacement was the Rev. W. J. Woodcock, who came out on the barque Emu with the Rev. James Pollitt (both reputed Puseyites), and took his first service at St. John's on 17 May 1846.[6] In 1848 an organ, built by Samuel Marshall, was installed.[7] In May 1849 Woodcock transferred to the newly completed Christ Church, North Adelaide and Matthew B. Hale, Archdeacon of Adelaide, took over St. Johns.

The church was lit by gas in 1869.

Rev. F. Slaney Poole was elected in June 1874 and inducted on 4 September. During his regime the parish hall was built in 1880 and the parsonage in 1884. He was responsible for replacing the original church building, which had been declared unsafe. The adjoining block 582 was purchased and the old building demolished in November 1886. The foundation stone of the new building was laid by Bishop Kennion on 14 May 1887 and the structure erected by Walter Rogers[8] at a cost of £3,000. Kennion consecrated the completed church on 6 October 1887 and the first services were held on 9 October 1887.[9] A mission church, St. Mary Magdalene's, was built on nearby Moore Street (between Angas and Carrington streets) from material recovered from the old building and opened in 1887.

Canon Poole resigned in 1895, and Canon Hopcraft, from Port Augusta, was appointed in his place. He found the church's finances in a precarious state, with an annual income barely £500, and the church debt of nearly £2,000. During his thirteen years of rectorship he managed to double the church's income and reduce the church debt by nearly £1,000, while spending nearly £2,000 on improvements, notably an organ, which cost £800.[10]

Ministers

  • James Farrell 24 October 1841 – December 1843. He initiated "A Chapel of Ease to St. John's" prior to erection of the church building.
  • Church closed 31 December 1843 – June 1846. No services held, and see T. P. Wilson below.
  • W. J. Woodcock was rector May 1846 – May 1849
  • Matthew B. Hale May 1849 – October 1850 (transferred to Port Lincoln)
  • John W. Schoales conducted marriages October and November 1850, and perhaps took Sunday services, then was appointed to St. Mary's on the Sturt.
  • T. P. Wilson should have left Tasmania to take over St. John's in May 1845, but cancelled due to wife's indisposition.[11] He was appointed first principal of St. Peter's College (at that time located behind Trinity Church) in January 1848. He resigned in 1851 after a disagreement with the governors[12] and became incumbent of St. John's sometime before September 1851.[13] He resigned in November 1852[14] and returned to England, where he had a living near Shrewsbury.[15]
  • Edmund Jenkins at St John's 1851 to 1853.[16]
  • J. C. Bagshaw appointed November 1852, resigned around January 1855 on grounds of ill-health[17] but in April 1856 accepted the position of principal of the newly opened Nelson College, Nelson, New Zealand.[18]
  • A. R. Russell (1825 – 20 May 1886)[19] promoted from St. Andrew's, Walkerville in March 1855; rector of St John's to November 1859. He founded St. Paul's Church, Pulteney Street, in 1860, and succeeded James Farrell as Dean of Adelaide.
  • J. Stuart Jackson appointed March 1860 resigned April 1860 to take over St Peter's Church, Glenelg.
  • Mr., later Rev. Henry Howitt (died 1 May 1922)[20] 1860–1861[21]
  • Denzil J. H. Ibbetson (1823 – 10 August 1871), previously at Burra, he served at St John's from March 1861 to April 1871, when he retired due to his final illness.[22]
  • T. Jasper Smyth previously at Christ Church, Kapunda, at St. John's 1871 to 10 June 1873, when he returned to Ireland on receiving news of the death of his father.[23] He had been granted a year's leave but never returned to Australia.
  • F. Slaney Poole was elected in June 1874 and inducted on 4 September. He resigned on 29 May 1895 to take St. Peter's Church, Ballarat.
  • W. S. Hopcraft (c. 1848 – 9 June 1908)[24] September 1895 to the year of his death. He appointed Arthur Otto to reorganise the choir along traditional cathedral lines.
  • Rupert P. A. Hewgill served 31 December 1908 to 1918.
  • H. P. Finnis served January 1918 to September 1927 when he was appointed precentor of St. Peter's Cathedral
  • E. A. North Ash (29 August 1888 – 1 June 1954) appointed 12 December 1927, resigned 30 June 1935 to take St John's Church, Tamworth.
  • E. T. Wyllie (1888–1972) was appointed 1935, later of St John's Church, Coromandel Valley

Organists

  • G. T. Light (died 1911?) to 1852. He was a piano and organ tuner, later a Government architect. He was the inventor of "euphonicon", a musical instrument reported to sound like a pipe organ.
  • Mrs. Alfred Nash 1853
  • H. H. Thomas 1854
  • H(enry) Rothwell Pounsett (died August 1891)[25] organist 1854–1856 and founded the choir.[26]
  • Mr. ? Hill 1860[27]
  • Henry Pounsett (aka H. Pounsett junr.; died November 1890) 1861–1865 or later, during incumbency of Russell and Ibbetson[28]
  • James William Heberlet 1873–1874
  • ". . . he was followed by Mr. Richardson, Mr. Landergan, Mrs. Newman, Miss Playford, Mr. Jeffery Bruer and Mr. Gribble."[8]
  • C. M. Gribble 1890–1897; left St John's for Trinity Church.[29]
  • Jeffrey James Bruer (died 12 November 1936)[30] organist at St John's 1897–1902. Daughter Gladys Bruer (died 8 February 1923) was also a talented musician
  • Arthur H. Otto, assistant organist at St Peter's Cathedral, organist at St John's July 1902–1909. Reorganised choir for traditional cathedral music.[31] Later known as Arthur Kingston-Stewart, tenor.
  • John Dempster (organist), son of Rev. R. W. G. Dempster, at St John's 1909–1924.[32]
  • Lloyd Vick

Some notable members

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ "Religious and Educational Statistics". South Australian Record. , (33). South Australia. 4 February 1840. p. 9. Retrieved 27 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "Centenary Festival of City Church". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 10 October 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "St. John's Church". The Southern Australian. II, (73). South Australia. 23 October 1839. p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "St. John's Church". South Australian Weekly Chronicle. V, (246). South Australia. 11 April 1863. p. 7. Retrieved 27 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Local Intelligence". The Southern Australian. IV, (255). South Australia. 29 October 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Local Intelligence". Adelaide Observer. III, (152). South Australia. 23 May 1846. p. 5. Retrieved 28 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Local Intelligence". South Australian Register. XII, (825). South Australia. 12 April 1848. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. 1 2 "Old St. John's". The Observer (Adelaide). LXXXIII, (7, 042). South Australia. 6 November 1926. p. 59. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "St. John's Church". The Advertiser (Adelaide). LXII, (19, 025). South Australia. 4 October 1919. p. 13. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. 1 2 C. R. J. Glover (20 September 1913). "A Condensed History of the Church of St John the Evangelist". The Mail (Adelaide). 2, (73). South Australia. p. 9. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "St. John's". South Australian Gazette And Colonial Register. I, (1). South Australia. 5 July 1845. p. 3. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia. The editor's views are barely suppressed.
  12. ↑ "St. Peter's College Memories". The Register (Adelaide). XCI, (26, 483). South Australia. 5 July 1926. p. 9. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "Advertising". South Australian Gazette And Mining Journal. VII, (463). South Australia. 13 September 1851. p. 1. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "St. John's". Adelaide Morning Chronicle. I, (109). South Australia. 25 November 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "The Founding of St. Peter's College". The Register (Adelaide). LXXXVI, (25, 304). South Australia. 16 July 1921. p. 10. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ↑ "Death of the Rev. E. Jenkins". South Australian Register. LIII, (12, 934). South Australia. 27 April 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "St. John Church". Adelaide Times. IX, (1384). South Australia. 15 January 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "The Rev. J. C. Bagshaw". Adelaide Times. XI, (1803). South Australia. 11 September 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "Obituary". South Australian Register. LI, (12, 338). South Australia. 31 May 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ↑ "Religious Notes". The Register (Adelaide). LXXXVII, (25, 420). South Australia. 17 June 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ↑ "St. John's Church Vestry Meeting". South Australian Register. XXV, (4520). South Australia. 12 April 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ↑ "Death of the Rev. D. J. H. Ibbetson". South Australian Register. XXXVI, (7721). South Australia. 14 August 1871. p. 5. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ↑ "Incumbency of St. John's". South Australian Register. XXXVIII, (8294). South Australia. 17 June 1873. p. 7. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ↑ "Death of Canon Hopcraft". The Advertiser (Adelaide). L, (15, 490). South Australia. 10 June 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ↑ "Obituary". South Australian Register. LVI, (13, 954). South Australia. 4 August 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ↑ "Testimonial of Respect". Adelaide Times. X, (1654). South Australia. 27 March 1856. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ↑ "Church of England—Vestry Meetings". South Australian Register. XXIV, (4211). South Australia. 13 April 1860. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ↑ "Obituary". The Evening Journal (Adelaide). XXII, (6291). South Australia. 12 November 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ↑ "Presentation". South Australian Register. LXII, (15, 771). South Australia. 31 May 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ↑ "Obituary". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 26 November 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ↑ "Church Notes". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 30 January 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ↑ "Talented Musician". The News (Adelaide). V, (733). South Australia. 28 November 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
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