Perth Alliance Church

Statement of Significance

• The church has value for its association with the development of the Belmont community in the period following World War Two.
• The church has social value for its association with many members of the community who fundraised and built this church for their congregation.
• The place has social and spiritual value for the many members of the community who have visited this place ince 1950.
• This church is a simple demonstration of the Post War International style executed in brick and tile.
• The church and associated buildings are a landmark in the streetscape.

Physical Description

A simple rectangular brick building of a symmetrical plan with a pitched tile roof. Regularly spaced buttresses are located on the long elevation and windows are located within the spaces created.

Entrance to the church nave is through a small brick vestibule which is rendered and painted with a flat roof. Entrance to the vestibule is via double timber doors which are located on a concrete porch covered by a timber pergola which gives weather protection.
Adjoining the church is a hall of similar design, materials and scale which differs from the church through the shallower pitched roof.

Asphalt paving surrounds the two buildings which provides generous parking. Some planter boxes are located close to the two buildings.

The buildings are well maintained and appear to be in good condition.

History

In c1927, when the area now known as Cloverdale was part of South Belmont, interested Christians of the then very scattered population decided to form a nondenominational Church group and Sunday School. Some of the pioneers of this work were Mr and Mrs Vose, Mr and Mrs Butler, Mr and Mrs Duncan, Mr N. Bell, Mr J. Howard, Mrs I. Blomfield, Mr A. Blomfield, Mrs Greenway and Mrs Dixon.

Worship commenced with once a month evening meetings and visiting lay preachers from various denominations conducted the services. Buses and cars being scarce, most people attended by walking or bicycling the distance which was often up to two or three miles.
In the early years of the Church’s history, the main meetings, including one Sunday School, were held in the old wooden South Belmont Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, on the corner of Wright Street and Belmont Avenue.

The work grew to weekly meetings plus Sunday School classes being held at two venues and a midweek youth meeting called ‘Band of Hope’. The second Sunday School classes were held in the then South Belmont Primary School. The entire congregation united for anniversaries, Sunday School picnics at the Zoo and fireworks displays which were held where the present Belmont Shopping Centre is now located.

Every month at general meetings, when the accounts were paid, the congregation decided to which Missions the remaining moneys would be allocated.

Eventually the Church became quite involved in Missions and assisted both overseas and Australian missionaries. A very close attachment was made to Mt. Margaret Mission near Leonora. The group was known as the South Belmont Mission Church.

The present building on the corner of Belmont Avenue and Keane Street was erected entirely by the congregation in 1950 and the hall at the rear was added in 1972.
In the early 1960’s the conregation was incorporated in the People’s Church of Perth under the direction of Pastor Phil Peterson. He oversaw the incorporation of the group as an self-supporting Independent Christian Group under the name ‘Belmont Christian Fellowship’.

Since that time the church has continued to serve as a church for the local community and is currently using the name 'Perth Christian Alliance'.

The form and extent of the original church can still be determined despite some minor modifications in the detail on the main elevation.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.