St George's Anglican Church

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value – St George’s Anglican Church has considerable aesthetic value. The building displays attractive proportions in the roof form, and the truncated corners of the building create an unusual plan-form.
Aesthetic Value – St George’s Anglican Church has a high degree of artistic and technical sophistication, both internally and externally, and exhibits a well resolved combination of architectural, symbolic and artistic motifs.
Aesthetic Value – St George’s Anglican Church is a distinctive part of the streetscape and makes a positive contribution to the character of the town.
Historic Value – St George’s Anglican Church is evidence of the religious and social activities of the Anglican Church in Carnarvon and the Gascoyne district.
Historic Value – The growth and development of Carnarvon at the end of the gold boom period is reflected in the construction of St George’s Anglican Church in 1907.
Historic Value – St George’s Anglican Church has a very close association with architect J. Herbert Eales, as designer of the Church.
Historic Value – The Memorial altar commemorates those from the district who served in the armed forces during World War Two.
Historic Value – St George’s Anglican Church has been associated with the Iles family of Carnarvon since its construction. G. Iles was a member of the church building committee and one its first wardens, and the memorial altar rails were presented by the Iles family in memory of Alan Noel Iles, who died in 1944, as a POW in Burma.
Historic Value - St George’s Anglican Church has a lengthy association with the Sharp family. Rev William Sharp was the longest serving rector of Carnarvon parish (1896-1922) and the moving force behind the construction of the place. His son Herbert was a lay reader in the 1940s.
Historic Value - St George’s Anglican Church is an example of the work of Joseph Herbert Eales, who was responsible for designing a number of buildings constructed in both metropolitan and rural Western Australia. The baptismal font, presented to the Church in 1917, is the work of well-known sculptor, Pietro Porcelli.
Social Value - St George’s Anglican Church fulfils an important role in the religious activities of the Carnarvon community and specifically to members of the Anglican Church
Social Value - St George’s Anglican Church is valued as a demonstrative piece of local architecture and contributes to the Carnarvon community’s sense of place.
Representativeness - St George’s Anglican Church demonstrates the characteristics of the Church class of Christian places of congregational worship in Australia and is representative of the Federation Gothic (c.1890 – c.1915) style of architecture.

Physical Description

The building has distinctive pointed arch stained windows and heavy stucco bands. The bricks are red-ochred and tuck pointed. The building consists of a single aisle less hall. Designed by J. Herbert Easles.

History

St George’s Anglican Church was constructed of local red brick at a cost of £1400 donated by local pastoralists. The church was designed by architect J. H. Eales directly behind the original church built in 1894. The bricks used in the construction were locally made from pindan clay by the contractor, Sidney Stansmore. The foundation stone at St George’s Anglican Church was laid on the 7th of July, 1907. This stone was laid by the wife of Carnarvon’s first magistrate C.D. Foss. The church has one stained glass window and a three light window on the east side above the sanctuary. The remaining windows were of plain coloured glass. The church displayed fine detailing with louvered roof vents, a bellcote situated on the main roof above the porch entry, and a timber cross on the apex of the entry porch roof. The first service at St George’s Anglican Church was held on Sunday 13 October 1907. For the first 26 years, Reverend W. Sharp officiated as the rector within the church. On the 20th October 1907, the church was consecrated by Bishop Goldsmith of Bunbury. In 1910, Bishop Trower was enthroned as the first Bishop of the Northwest. In the 1960 cyclone, the church had a belfry which was blown down and has never been replaced.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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