All Saints Church and Crawford Hall

Child Places

• 09106 Holy Spirit Parish Complex
• 15021 Crawford Hall

Statement of Significance

The place has some aesthetic value as a landmark in the streetscape demonstrating late 20th century ecclesiastical style
integrated with Crawford Hall built in the Post War style.

The Church has historic value as a demonstration of the coming together of different faiths to form the Uniting Church in 1977 and subsequently building this single complex of hall and church in the parish.

The place has historic value a demonstration of the growth of the community in Floreat in the post war period and the establishment of the All Saints Presbyterian Church.

The place has social value as the location of many religious and social events for members of the community since 1956.

Physical Description

All Saints comprises a church and adjoining administration/ church hall spaces. The hall was constructed in the 1950s and has been incorporated into a late 1980s development comprising the church and bell tower.

The development is set back behind a deep grass verge at the intersection of Kirkdale Avenue and Berkeley Crescent. The earlier section of the development was constructed from a combination of pale and red brick which has been carried through into the later developments creating some unity to the buildings.

The church is a contemporary pale and red brick building with precast concrete panels and distinctive curved wall with integral glass cross facing the intersection. The main entrance is located along Berkeley Street underneath the belltower. The bell tower is a double height feature, constructed from the two contrasting brick types, raised hipped roof and an unglazed opening to each elevation. The church has a tiled hipped roof. The church is built behind the curved wall and is at an angle, facing the intersection of the two roads. The increased height of the church building creates delineation from the adjoining hall facilities due to the single storey link between the church and bell tower.

Crawford Hall is a predominantly single storey building dating from the 1950s which due to the changing land levels incorporates a lower ground floor level at the western end. The place is of brick construction with red brick to the lower courses and pale brick to the upper two thirds. Timber framed French doors provide access to the undercroft with paired timber framed arched windows to the upper level windows. The roof is tiled, with gables to the east and west ends.

The Manse is not included in this assessment.

History

At the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia on 22 June 1977, five congregations formed the Wembley-Floreat Park Parish. They were the four Methodist congregations (Wembley, ‘Forum’ of Floreat, Wembley Downs and West Leederville) plus the Floreat Park Presbyterian Church, ‘All Saints’.

On 1 July 1988, the Presbytery of Perth agreed to a re-grouping of the parishes in the area and the new Parish of Floreat Park was inaugurated, with the two congregations of ‘All Saints’ in Peebles Road and the ‘Forum’ on the corner of Brookdale Street (now Kirkdale Avenue) and Berkeley Crescent becoming one congregation.

After much deliberation the buildings in Peebles Road and the church in Berkeley Crescent were demolished. The decommissioning service was held on Friday 13 August, 1993. The Peebles Road property was sold and building began on the new church complex in Berkeley Crescent on the corner of Kirkdale Avenue.

In May 1995, the All Saints Floreat Uniting Church was officially opened by Moderator, Lillian Hadley on the site of the Forum Uniting Church in Berkeley Crescent Floreat. The new building integrated the existing Crawford Hall which was built c1956 and included an earlier Page Room, built in 1953.

The single storey brick manse located on the northern side of the site was demolished in 1995 as part of the program of works. A new two storey manse was built on the site and continues to be used as accommodation for the minister. It does not form part of this assessment.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High

Condition

Very 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.