Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Northampton

Statement of Significance

The Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Northampton is a coarse rubble weathered granite building designed in the Federation Gothic Revival style, with a corrugated iron, steeply pitched, gabled roof and surrounding landscaped grounds, is of cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is an important component of the historic town of Northampton, which is characterised by a large collection of very fine buildings using similar building materials and forms, and collectively composing a significant cultural landscape;
The place remains largely unaltered in both fabric and structure, with the operation and rituals of the Church still being practised today;
The construction of the place, and its later expansion and completion, reflects the optimism and rise to prosperity of the Northampton community, and the importance of religion within the local community; and
The place has strong association with many of the pioneering families within the region who were influential not only in the development of Northampton but further afield as well, including the Drages, Burges and Hosken families.
Features considered to be of little significant are the ceiling fans and wall mounted chancel lights in the interior of the Church, while the wall fans, electrical switchboard, and radiators in the interior and plumbing vent pipes on the exterior of the building are considered to be intrusive.

Physical Description

Stone neo-gothic style church with CGI roof.

The tall stone walls feature slender windows spaced between roof trusses down the side walls and a group of three windows in the gable end wall behind the altar. The windows have pointed gothic heads and rendered stone reveals externally to provide contrast with the surrounding stone walls. Over the heads of the windows a rendered weather moulding, terminating at an acanthus leaf boss, throws water clear of the stained glass glazing.

The roof has a simple gable end form with small gambrel vents set into it along the length of the nave. The roofs generally terminate against a render capped stone wall. There is a small, enclosed stone entry porch with timber doors on the western end of the nave and a small vestry of to the side on the north, just in front of the altar. Both the porch and the vestry are later additions. Internally, the finishes are quite simple with rendered walls and plain pressed metal ceilings that slope up on the underside of the roof trusses until they flatten out across a collar tie under the ridge. A cross brace, or tie, between the lower members of the roof trusses is exposed across the ceiling. The exterior has recently been repointed (as at 2104).

History

At first, Anglican services were held in the interdenominational Gwalla Church (Site No.131), however in due course the Church of England erected a church in Northampton. The foundation stone of the Holy Trinity Church was laid on 26 February 1908 with Bishop Riley officiating. Located on Hampton Road, the main thoroughfare of the town, on land donated by Mrs. Hannah Hosken, the church was designed by Mr. H.M. Marwood and built by Messrs. Jenner and Hafner. The Hosken family contributed to the cost of the church. William Burges of The Bowes presented the church with an organ, Albert Drage gave a carved jarrah altar and Mrs L. D. Mitchell a baptismal font.

Although the first service was held on 20 September 1908 the church was not officially consecrated by the Bishop until 18 January 1909. At that time the west wall was a temporary structure of wood and corrugated iron. In February 1959, W. Plant commenced working on the completion of the church in stone. The porch, west wall and vestry were added, and these were consecrated by Bishop Frewer on 29 September 1959.

Prior to 1910 Northampton was attached to the Geraldton Parish and in 1928 it was passed from the Perth Diocese to the Diocese of North West Australia.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Orig'l Fabric: Fully intact

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.