St Margaret's Uniting Church (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The former church St Margaret’s Uniting Church has landmark value on its corner location and as a good example of the Federation Free Gothic style of architecture. The church has close associations with the Congregational and Uniting Churches and Wasley family. It has recently been adpated for residential purposes whilst still maintaing its cultural heritage significance.

Physical Description

The design of the church is based on the picturesque assymmetry of the latter period of the eccliesiological movement, with its open campanile breaking the formality of the eastern gable. The church was designed with an eastern vestry marked by a pedimented arched doorway, set between capped columns, which repeat the theme of the upper façade behind. The basic gabled form of the church with its gabled side entry and hall (cum transept) has been retained, however the whole façade has been rendered and painted including the large east window. During 2004/2005 the place has undergone extensive additions and alterations, being converted into residential apartments, altering the internal and external fabric of the place. Plantings in the front setback obscures views of the place Conversion to psychodrama centre 1975. Conversion to residential apartments 2004/2005.

History

On 20 November 1902, the Deacons of Trinity Church decided to establish a Home Mission in North Perth. Two blocks of land were purchased for ₤265 on the corner of Raglan and Clifton (William) streets. The foundation stone of the Church was laid on 14 February 1903 by Reverend W. T. Kench and Sir Edward Stone. Contractor H. Parker built the church for ₤994 and the manse for ₤465. The first service was held on 5 April 1903. A Sunday School was begun in 1904 under the guidance of the rector, Absalon Deans, and over the following decade, a girls' and boys' gymnasium (later Young People's Fellowship), men's association, cricket, tennis and badminton club, Girl Guide and Boy Scout troops and a junior choir were formed, giving some indication of the important social role played by churches in the first half of the 20th Century. The North Perth Congregational Church community purchased the buildings from Trinity Church in 1906. In 1907, the Sunday School Hall was added by contractor Martin L. Lloyd. In 1915, the Sunday School had 313 pupils and 52 teachers. According to Wise's Post Office Directories, the early rectors included Absalon Deans (1904), Reverend F.J. Searle (1913), Reverend Fred Priest (1925) and in 1938, Horace Ferguson. In 1949 the hall was listed with Lyall D. Dixon residing at No. 67. Extra land was added to the site on the William Street frontage in 1917 and in 1928, the addition of a new primary classroom, completed the Raglan Street frontage. This addition was designed by architect A.H. Nicholls and built by Joseph Webster. In the late 1930s, a new pulpit and choir stall were installed. A manual pipe organ, built by R.C. Clifton in 1908 and made available to the Church by the Clifton family, was officially opened on 22 December 1946 at a Choral Thanksgiving Service. By 1954, Sunday School membership was down to 60 children and 10 teachers. Early photographs show that the exterior brickwork of the buildings has been rendered since 1953. Other alterations included brick alterations in 1958 and a counselling centre in 1976. In 1977, the Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist churches amalgamated to form the Uniting Church. This amalgamation resulted in many parishes having more than one church and it was decided to redevelop St Margaret's as a social service centre. It then became the Wasley Centre, named in honour of the Wasley family who had been involved with the Church since the foundation of the parish, including A.H. Wasley, who was a Deacon from 1905-1952. The centre was to provide training in family, marital and individual counselling, groundwork training, pastoral training and counselling. The Wasley Centre opened late in 1975, under the directorship of Dr G.M. Clayton, clinical pastoral supervisor and fully accredited psychodrama director. During 2004/2005 the place underwent extensive redevelopment with the conversion of the Wasley Centre (church and hall) to accommodate 12 residential units, the manse was refurbished and a new residential section was constructed. The units ranged from one to three-bedrooms and in price from $295,000 and were released for sale in February 2004. The complex was designed by architect Kevin Palassis of Palassis Architects and the firm won the Conservation Award for the adaptive re-use of the place in the 2005 Town of Vincent Building, Design and Conservation Awards.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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