Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Friday 27 March 1914, page 33


ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, FREMANTLE.

AN INTERESTING POSTCARD.

(See Illustrations page 34.)

With a view to helping the re-roofing fund of St. John's Church, Fremantle, and stir-ring up interest in the effort, the Rev. Canon Moore secured some time ago an in-

teresting photograph of the original Fre-mantle church, and with the assistance of Mr. P. H. Anderson, stationer, of Freman-tle, has had this picture reproduced on a postcard in conjunction with the picture of the present church, and giving the dates on

which they were built, etc. The old church was completed and opened for service on August 4, 1843. It stood for nearly 40 years in the middle of King's Square, at the top of High-street, the west door facing right down the street, at the other end of which stood and still stands the "Round House." which served as a "lock-up." The fence in the picture was of much later date, and enclosed all that area now bounded by Wil-

liam, Newman, Queen, and Adelaide streets. In the left hand corner of the picture may be seen the present rectory, which stands in Cantonment-street. The rectory was built for the Rev. Zachory Barry about 1855, and this photograph must

date from the sixties, and was taken from a spot about where the present Federal Hotel stands to-day, the town hall site be-ing then vacant and enclosed as part of the church yard. It was owing to the tire-less energy of the late Archdeacon Wat-kins, who came as a young man to Freman-tle at the end of the seventies, that the new church was built and consecrated in 1882. Mr. Watkins resolutely resisted every suggestion for enlarging the old church, and put all his efforts into the erec-tion of a new building, and posterity must applaud his determination. After the de-molition of the old church, High-street was continued diagonally through "King's

Square" and a right of-way for the pur-

pose together with the site for the pre-sent Town Hall was sold to the munici-pality on January 1, 1878, for £500. The rest of the block was afterwards sold in lots, bringing in ap-parently another £1,900 for the build-ing fund. The total cost of the church was close on £7,500, of which about £500 represented outside grants. Since its

consecration 32 years ago many additions have been made to the fittings and furnish-ings. The organ, which was built by Mr. Cecil Clifton, cost £600 30 years ago, and only last year was re-built by the firm of Messrs. J. A. Dodd, of Perth and Adelaide. and fitted with a modern hydraulic blower

at a cost of £300. Prior to that a beauti-

ful Caen stone Reredos was erected as a memorial to Archdeacon Watkins at a cost

of about £300. A little more than a year ago the family of the late W. D. Moore presented a massive brass "eagle" lectern in memory of their father, and a few months later the trustees of the late Mr. John Thomas put in a glass window in the north

transept. The east window is a magnificent work, the three main lights respectively de-picting "The Appearance in the Upper Room," "Stilling the Tempest," and "Christ and the Magdalen," and was erected many years ago in memory of Henry Maxwell Le-froy, 1879; Thomas Brown, 1863; and Dan-iel Scott, 1865. There is also a beautiful little window in the south transept, without any inscription, and two others in the nave said to be transferred from the old church.

After thirty odd years, the shingle roof has become completely worn out, and con-sidering the quality of the building the ves-try felt that they would not be justified in adopting any other than the best materia! for re-roofing, and, acting on advice, they have arranged to carry out. the work in best

Welsh slates. The contract for this work,

which has been arranged through Millars' Trading Corporation, will absorb consider-ably over £500, and it is expected that about £600 will be required to complete the work. Of this sum the greater portion has been aiready subscribed, and the remainder is arranged to spread over two years. When the heavy claims of the two previous years in connection with the Reredos and the organ are taken into account, it must be admitted that the parishioners of St. John's have shown a very practical inter-est in their church's affairs. And it should be noted that, in addition, all the other finances of the church have been receiving particular attention, and the debts which

three years ago totalled upwards of £2,700 are now below £2,200, while upkeep, cur-rent expenses, and repairs have been kept well up to date. Nor is the strain likely to slacken for some little time, owing to

the fact that within the next few months a large sum, ranging between £300 and £500, will be required to sewer the properties in connection with the deep drainage scheme.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the rector and his vestry have before them a task which calls for energy, skill, and tact, and it is gratifying to know that the con-gregation are in full sympathy with the ef-forts put forth and the arrangements de-vised for carrying on the work. The post

cards here reproduced are being retailed at threepence each, and each one sold is reck-oned to equal the price of one slate on the new roof.

THE OLD ST. JOHN'S CHURCH. FREMANTLE.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, FREMANTLE, AT, THE PRESENT

DAY.

(See letterpress page 33.)

REV. CANON MOORE, RECTOR OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

FREMANTLE.