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St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne
Proposed Chapel of St. Michael
and St. Georee.
Towards the end of 1024 an interesting
proposal was discussed by some friends
of St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, who
are also interested in the famous Order
of St. Michael and St. George, to which
Sir Edward -Mitchell, Sir Littleton Groom,
Sir Arthur Robinson, Sir .William
M'Phernon, Sir Iiobert Garran and many
other Australians belong. The proposal
is that- the vacant chapel in St. Paul's
Cathedral ? at the end of the south tran
sept be' dedicated to St. -Michael and St.
George, equipped with altar, stalls and
other dignified furniture, and becomo the
chapel of ? the Australian Knights Com
manders and Companions of the order,
just as -a similar chapel in St. Paul's
Cathedral, London, is dedicated, furnished
and set. apart. The vacant chapel corre
sponds with the Clarke chapel in the
north transept, where a beautiful marble
altar and a reredos in mosaic, keeps ever
green the memory of Janet Lady Clarke.
The vacant chapel is already partially
enclosed' by a portion of the carved
screen orected to the. memory of the late
William Cain, for many- years a lay canon
of the Cathedral.
As yet. little progress has been made
with the proposal, ? made in November
last, and no application has reached the
Cathedral Chapter. It is hoped that be
fore the church congress meets in May
several members of the Order of St.
Michael and St. George will have taken
definite steps to ascertain the views of
their brethren, nnd the comparatively
small sum needed to equip the chapel
and enable an official application to come
before the chapter will be guaranteed,
without prejudice to the larger effort to
complete the Cathedral spire ami towers.
The Royal Society of St. George Is
watching the movement with sympathetic
interest. Jf it were possible for it to
attain fruition by St. George's day, 23rd
Anril. the UOP.iotv 'will inlrn iiptinn fr»
signalise the eA-ent: The Order of St.
Michael and St. George was instituted in
1818, and was primarily intended to enable
tho Sovereign to do honor to men who
have playcJ a distinguished part in Do
minions and foreign affairs. The motto
of the order ia A'uspiciiim inelioris asvi.
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