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"St Paul's Parish
Canberra"
by
Harry Taylor-Rogers.
This book is available from the Parish Office.
A HISTORY OF ST PAUL'S PARISH, MANUKA
In 1913 the population of the Limestone Plains, site of the national
capital, had reached about 2800, an increase of over 1000 in two
years. The community on the northern side of the Molonglo River were
well served by the long established Parish of St John's but there
was a growing population on the southern side of the river. The
Commonwealth Government had commenced construction in 1912 of a
Power Station, situated on present-day Wentworth Avenue, Kingston.
This was the first permanent building to be erected in the National
Capital. A camp to house the workmen and their families engaged in
the construction of the Power House was set up nearby. In 1913 the
labour force had peaked at 754. It was decided to erect a small
building, adjacent to the Power House to cater for the spiritual
needs of the camp personnel. On 1 August 1914 a corrugated iron shed
was opened by the Rev. F.G. Ward, Rector of St John's. It was named
St. Paul's Mission Hall and was on a site near the corner of Giles
and Jardine Streets, Kingston.
Only three days after the hall was opened on 4 August 1914, war was
declared in Europe and the effect of this was soon to be felt in
Canberra. Even after the cessation of the First World War the
population of Canberra had increased very little. In March 1931 the
Parish Council of St John's gave approval for St Paul's Mission Hall
to be extended. Funds in those depression years were difficult to
find. The Parish of St John's was at that time having severe
financial problems and congregations were themselves facing similar
problems. In an attempt to alleviate the situation to some extent,
the stipends of all clergy were voluntarily reduced by about nine
percent.
By 1937, the congregation of St Paul's was becoming restless as the
Hall was not able to cope adequately with the growing attendances.
The Churchwomen's Guild with Mrs Mollison as President began an
enthusiastic programme of fund-raising. The Department of the
Interior indicated that a block of land at the corner of Canberra
Avenue and Captain Cook Crescent had been set aside for church
purposes and was available. A lease was granted from 24 October 1938
and the plans submitted included a church, a church hall, clergy
residence and a tennis court.
The selection of an architect took a little longer. The Architect
of the Canberra Boys' Grammar School, Mr Burcham Clamp, inspected
the site and offered a design for a church to face Manuka obliquely
across the block of land. Mr Burcham Clamp was appointed architect
and instructed to call tenders. The foundation stone was laid on 11
December 1938 by the Governor General, Lord Gowrie. Building
proceeded rapidly and the first portion of the Church was dedicated
on Sunday 6 August 1939 by the Bishop of Goulburn, Dr E H
Burgmann.
As history determined, the events which followed the opening of St
Paul's Mission Hall at Kingston in 1914 were to be repeated, when, a
month after the dedication of St Paul's Church, war broke out in
Europe. St Paul's was filled each time that services of intercession
were held in the months following the declaration of war.
In 1949 St Paul's had celebrated its tenth birthday. The need to
establish a new parish south of the Molonglo River separate from St
John's began to be appreciated. The new parish of St Paul's was
eventually proclaimed on 26 March 1950. The proclamation by Bishop
Burgmann outlined the boundaries of the new Parish as "All that
territory within the city and suburbs of Canberra south of the
Molonglo River." The area south of the river developed rapidly in
the 1950s and the establishment of new parishes soon followed. The
Parish of St Luke's, Deakin, was created in September 1957.
In its plans for the development of the Red Hill area, the National
Capital Development Commission, at the request of the Diocese, made
provision for an Anglican Church on a site of almost two acres, at
the corner of Fortitude and La Perouse Streets, Red Hill. By the end
of 1962 a small congregation of Anglicans had become established and
at a meeting in the hall of St Aidan's Presbyterian Church it was
decided to build a church cum hall. Work on the foundations of St
David's began in November 1971 following the appointment of Mr Jack
Firth, a parishioner, as Architect. The new Church, built in the
form of an equilateral triangle, with sides 60 feet long, in concept
representing the Trinity, was dedicated on 16 July 1972.
In 1988, Careforce, the welfare arm of the Diocese, became
interested in the prospect of developing a complex of self-care town
houses on the St David's site. The plan was to develop 31 units,
each with a garage, a separate community room and smaller rooms
attached to the Church. The site was dedicated on 7 July 1989 and
the first resident of St David's Close attended Morning Service at
St David's Church on 20 May 1990.
This brief summary of the history of St Paul's Parish has been
adapted from the book by Harry Taylor-Rogers, "St Paul's Parish
Canberra" published in 1997. The book provides a very comprehensive
description of the history of St Paul's Parish including St David's,
Red Hill, and is well illustrated. Copies of the book of 237 pages,
are available from the Parish Office, St Paul's Church, Manuka, for
$12.50.
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