THE CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN : BEGINNINGS AND GROWTH

In 1860 Bishop Matthew Hale bought land for the Diocese of Perth on the eastern side of South Perth. The block, said to possess the best view in the district, was sold in 1885 when the Anglican Church was granted a 6 acre (2.4 hectare) block of land, Lot 122, on Suburban Road, later known as Mill Point Road.



However, until 1895 the local Anglicans wishing to attend services had to make their way across the river by boat or ferry to attend either St George’s Cathedral or St John the Baptist Church in the city. In that year a weatherboard building which would become the first Anglican Church to be established south of Perth Water was constructed on a block of land in South Perth that had been donated by politician and newspaper owner, J. Winthrop Hackett, for that purpose.


        Church of England Landholdings
        in South Perth in 1898. (left)

In 1898 the Lot 122 block of land was resumed by the government in order to establish the Zoological Gardens but in return the church was offered a triangular block bounded by Angelo Street, Labouchere Road and Onslow Street as glebe land and also Lot 427 situated at the top of Zoo Hill on the corner of Suburban Road and Onslow Street.

        St Mary's Church at
        the Corner of Onslow Street
        and Suburban Road
        in 1899. (right)


On 5 February 1899 Bishop Charles Riley consecrated the wooden building that had subsequently been constructed on Lot 427 and this became the original St Mary’s Church in South Perth. But the local congregation soon became disenchanted with having to climb up Zoo Hill to attend services and this resulted in the church being moved to a new site in Labouchere Road (pictured below) and rededicated by Bishop Riley in December 1901. After the move a new sanctuary was added to the original structure.


At a stormy meeting of the parishioners on 25 April 1929 the possibility of building a church 'more worthy' for the worship God was discussed. The then Rector had become keen on purchasing an acre of land at the corner of Ridge and Karoo Streets upon which a new church would be erected, Like the first St Mary's Church it would be sited at the top of a hill, much to the dismay of some of the parishioners! But the Rector, Revd John Bell, received much support for the project from the Archbishop of Perth, Henry le Fanu and in December 1930 it was revealed that architect Herbert Parry had been instructed to draw up plans for a new church to be constructed of reinforced concrete. Only one section of the plan was adopted immediately because of the costs involved. This comprised the nave, temporary sanctuary, two vestries, west end and porch. The foundation stone was laid on 3 May 1931 by the Governor, Sir William Campion.

The partly built church was dedicated on 7 November. The consecration service, held on the following day, was attended by seven hundred people of whom only four hundred were able to be accommodated in the building: the remainder followed the service by means of loudspeakers situated outside.


        The Sanctuary at
        St Mary's in the
        early 1940s. (right)

Continued on page 2: Click here

"As it was in the beginning, is now..."   From the 'Gloria' (Book of Common Prayer)