The Sesquicentenary of the Consecration of St John’s Anglican Church Newcastle

Petition to consecrate St. John's Church, Newcastle, 1860 (Bishop Tyrrell)

Day Shift – 16/02/2010 – 02:10 PM
Presenter: Carol Duncan
Interviewee: Gionni Di Gravio, Archivist, Newcastle University

University of Newcastle Archivist Gionni Di Gravio discusses the sesquicentenary of the Consecration of St John’s Church Cooks Hill Newcastle this Saturday 20 February 2010 through original archival documents of the Church held in the University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections Auchmuty Library.

Broadcast Notes:

This weekend celebrates the 150th anniversary of the consecration of St John’s Anglican Church Newcastle.

The Church, schoolroom and associated buildings were constructed with funds raised by the Directors, Chairman and shareholders of the Australian Agricultural and Peel River Land and Mineral Companies. The idea to construct Anglican churches and schools on the companies’ estates for the moral benefit of their employees and families was originally initiated by Mr Walter Stevenson Davidson, who personally contributed £5,000 to kick start the campaign back in 1854. With Company providing the land, by 1856 the Foundation stone for the School was laid, and Parsonage and Church finally completed in 1860.

The following are are series of milestones from the original records in A7064(xi) Material from the Archives of the Australian Agricultural Company relating to the construction of St. John’s Church, by Rev. Robert Howell, 1990 and the Year Books.

1 January 1854

“A greatly enhanced value which the Mineral discoveries, increased Emigration and other well known causes have given to the Estates of the AAc has made the shareholders” to adopt measures to provide for the moral and religious improvement of the Population on their properties, and a “more liberal and extended scale than was justified by the previous position of the Company.”
- Memorandum prepared for Private Circulation among the past and present Proprietors of the Australian Agricultural and Peel River Land and Mineral Companies 1st January 1854.

28th July 1855

for the “Newcastle Estate” we propose the erection of  a school room suited for Divine Service on Sundays with Masters’ Cottage attached 850 pounds, a parsonage 850 pounds and endowment of school 500 pounds.
- Marcus F. Brownrigg General Superintendent (AACo) and Philip Gidley King General Superintendent Peel River Land and Mineral Co. to John H Ravenshaw et al

1856 – 1857 St John’s Church is being erected at cost of 3500 pounds

1857- 1858 Newcastle has been divided into two Districts of Christ Church (the mother church) and St John’s. In St John’s a Parsonage and school has been completed. The Rev. L.H. Rumsey appointed its Clergyman. Church is nearly completed.

20th February 1860 – Opening of Church
“St.  John’s  Church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Newcastle on 20th ult. I was unable to attend; the church is now open for Divine Service.
- AACo. Ref: 78/1/33 p.91 Despatch no.124 dated 12 March 1860 from General Superintendent Hodgson to Court of Directors.

A5308 Petition to consecrate St. John’s Church, Newcastle, 1860 (Bishop Tyrrell)

Petition to Consecrate St John the Evangelist Church Newcastle 1860

1871

Census of St John’s Parish conducted by Mr John Dixon (later Rev. John Dixon around 1871/2).

The 1871 Census of St John’s Parish Newcastle

B16117 Minute Book labeled ‘Sunday School’, of which a major portion contains the Minute Book and Income and Expenditure Books, combined, of the Teachers of the Sunday School, 1882-1892 (41v-168r), with the first 38 leaves (1v-38r) consisting of a Survey of the Parish of St John’s conducted between January and March of 1871 and encompassing the areas of The Glebe, Wickham Railway Village, Honeysuckle Point, The Pottery and Junction, Mosquito Island, Dempsey Island, and the following streets and roads, Lake Macquarie Road, Darby, Blane, Lower Church, Dawson, Railway, Bull, Bruce, Melville, Polly and Corlette.

We present the complete digital version of this remarkable 1871 census manuscript here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157623414136724/

1873 Parish of St John’s spit into two Parishes of Newcastle, and Waratah and the Islands becoming part of St Jame’s Wickham under the charge of the Rev J. Dixon – (that is how we obtained the census and Sunday School Minute book).

Other archives of importance relating to the Parish include:

B9699-B9702 Service registers, 1872 – 1972.

B5998a Confirmations, 1927 – 1961.

A6561(i) Parish reports, 1874, 1876 – 1881, 1886.

A7796(vi)    (a) Photostat copy of illuminated address presented to Bishop Pearson by the incumbents and parishioners of the parishes of Christ Church, St John’s and St James, Newcastle, on the occasion of his arrival in the Diocese, August, 1880. Original at A5310(i). 4pp.
(b) Photostat copy of manuscript entitled “The Genesis and History of Christ Church, Newcastle” (13pp).
(c) Covering letter from Denis Rowe, Archives Officer, University of Newcastle, to Rev. Keith Clark, to accompany the two above items. 17th November, 1978.

NEWCASTLE – (St. John’s)
Note: Parish registers for the years before 1900 are available on microfilm A5856.
NEWCASTLE     B5985     Baptisms     Dec. 1870 – Dec. 1871
NEWCASTLE     B5998     Baptisms     Aug. 1857 – Oct. 1874
NEWCASTLE     B5999     Baptisms     Oct. 1874 – Feb. 1923
NEWCASTLE     B5999A     Baptisms     Mar. 1923 – Mar. 1955
NEWCASTLE     B5985     Marriages     Apr. 1860 – Feb. 1886
NEWCASTLE     B5986     Marriages     Apr. 1886 – Oct. 1887
NEWCASTLE     B5987     Marriages     Nov. 1887 – Dec. 1894
NEWCASTLE     B5988     Marriages     Mar. 1895 – Feb. 1897
NEWCASTLE     B5989     Marriages     Mar. 1897 – June 1898
NEWCASTLE     B5990     Marriages     June 1898 – May 1908
NEWCASTLE     B5991     Marriages     Mar. 1908 – Apr. 1916
NEWCASTLE     B5992     Marriages     Apr. 1916 – Feb. 1924
NEWCASTLE     B5993     Marriages     Feb. 1924 – May 1934
NEWCASTLE     B5994     Marriages     May 1934 – Oct. 1941
NEWCASTLE     B5995     Marriages     Oct. 1941 – Aug. 1947
NEWCASTLE     B5996     Marriages     Aug. 1947 – Apr. 1956
NEWCASTLE     B5997     Marriages     May 1956 – Aug. 1963
NEWCASTLE     B5997A     Marriages     Sept.1963 – Jan. 1967
NEWCASTLE     B5997B     Marriages     Jan. 1967 – Sept.1969
NEWCASTLE     B5997C     Marriages     Sept.1969 – Feb. 1973
NEWCASTLE     B16207     Marriages     Mar. 1973 – Sept. 1981
NEWCASTLE     B16208     Marriages     Oct. 1981 – Oct. 1990
NEWCASTLE     B16209     Marriages     Oct. 1990 – Feb. 1996
NEWCASTLE     B5998     Burials     Nov. 1862 – Apr. 1936
NEWCASTLE     B5999B     Burials     Apr. 1962 – May 1968
NEWCASTLE     B16110     Burials     May 1968 – Dec. 1962
NEWCASTLE     B5999B     Confirmations     Apr. 1927 – July 1961

B5998 Original Parish Register for St John's Newcastle

First page of Baptisms beginning in 1857

Baptisms circa February 1860

First page of Burials beginning 1862

C918/296 Photograph, St. John’s Church, Cooks Hill

Photograph of St John's Cooks Hill (John Turner papers)

Same view taken recently (Courtesy of Google Earth)

Holy and soully..ours - Herald Article on the Sesquicentenary Celebrations

James Wallis – Historical Account of New South Wales 1821 online

James Wallis - An historical account of the colony of New South Wales (1821)

Day Shift – 17/11/2009 – 02:10 PM
Presenter: Carol Duncan
Interviewee: Gionni Di Gravio, Archivist, Newcastle University

Newcastle University Archivist Gionni Di Gravio discusses a recent addition to the University’s Flickr site: Captain James Wallis’ (1785?-1858) An historical account of the colony of New South Wales and its dependent settlements : in illustration of twelve views / engraved by W. Preston from drawings taken on the spot by Captain Wallis. To which is subjoined An accurate map of Port Macquarie and the newly discovered River Hastings by J. Oxley. London : Printed for R. Ackermann by J. Moyes, 1821.  The volume fetches upwards of $30,000 AUD and was photographed by Associate Professor Allan Chawner and prepared for the web by Gionni Di Gravio.

Broadcast Notes:

To access the original images click on the Flickr link here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157622518218701/with/4036153878/

To access a text searchable pdf version of the whole work click here:
James Wallis – An historical account (1821) (51MB PDF Version)

Newcastle, Hunter's River, New South Wales

Plate No. V.

Is a View of Newcastle; a settlement beatifully situated on the south side of the entrance of Hunter’s River, which is sixty miles north of Sydney. From hence Sydney is supplied with coal, a good quanlity, a shaft having been lately sunk there; and also with lime, burnt from shells, and with timber of every description. About thirty miles from the sea, Hunter’s River is formed by the junction of three rivers of considerable magnitude. These take their rise from the range of mountains which extend all along the coast; the waters on the eastern side of the range running towards the sea, while those on the western side run into the interior, and are supposed to form a vast inland lake. The scenery on the banks of these rivers is very fine; some parts being low and thickly wooded, while other parts present to the view sloping banks, luxuriant herbage, and majestic trees, scattered in beautiful profusion, and assuming the appearance of a gentleman’s park in England. Black swans, pelicans, wild ducks, widgeons, and many other sorts of water fowl, are found in abundance; and the forests are thickly inhabited by kangaroos and emus; and the harbour swarms with fish. When this land is granted, it is likely to become one of the most fertile settlements in the Colony, as the soil is rich and free from floods, and the navigation good for sixty miles. The entrance to the harbour is difficult: Governor Macquarie has, however, commenced a work of magnitude, and is now occupied in erecting a pier, to extend from the main land to the island called Nobby’s, situated in the channel. This work, when completed, will, by confining the waters to one channel, deepen and perfectly secure the principal entrance. This settlement has hitherto been approprated to the reception of all those culprits who are convicted by the Courts or Magistrates of crimes committed in Sydney, or amy other part of the Colony. (pages 39-40)

Corrobboree or dance of the natives of New South Wales

Plate No. VI.

Is a View of a Corrobboree, or dance, of the natives of New South Wales. The representation of this extraordinary assemblage of savage festivity, as well as the scenery, is taken from nature. The preparation for their dance is striking and curious. They assemble in groups, and commence marking their arms, legs, and bodies, in various directions, with pipe-clay and a kind of red ochre; some of them displaying great taste at their toilet, as in the representation. Their musician, who is generally an elderly man, sings, a monotonous tune, in which they all join, skriking in regular time his shield with a club or waddy. Each dancer carries a green bough in his hand. The beauty of the scenery, the pleasing reflection of light from the fire round which they dance, the grotesque and singular appearance of the natives, and their wild notes of festivity, all form a strange and interesting contrast to any thing ever witnessed in civilised society. The women never dance; and where several tribes meet together, each tribe dances separately. All the principal figures in the foreground are from original portraits: the tall figure, laughing, on the left, is the chieftain or king of the Newcastle Tribe, called Buriejou, —a brave, expert fellow, who has lately presented Governor Macquarie with his eldest son, to be placed in the native institution, as a proof of his confidence in British humanity. (page 40)

Two Black Swans (on Reed's Mistake)

Plate No. VII.

Is a representation of two Black Swans. The View is on Reed’s Mistake, a small harbour about eighteen miles south of Newcastle. A bar across prevents vessels of any burden from entering this harbour. The scenery on this river, called by the natives Bunjarees Norah, is rich, luxuriant, and picturesque. Kangaroos are found here in abundance, as well as wild fowl: the natives are a very firnedly tribe, and excellent fishermen. (pp. 40-41)

Two Kangaroos about six miles from Newcastle

Plate No. VIII.

Is a representation of two kangaroos from nature. The scenery is six miles from Newcastle. A large lagoon, or lake, apears in the distance, which affords fish and roots for the subsistence of a very wild and savage tribe of natives. (p. 41)

View from Hunter's River

Plate No. IX.

Is a View from Hunter’s River. In the fore-ground is a group of natives; on the summit of the hill stand the Government stock-yards, and Christ Church; the first church and steeple ever erected in view of the Pacific Ocean. The situation is very commanding and from the sea is distinguishable at a considerable distance. (p. 41)