A brief history of Wesley Church, .

The building known as Wesley a cost of £400.

Church was built in 1870 for the Methodist congregation of Perth. A letter asking for donations towards the The first Methodists arrived in the construction of a new church was on February 3rd, circulated in June 1867 stating: 'My 1830, aboard the Tranby, to found a Dear..., The Wesleyans of Perth having small religious community on a for considerable period found that their peninsula of fertile land, 4 miles Chapel is not sufficiently large for the upstream from Perth, where the Congregation, many sittings having been present Perth inquired for which suburb of could not be Maylands is supplied, the situated. The group Trustees have was led by Joseph decided on building and John Wall a Church at the Hardey. corner of Hay and William Streets In June 1866, the which will be Reverend T C commodious for the Laurance (who was congregation and an stationed in the ornament to the Geraldton area but Town. The new maintained close structure will ties with Perth) contain over 600 wrote in a letter to sittings. The land London, 'Mr Lowe purchased for the will have Early sketch of proposed building site of the intending mentioned, I daresay, that we are building has cost £400. The Trustees now about to erect a new and larger confidently believing that the important Sanctuary'. A site for the new object they have in view in erecting a Church located at the corner of Hay large and beautiful Church will advance and William Streets Perth, was the moral and spiritual interests of the purchased from Mr James Inkpen at people of Perth and its vicinity, now respectfully and urgently appeal to 2 you...for your sympathy and aid in this including: Pensioner Barracks (1863); important undertaking. Donations will the west wing of the Central be thankfully received by W Lowe, G Government Offices (1874); The Shenton and Joseph Hardey'. Cloisters (1856); the extensions to the Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral The new Church was the third convent buildings (1860s); and Methodist place of worship to be built alterations to in the forty years in which the (1870). denomination had been established in the Swan River Colony. The first, the Jewell designed Wesley Church in Subscription Chapel, was built in 1834 the fashionable Victorian and later became a Sunday School Academic Gothic style of building. The second, the Centenary architecture, a style which he also Chapel, was built in 1840. successfully adapted in his other

buildings. This Gothic style Wesley Church was designed by , an architect, became much favoured for new circuit steward and Church member. buildings throughout Australia and Jewell arrived in the Swan River other parts of the British Empire Colony in 1852 and was Clerk of from the 1850s to the 1870s – not Works of the Colonial Establishment. only for churches, but also for His first building was the Perth Gaol other public buildings from which and Courthouse (1853-56). He would the past associations of remain in office until 1885 and was responsible for the design of a number of prominent Perth buildings

Subscription Chapel 1834 Centenary Chapel 1840 3

Looking east along Hay Street from Wesley Church to Town Hall

spirituality, divinity and God- this part of the building was £200 given power were useful symbols and 3 shillings. The foundation in establishing authority. He stone was laid on 25th October submitted a plan for Wesley 1867 by Governor J.S. Hampton. Church consisting of the nave, The Church and spire were built chancel and bell tower with a tall by William Buggins at a cost of and elegant spire, which was £394. The floor was laid by J. accepted with one alteration, the Halliday at 18 shillings per square relocation of the bell tower from of 100 super feet. Plastering was the north-east side to the south- done by J. Platt for £294. The roof east side. was erected by H. Cutting for £345. The contract for laying the foundations of the church went to The Church was opened on James Brittain, whose quote for Sunday 10th April, 1870 with Revd

4 Lowe preaching in the morning, £500 pounds. Between them they Revd Traylen in the afternoon and contributed to over half the total Revd Laurence in the evening. cost of the church. The offerings on the day totaled £70 with some members later Perth in the mid-nineteenth century making gifts of watches and was a small town and the people of influence were known by the whole jewellery to the sum of £150. community. Both the Hardey and The total cost of the building was Shenton families were part of the estimated to be in the vicinity of Swan river Colony’s fledgling gentry. £3,000 — a considerable sum for The Hardey family had prospered a Church membership of 138 in since 1830 with the lands they held total with a quarterly income of being highly productive and the little over £66. An appeal was family was able to extend its land launched to raise the funds. holdings in the colony significantly. George Shenton, who suggested John Wall Hardey became a member that the name of the Church be of the Legislative Council. George Wesley Church, donated £1,000 Shenton had established himself as a general merchant. He had been an and Joseph Hardey contributed

The extensions of 1880 5

An internal view soon after World War I

agitator for the acceptance of convicts Church were made including the to the colony and grown rich north-east tower (which buried the provisioning the convict original foundation stone), the side establishment. By 1870, he had a galleries and the ceiling to the nave fine house in Perth and political and the south-west porch. The influence. His son, George Shenton alterations were at a cost of £1,150 Jnr would later become Lord Mayor and the architect was J J Talbot of Perth. Hobbs. Hobbs was a prominent Perth based architect, who had migrated to In 1880, a clergy vestry, choir vestry Perth in 1887. By 1896, he had been and organ loft were added to the responsible for a number of buildings Church at a cost of £385. By the mid including the Princes Building and 1890s, the influx of people during the the Masonic Lodge in Perth, domestic gold rush meant that seating in the buildings and additions to St Albans Church needed to be increased. In Church in Highgate. Further additions 1896 alterations and additions to the made to the northern side of the

6 chancel by Hobbs, Smith and Forbes Wesley Arcade opened before at the turn of century, were later Christmas in 1975 and the centre as a demolished in 1974. whole opened in May 1976. During these developments the small chapel The Meckering earthquake of located at the north west corner of October 1968 caused major damage Wesley Church was added. to a number of buildings in Perth. It shook Wesley Church and structural Wesley Church continued to be used cracks appeared in the steeple. A as an active centre of worship and in decision was made to demolish the 1977 the Methodist congregation steeple but when about 30ft was joined the Uniting Church of removed, the remainder of the Australia. structure seemed quite secure and so a copper cone was placed on the top In 1983, a report on the condition of to replace the damaged section. The Wesley Church by Ron Bodycoat, bell was removed from the tower as it showed that major restoration was was thought the structure too weak to necessary to the lower sections of support its weight. The bell was, external brick walls of the south-east instead, mounted outside the Church and north facades, as well as the on a concrete stand. Concrete paving was put in place around the building to assist in drainage and to provide more stability to the soil. Repairs totaled nearly $10,000.

In 1974, redevelopment commenced on the north-west and south-west sides of the Church site and the Wesley Centre was built. Turn of the century additions to the northern side of the chancel by Hobbs, Smith and Forbes were demolished opening up the approach to Wesley Arcade. Wesley Arcade and Tower soon after opening 7 gables, parapets and high parts of the character and fabric of the building it tower brickwork which had fretted. uses for worship. Wesley will, The Restoration Appeal was launched therefore, continue to change as eras in 1985, through the National Trust of unfold, each with their own particular Australia (WA) with a target of characteristics. This is the reality for $150,000 - of which $62,000 was buildings that are more than museums allocated to restoring the brickwork; to an age long gone. As long as there is $22,000 for plaster; $29,000 for a living congregation of people, painting; $13,000 for repairs to glass Wesley Church will continue to be a and plumbing; and $24,000 for living building, built to the glory of electrical work. Funds were raised God and dedicated to proclaiming a and the restoration work completed God of love who touches peoples lives, mid-1987. and who motivates those so touched to be part of the transformation of the During 2002 the congregation world. decided to engage in alterations to the interior of the building to make it more suitable for current liturgical use, and to create an internal arrangement that was more expressive of contemporary expectations for buildings accessed by the general public and used for a range of events.

Today, Wesley Church is the place of worship for a thriving congregation of all ages, as well as the spiritual home for many WA families which have an association with Wesley Church through baptism, marriage and funeral services. Each generation of the Church places its stamp on the Wesley Church 1950s

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