Manly, NSW - Congregational
Year Built: 1862
Denomination: Congregational
Address: 50 Sydney Road, Manly, New South Wales, 2095
Architect: Unknown
Traditional Owners: Gayemagal people
Last Updated: 02/08/2023
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History and Architecture:
The Church is the oldest ecclesiastical building on the northern beaches of Sydney. The Church was opened in December 1863.
In 1859 Manly’s founder, Henry Gilbert Smith, sold a parcel of land in Raglan St for £100 to John Fairfax, who was co-owner of the Sydney Morning Herald, and David Jones, the founder of the up-market department store
In 1862 John Fairfax and David Jones sold the block of land in Raglan St and they bought two blocks of land fronting Sydney Rd from H.G. Smith for £100 (half their real value). One of the blocks – the one on the corner of Sydney Rd and Whistler St – was to be the site of the church and the other was to be the site of the manse.
When the foundation stone of the church was laid on August 7, 1862, Smith’s four-year-old son Henry was given the “task” of laying it. The church was built in the Gothic Revival style, opened for service on December 8, 1863, having cost £700 to build.
Clergy:
This list may not contain every serving cleric, past or present, for this church.
Further submissions welcomed.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864 - | Rev Robert Day | |||
| - | Rev J. West | |||
| - | Rev A. Brown | |||
| - | Rev R. M. Morris | |||
| 1874 - | Rev John Alexander Downie | Locum |
Organ:
No information currently available. Submissions welcomed.
Source:
1. sydney morning telegragh article.