North Adelaide, SA - Uniting
Year Built: 1860
Denomination: Uniting
Address: Brougham Place, North Adelaide, South Australia, 5006
Previous Denomination: Congregational
Architect: Edmund W Wright
Architectural Style: Classical
Traditional Owners: Kaurna people
Last Updated: 10/03/2024
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History and Architecture:
Formerly a Congregational church established by the Reverend T.Q. Stow and the first Minster James Jefferis in the 1860's. Designed by Edmund Wright in partnership with E.A. Hamilton.
A good example of the Victorian Free Classical style, which was frequently used for non-conformist churches and chapels in the nineteenth century. Constructed of stuccoed stone, the building features a prominent tower with a cupola, a concealed roof behind a balustraded parapet and Venetian style windows.
During the 1860s, worshippers including Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Roman Catholics and Jews were attracted to the church by the progressive theology taught by Jefferis. He was an influential figure in South Australia, and later New South Wales, gaining prominence for his liberal theology and strong views on social and political topics. As early as 1862 he envisaged the federation of the Australian colonies, and he promoted federation in a number of leading articles in the Advertiser during the mid-1870s.
Clergy:
These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 - 1877 | Rev James Jefferis | C | ||
| 1877 - 1884 | Rev Osric Copland | C | ||
| 1885 - 1888 | Rev Samuel Hebditch | C | ||
| 1889 - 1893 | Rev Frederic Hastings | C | ||
| 1894 - 1901 | Rev Dr James Jefferis | C | ||
| 1901 - 1905 | Rev W. H. Lewis | C | ||
| 1907 - 1922 | Rev Alfred E. Gifford | C | ||
| 1922 - 1938 | Rev Leslie C. Parkin M.A. | C | ||
| 1940 - 1944 | Rev Denis Ryan B.A. | C | ||
| 1945 - 1950 | Rev John J. Bryant | C | ||
| 1950 - 1955 | Rev Ken G. Blackwell | C | ||
| 1955 - 1958 | Rev Ken Leaver B.A. | C | ||
| 1958 - 1967 | Rev A. Winston Jones B.A. | C | ||
| 1967 - 1968 | Rev Ken Leaver | C | ||
| 1967 - 1972 | Rev John Mauviel | Student | ||
| 1968 - 1973 | Rev Alan Farr | C | ||
| 1973 - 1974 | Rev Ken Leaver | C | ||
| 1975 - 1985 | Rev John Akehurst B.A. | C / U | ||
| 1985 - 1986 | Rev Ken Leaver | U | ||
| 1986 - 1989 | Rev Alex Rodgers | U | ||
| 1990 - 1999 | Rev Steven Koski | U | ||
| 1999 - 2004 | Rev Phil Hoffmann | U | ||
| 2004 - 2007 | Rev Ken Anderson | U | ||
| 2009 - | Rev John & Jenny Hughes | U |
Organ:
Built by W.G. Rendall in 1882, then valued at 800 pounds. The organ weighed nine tonnes, and the bellows carried 454 kgs weight to supply air for its operation.
The bellows have changed from hand pumping to hydraulic and then an electric motor. In the small room to the right hand side of the organ one can find an “Honorary Organ Blowers Association” listing of those young men and boys who took turns pumping by hand.
The organ was refurbished and restored most recently by L. Jacob in 2007.
Source:
1. Church Website.
2. SA Uniting Church Historical Society. The Light on the Hll Brougham Place Uniting Church 1859 - 2009