Wagga Wagga, NSW - St Andrew's Presbyterian

Year Built: 1890

Denomination: Presbyterian

Saint: Andrew

Address: 6 - 12 Church Street, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2650

Architect: Unknown

Architectural Style: Gothic

Traditional Owners: Wiradjuri people

Last Updated: 25/10/2024

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History and Architecture:

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church was constructed in about 1890 and is designed in Victorian Academic Gothic style and is built of brick and sandstone. The Original Foundation stone was laid on 6 October 1869 by Sir Alfred Steven Chief Justice of New South Wales.

The steep, gabled roof is clad with slate. St Andrew's has a landmark tower with an octagonal spire and smaller spires on the corners of the top of the tower; a castellated parapet runs between these spires, and lower down the tower columns are set into the tower's corners. Windows are of the pointed arch type and have label moulds. The end walls of the nave are of parapetted gable form, and in at least one of these there is a triple window with stained glass. The entrance in the base of the tower is of pointed arch form and there are columns set into the sides of the arch. In keeping with the Gothic style, the church has buttresses.

During Rev Baird's tenure two services were held weekly with regular services at Kooringal, Oura, Downside, Gumly Gumly and Tarcutta. In 1995 a commemorative plaque was unveiled to recognize the laying of the foundation stone by Sir Alfred Stephen (Chief Justice of New South Wales) on 6 October 1869.

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
1890 - 1893 Rev John McIntyre
1895 - 1900 Rev Richard Jennings
1900 - 1909 Rev Charles Bell
1910 - 1911 Rev Dr W. Scott Whittier 1847 1922
1911 - 1912 Rev Alexander Simms 1878 1941
1912 - 1915 Rev Arthur Torrens 1866 1930
1916 - 1919 Rev William Tulloch 1851 1919
1920 - 1924 Rev John Calder 1875 1962
1924 - 1931 Rev James Bulloch Galloway 1872 1946
1931 - 1942 Rev James Buchan Rentoul 1871 1942
1942 - 1948 Rev Emlyn James 1883 1965
1948 - 1976 Rev Donald Mackenzie Baird 1902 1980
1977 - 1988 Rev Campbell E.J. Egan
1989 - Rev Peter L. Gordon
2011 - Rev Andrew Campbell
2015 - Rev Matthew Purnell

Organ:

The first organ was built in 1908 by George Smith. It had 1m., 6 sp. st., tub. pn. The present organ was bult in 1961 by George Fincham & Sons incorporating some pipework from previous organ. 2m., 4 rks. + mixture ext., el. pn.
A full description can be seen here.

Contributions:

1. Photos by Allison Bowman 2021

Source:

1. Australian Heritage Database
2. PresKey
3. Biographical Register of Presbyterian Ministers in Australia 1901-1977 New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia with permission Rowland Ward and Malcolm Prentis.
4. St Andrew's Manse Wagga Wagga The laying of the Cornerstone in Faith Keith Swan
5. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.