St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church [Item 96]

Item details


Name of item:	St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church [Item 96]
Other name/s:	Methodist Church
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Primary address:	26 Railway Parade, Burwood, NSW 2134
Parish:	Concord
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Burwood

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
26 Railway Parade	Burwood	Burwood	Concord	Cumberland	Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church has historic significance as the first Methodist Church in Burwood, built in c.1879 in the Victorian Free Gothic style and since c.1970, the church has continued as a Greek Orthodox Church. The church significantly retains its overall scale, form and character and architectural qualities such as a symmetrical facade featuring a projecting gabled entry porch flanked by small bays with slate covered roofs, stone wall buttresses and pinnacles, a large decorative rose window, pointed arched leadlight windows with pointed labels and decorative stone tracery. The church has social significance for the part it played in the influx of migrants into the local community and for its use in religious activity and social events.
	Date significance updated: 29 May 14
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	William Boles
Construction years:	1879-1879
Physical description:	St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, c.1879 is a Victorian Free Gothic style Church with a steeply pitched slate roof. The church is constructed of stone with a symmetrical facade featuring a projecting gabled entry porch flanked by small bays with slate covered roofs. Gothic style details include stone wall buttresses and pinnacles, a large decorative rose window, pointed arched leadlight windows with pointed labels and decorative stone tracery. There are wide sandstone steps across the front of the building with a cast iron palisade fence with sandstone piers and base on the street boundary.

History

Historical notes:

The first land grants in the Burwood district included those to Thomas Rowley in c.1799 and William Faithful in c.1808. In c.1812, Rowley’s ‘Burwood Farm’ was bought by Alexander Riley, who built the first house in the district, ‘Burwood Villa’ in c.1814.

Early activity in the area included farming activities, collection of timber and the development of service industries along Parramatta and Liverpool Roads. A railway was constructed in c.1855 to link Sydney and Parramatta, with Burwood being one of the six stops. It became a passenger service for the wealthy city businessmen who lived in villa estates. A village subdivision was laid out around the railway line in c.1854 and the area remained relatively open. Through to the c.1880’s, a number of gentleman’s estates were established in and around Burwood.

By c.1895 the villa estates had largely been subdivided. Burwood remained an attractive railway suburb of gentlemen’s residences and during the following two decades its character as a garden suburb developed as there was limited industrial development in the area, but there was a variety of service industries as well as some modest homes.

The first Methodist services were conducted in Burwood prior to c.1879 were held in private homes. The Gothic-style church in Railway Parade which opened in December, c.1879, was the last of several Wesleyan churches designed by William Boles, a young architect who unfortunately died shortly after completing the design. The church was enlarged in c.1893 and it had a large congregation and Sunday school. The Methodist and Congregational Churches decided to form a united parish in c.1970 and moved to the Congregational Church Offices and School-Hall, so the church was sold to the Greek Orthodox. It is now known as St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Railway Suburbs-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The site and building are of local historical significance as the first Methodist church in Burwood, built in c.1879, in the Victorian Free Gothic style. The church was later bought by the Greek Orthodox.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The building is of local aesthetic significance as a good intact example of a Victorian Free Gothic style Church. The church is constructed of stone with a symmetrical facade featuring a projecting gabled entry porch flanked by small bays with slate covered roofs. Gothic style details include stone wall buttresses and pinnacles, a large decorative rose window, pointed arched leadlight windows with pointed labels and decorative stone tracery.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The building has social significance for its role in religious activity relating to the Methodist and Greek Orthodox faith in Burwood.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The church building is an excellent representative example of a Victorian Free Gothic style Church constructed in c. 1879.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:


	[a] Architectural detailing and decorative elements of the building should be conserved. [b] The form, scale and character of the building, together with its curtilage and streetscape presentation should be maintained. [c] Architectural details and decorative elements which have been damaged or lost should be repaired and/or reinstated (based on sound evidence/research).

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Burwood Local Environmental Plan 2012	I96	09 Nov 12
Heritage study

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Burwood Heritage study	1986	3.2	Fox & Associates Architects/Planners Sydney		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Eric Dunlop	1974	'Harvest of the Years'- The Story of Burwood
Written	The National Trust		Heritage Listing Form

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1250239

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