St Peter's Anglican Church Hall and Cemetery

Item details


Name of item:	St Peter's Anglican Church Hall and Cemetery
Other name/s:	St Peter's Church Group; Church, Cemetery, Rectory and Sunday School Hall
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Primary address:	347, 347A and 349 Windsor Street, Richmond, NSW 2753
Local govt. area:	Hawkesbury

Boundary:

Not stated

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
347, 347A and 349 Windsor Street	Richmond	Hawkesbury			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	St Peter's, including the burial ground, church, rectory, coachouse and stables, former school hall and associated landscaping is of exceptional significance at state level as a fine group of Colonial and Victorian church buildings and an associated burial ground in a critically important semi-rural setting on the outskirts of Richmond. The place dates from the original planning of the Richmond township in 1810. The construction of the church in 1841 created an important landmark which has maintained its importance in the surrounding landscape and townscape since that time. The church is a fine and rare surviving example of a Colonial Georgian style church. It is well proportioned with a simple and beautiful interior space. The burial ground is important, having remianed in use since 1809 to the present day. As one of NSW's oldest burial grounds in continuous use, it provides much information on the people and history of one of the state's earliest settled areas. (Hubert)
	Date significance updated: 28 Mar 01
	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:	Francis Clarke (church and rectory), Edmund Blacket (Rectory additions - 1863)
Builder/Maker:	James Atkinson (church)
Construction years:	1839-1841
Physical description:	The complex is located on the western edge of Richmond. The site falls away steeply to the west with buildings and burial ground on the higher level ground overlooking the surrounding lowlands. The site stretches over the north and south sides of Windsor Street and is bounded on the south side by Kurrajong Road. CHURCH: A Colonial Georgian style church three bays long with a parapeted tower with a metal spire at the west end and a gabled chancel at the east end. A gabled porch entry is centred on the north side of the church. The church has a simple gabled roof with wide boxed eaves. The gables form pediments at each end. The windows to the body of the church are arched multipane sashes with coloured glass sashes being installed to 5 of the windows in 1874. The tower has multipane square headed windows to the first and second floor. The walls are constructed in locally made bricks with a sandstone plinth, string courses and window sills. Openings are finished with tuckpointed brickwork to the arches and bays are defined by engaged pilasters. The pilasters to the chancel use a contrasting darker brick. Internally the church is plastered with polished cedar joinery. The walls are painted a soft blue grey. The ceiling was replaced with plasterboard in 1964.The semi-circular headed windows are small paned; the pews and gallery are of cedar. The porch was added in 1850 and a crying room in 1988. THE RECTORY: 2 storey Victorian Rustic Gothic style house built with locally made bricks. The roof has intersecting steeply pitched gables and two brick chimneys, now rendered. A dormer window is located on the north elevation. The original roofing has been replaced with concrete tiles. The south and west walls have been rendered. A rear kitchen wing has been added. The original gabled entry porch has been replaced with a verandah on the north side of the east wing. Original venetian sash windows survive to the north and south walls of the west wing, most others have been replaced, altering the gothic proportions of the house. Internally the house is austere in detail. The original geometric stair survives as do chimney pieces. SUNDAY SCHOOL(Hall): A simple gabled hall with some Victorian Rustic Gothic detailing to the windows and porch of the south elevation. The walls are brick, the roof is corrugated steel and trimmed with plain bargeboards and simple finils. A gabled entry porch is centred on the north side of the hall. The main hall runs north south and is divided into 4 bays. The windows all have arches of contrasting tuck pointed brickwork. A rear addition exists with a low pitched gable roof. Internally the hall has its original floor of wide timber boards, painted brick walls, exposed king post trusses and boarded timber ceiling. The original fire place in the east wall survives. CEMETERY: A large churchyard enclosed by a hedge and post and rail fence on one side and by bordering trees. There are no trees within the site, It adjoins St Peter's Church across Windsor Street, its central path leading to the church door. Cemetery and church occupy a magnificent site along the top of the terrace overlooking the Richmond Bottoms. The older headstones are closer to the terrace edge although modern graves have been mixed sympathetically with them. The comerery is quite densly developed with some large monuments and statuary of the Victorian period, their vertical nature emphasised by their massing. A number of headstones are badly eroded, inscriptions unreadable and some have fallen. Dominated by the spire of St Peter's to the south, the site is very tranquil and rural in character. (Howard Tanner & Associates) COACH HOUSE AND STABLES are located to the south of the rectory and on axis with the entry hall and stair of the rectory. It is a simple gabled brick building. The roof is corrugated steel. The lower rooms have few windows. The doors and louvered openings were reconstructed in 1992. There is evidence of lathe and plaster ceilings to the ground floor rooms. The floors are brick flagged. The loft also has evidence of lathe and plaster ceilings. A skillion has been added to the east side. The site has archaeological potential
	Date condition updated:09 Feb 01
Modifications and dates:	1849 A barrel organ was installed 1850 The porch designed by E Blackett was added 1856 The chancel was added and the internal layout of the pews were changed to face the chancel 1866 A portion of the church lighting was changed from candles to kerosene 1874 The plain glass window in the nave was changed to stained glass to give it a more dignified appearance 1891 The stone based iron railing and gates were installed 1956 The spire was demolished by a storm and subsequently rebuilt 1964 The original lathe and plaster ceiling was replaced after it failed due to water damage 1971 The spire was again repaired after storm damage to the sheet metal 1970s Burial ground extended to include land on the north side of the former Sunday School 1988 A crying room was created within the interior of the church beneath the gallery. Other modifications have included the cement rendering of the southern wall Proudfoot says the porch on northern side and chancel were added 1870s and a panelled gallery was built
Further information:	The place should be conserved and continue to be used for the work of St Peter's Anglican church


Current use:	Place of worship, church functions, burial ground, Sunday School purposes, cleri
Former use:	Place of worship, church functions, burial ground, Sunday School purposes, cleri

History

Historical notes:

The site of St Peter's church was nominated in Governor Lachlan Macquarie's planned layout for Richmond. He intended to have the church, schoolhouse and burial ground on a very beautiful elevated block immediately above Pugh's Lagoon, a fine basin of fresh water. The burial ground, then 1 hectare, was surveyed by James Meehan and consecrated by the Rev Samuel Marsden and fenced by William Cox. The first burial was George Rouse and contains the headstones of many early Hawkesbury settlers The first school/church opened in 1810. It played an important part in the early life of Richmond. It was situated in Francis Street near the northern corner of the cemetery. The lower floor was the residence of the schoolmaster whilst the upper room was used for school and church purposes.

This building soon became too small to meet the ever increasing congregation and at a meeting chaired by the Reverend Samuel Marsden on 26 November 1835 the inhabitants of Richmond resolved to erect a church for the celebration of divine worship. A notice calling for tenders to erect the church appeared in The Australian on 18 October 1836. The committee formed to forward the project included Mr Cox, Sen,"Fairfield', Mr Cox, Jnr 'Hobartville', Mr Bell, 'Belmont', Mr George Bowman, Mr William Bowman. Mr. Faithful, Rev H.T.Styles, Mr Martin, Snr., Mr. G Palmer, Mr. Digit, Mr C Powell, Mr Parnell and Mr CP Wood. By 1833 the sum of 570 pounds had been subscribed and 200 pounds had been donated by the English Church Society. Tenders were called for the erection of the church in 'The Australian' on October 1836.

Built as a result of the establishment of the Church Act of 1840 St Peter's church was one of four churches consecrated in 1841. The church was built on a site overlooking Ham Common and the Hawkesbury River flats. It was agreed 162 hectares of the common would be given as Glebe land for the church. It was opened by Bishop Broughton on 15 July and designed by Francis Clark and built by James Atkinson who also built St Bartholomew's, Prospect and St Thomas, Mulgoa at the same time. It was designed in the Georgian style in contrast to most of the other churches, except St Batholomew's, which have Gothic style detailing. Clarke was responsible for a number of Sydney houses and the church of St Mary Magdalene at St Marys. A simple rectangular building with a square tower topped with a timber spire the original layout of the pews was to face inwards to the centre of the church. In 1850 a porch designed by E Blackett was added to the northern side and not long after, in 1857, a chancel was added. Once the chancel had been added the internal pew layout was altered to face the chancel. William Woolls, a prominent late nineteenth century writer on the botany and flora of Australia was incumbent at St Peter's from 1873 and from 1877 to 1883, Rural Dean of Richmond. . In the churchyard a small obelisk was built of bricks from the old school church building. THE CEMETERY is older than the church and contains the graves of many early pioneers including John Bowman, Thomas Matcham Pitt and Lt Thomas Hobby of the NSW Corps. Chief Officer at Hawkesbury in 1800 and a supporter of Maquarie. It was the second cemetery dedicated in the Hawkesbury district, around 1814, four years after St Matthews. THE RECTORY was designed by Francis Clarke and completed in 1847 and is said to have been a copy of an English rectory known to Bishop Broughton in the mid 19th century vogue for picturesque rectories. It was added to in 1863 by Edmund Blacket. Later alterations have changed its quality

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	(none)-(none)
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	(none)-(none)
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	(none)-(none)
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	(none)-(none)
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	(none)-(none)
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	(none)-(none)
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead.	(none)-(none)
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	(none)-(none)

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	St Peter's Richmond is of exceptional importance for the continuous development and use of the site as the focus of Anglican Church activity in the area since 1810. The church, burial ground, rectory and former school hall are largely intact and well illustrate the development and importance of the church in the area and in the colony at large. The site of St Peter's was selected by Governor Macquarie when he laid out the town of Richmond in 1810. The selection of the site was an important element in Macqaurie's plan of the town and remains a prominent element in the town plan. Macquarie's town planning is of state significance. St Peter's burial ground is the earliest burial ground in the Richmond area and its burials trace much of the history of the local community. (Hubert)
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	St Peter's church is one of the few surviving buildings designed by a lesser known colonial architect, Francis Clarke. St Peter's is associated with Bishop Broughton who consecrated the church as well as donating money and taking responsibility for the building of the rectory. Bishop Broughton was the first and only Anglican Bishop of Australia. William Woolls, a prominent late nineteenth century writer on the botany and flora of Australia has a strong association with St Peter's as the incumbent of the church from 1873 and from 1877 to 1883 as the Rural Dean of Richmond. St Peter's has strong associations with a number of important figures in the history of the Hawkesbury area, most notably William Bowman and William Cox of Clarendon. Cox was a warden of the church from its founding and constructed the original school house on the original site. St Peter's rectory is believed to be a reasonably intact example of the Australian work of the important Victorian and Colonial (government) architect Edmund Blacket. Blacket arrived in Australia in November 1842 and supervised the construction of the rectory in 1847-48. St Peter's former Sunday School is the work of the important Victorian architect George Allen Mansfield. The hall is a modest example of his work which survives reasonably intact. (Hubert)
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The siting of the St Peter's CHURCH GROUP on the edge of the western escarpment of Richmond has created an important church group in a semi-rural setting. When finally built in 1841, the church was sited on the location originally selected by Macquarie in 1818, creating an important colonial landscape. The siting of the BURIAL GROUND is the edge of the escarpment overlooking the lowlands with views to the Blue Mountains of unusual beauty. (The quality of the setting is underlined by the selection of sites on the western edge of the burial ground by the early settlers.) The church group forms a fine group of Colonial and Victorian church buildings in a semi-rural setting. The generosity of the site has allowed the buildings to be set well apart, maintaining the predominately rural setting of the site. The setting of the group on the western escarpment of Richmond and its importance in the creation of a colonial landscape is reinforced by the siting of Hobartville, the colonial estate on the southern side of Kurrajong Rd. Plantings of auracarias which form a backdrop to St Peter's in views from the lowlands further underline the interrelationship of the sites. The church is one of a handful of surviving Colonial Georgian style churches. The building is well proportioned with a simple and beautiful interior space. Victorian alterations to the church, including the addition of a chancel, porch and choir are sympathetic to the original design. The RECTORY is a good example of a Victorian Rustic Gothic rectory, albeit with simple detailing. It is unusually austere in its interior detail. The design has been compromised by the removal of the original porch and its replacement with a verandah and the replacement of original windows. The former SUNDAY SCHOOL a good example of a simple Victorian Sunday School with some Rustic Gothic detailing. The church group, particularly the area between the church and rectory, retains a number of early plantings of trees such as white cedars, jacarandas and cypress species which reflect the nineteenth century taste for exotic species. (Hubert)
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The St Peter's church group has been and continues to be associated with the Richmond Anglican community since 1810. St Peter's CHURCH has been and continues to be the spiritual focus of the local Anglican community since its consecration in 1841. The BURIAL GROUND has been in continuous use since 1809 and has strong associations with members of the local community. The SUNDAY SCHOOL has social significance for the local community for its earlier use as a school and more recently for community groups. (Hubert)
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	St Peter's BURIAL GROUND has been in continuous use since 1809 when George Rouse was buried on the site. As a burial ground for many of Richmond's pioneers it is the starting place for much information about many or Richmond's early settlers and later citizens. The CHURCH retains many of its earlier records including baptismal, marriage and burial registers, minute and account books etc which provide extensive information about the development of the town, its people and the church group itself. (Hubert)
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	St Peter's is a rare example of a Colonial and Victorian church group which retains its semi rural setting. The group is a rare surviving example of the aesthetic aspirations of Colonial Georgian society trying to establish an English landscape in Australia. The church is a rare surviving Colonial Georgian style church of fine proportions and high quality detailing.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The siting of the church group demonstrates the aesthetic taste of Macquarie's time where the church is used as a prominent reference point in village and surrounding farmlands. The church is a good example of a Colonial Georgian style church. Mid nineteenth century alterations to the church have retained the Georgian character of the building. The BURIAL GROUND is a fine representative example of a church graveyard with a collection of gravestones and memorials in various styles from Colonial Georgian to the present day. It enjoys and exceptionally beautiful site which has seen the earlier graves grouped in the best locations. The RECTORY is a good example of a Victorian Rustic Gothic rectory. Alterations to the rectory have compromised its character. Plantings in the gardens to the north of the rectory and to the north of the church demonstrate the late nineteenth century taste for exotic species. (Hubert)
Integrity/Intactness:	It is thought that the church roof over the nave, prior to the construction of the chancel and porch, was hipped with the eastern extremity altering to a pediment gable, when the chancel was added. The original slate roof has now been replaced along with other roof repairs. The remaining structural fabric is extant, however the internal pen configuration, ceiling fabric and some windows have been altered and/or replaced. Although it has lost its original kitchen wing, the main part of the rectory survives, together with the associated coach house and stables and privy.
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:


	Listing on SHR, limited adjoining development, conservation of the group

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012	I129	21 Sep 12
Local Environmental Plan - Lapsed		1989	18 Dec 89

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Heritage Study of the North Western Sectro of Sydney	1984	H/R 1; H/R 154-56	Howard Tanner & Associates		No
Religious Heritage Nominations	2001		Heritage Office		No

References, internet links & images

None

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

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1741506

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