Christ Church Anglican Church

Item details


Name of item:	Christ Church Anglican Church
Other name/s:	Christ Church of England, Springwood
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Location:	Lat: -33.6995149286 Long: 150.5562387180
Primary address:	345-347 Great Western Highway, Springwood, NSW 2777
Parish:	Coomassie
County:	Cook
Local govt. area:	Blue Mountains
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Deerubbin

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1	DP	123552
LOT	1	DP	28933
LOT	11	DP	28933
LOT	1	DP	724139
LOT	1	DP	9200
LOT	1	DP	938012

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
345-347 Great Western Highway	Springwood	Blue Mountains	Coomassie	Cook	Primary Address
Charles Road	Springwood	Blue Mountains	Coomassie	Cook	Alternate Address
GREAT WESTERN Highway	Springwood	Blue Mountains	Coomassie	Cook	Duplicate Address
Charles Road	Springwood	Blue Mountains			Duplicate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Springwood Anglican Parish	Religious Organisation	23 Mar 99

Statement of significance:


	Christ Church Springwood is a fine example of a Victorian Academic Gothic style church featuring high quality sandstone detailing. Extensions to the church to create the chancel, north transept and tower are in keeping with Sulman's original design. The interior of the church has an unusually peaceful atmosphere created by the use of pale sandstone and stained timber and restrained detailing. The church is a significant landmark on the Great Western Highway. Christ Church has high local significance as the principal centre for Anglicanism in the lower Blue Mountains for over 110 years. The growth of the church and its adjacent complex over a century has been significant evidence of the social role Christ Church has continued to play for the local Anglican community. The major pieces of church furniture are highly significant memorials to the leading players in the creation of the building in the Victorian period. Christ Church Springwood is built to the design of John Sulman, a significant architect of the late 19th and early 20th century. Sulman was also a renowned educator and was responsible for the Sulman Medal, the highest award for architectural design in NSW. (LEP 1993)
	Date significance updated: 15 Dec 05
	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:	Sir John Sulman
Construction years:	1888-1889
Physical description:	The building is a fine sandstone church with a simple but sensitively designed interior. It forms part of a group of buildings which includes a separate dwelling, "Southall" to the west of the property and a fine stand of trees between the two. The roof is slate and the sandstone is local. It is a fine example of a Victorian Academic Gothic style church with high quality sandstone detailing and a prominent slate pitched roof to the main body of the church and the tower (Christo Aitken, grant application letter, 11/2010).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Sections of the slate roof require careful removal and rehanging, as the nails holding the slates have corroded and need replacement. The tower roof, valleys, ridges and loose slates are the most urgent. A recent Insurance Inspection report gave the church an excellent report (2011 grant application)
	Date condition updated:05 Jan 11
Modifications and dates:	1961 added the eastern transept, according to the original plans 1980s additions and alterations (Robert Staas, funding application letter, 11/2010). 2010 $9000 currently being spent on replacing wiring in the church. A few damaged roof tiles were repaired (supporting nails have corroded/need replacement (grant application)


Current use:	church
Former use:	Aboriginal land, timber-getting, town lot

History

Historical notes:

Aboriginal Occupation
Prior to European settlement the Blue Mountains was the home of many autonomous Aboriginal groups who lived and moved around the region. There are six distinct tribal groups who have traditional rights and custodial responsibilities for the indigenous heritage of the region that are: the Darug, the Gandangurra, the Wanaruah, the Wiradjuri, the Darkinjung and the Tharawal.

Evidence of Aboriginal occupation and custodianship of the country within Blue Mountains National Park dates back to possibly 22,000 years B.P ((Stockton and Holland 1974; Williams et. al. 2012). The Blue Mountains contain a large number of significant sites which capture the relationship that Aboriginal people have had with country for thousands of generations.

The rich and varied evidence of traditional occupation of the reserves include archaeological deposits in open sites and rock shelters, stone implements, factory sites for tool production, axe grinding grooves and extensive art-work, including drawn, painted and stencilled images. Tracks and figurative motifs dominate the art sites (NPWS 1998). Motifs include anthropomorphic figures, animals, hand stencils and tracks of birds and kangaroos (NPWS 1998).

Reports of numerous bushfires in the Blue Mountains in the 1820s is seen as evidence of Aboriginal presence in the area. Recent studies have revealed evidence of occupation back some 14,000 years (Archnex, 2002, B3).

The arrival of Europeans and the introduction of diseases such as smallpox, saw the Aboriginal population decimated as early as 1789 when a widespread epidemic, according to Captain John Hunter (1793) 'swept off hundreds of the natives in the winter of 1789' (ibid, 2002).

Apparently quick to assimilate, the Aboriginal group around Springwood 'in 1819 the 'Chef de Springwood' Aurang- Jack...was in European dress and the elderly leader Karadra was smoking a clay pipe' (ibid, 2002).

By the 1991 census only 65 Aboriginal people were recorded living in the area (ibid, 2002).

The clan associated with Springwood was identified as the Oryang-Ora (Aurang), and there are a number of known sites containing Aboriginal evidence in the Springwood area, though none known to the Buckland Village (ibid, 2002).

Christ Church Anglican Church:
The church was designed by Sir John Sulman, a noted architect, who worked in Australia from 1885 and who had a nearby holiday residence in Lawson (Robert Staas, funding application letter, 11/2010).). The major part of his practice was in commercial, institutional and ecclesiastical areas and he was responsible for more than 90 churches in England prior to his migration to New South Wales.

It was built from 1888-9. The main slate roof is an important part of the aesthetic quality of the building and together with the prominent tower has high visibility from the Great Western Highway (ibid).

Sulman's original conception as seen from his drawings, was never completed. This included a western and eastern transept at the rear of the church and a massive crowning tower between the two.

In 1961 the church added the eastern transept, according to the original plans. This was erected in stone with considerable sensitivity.

The growth of the church and its adjacent complex over a century has been significant evidence of the social role Christchurch has continued to play in the local Anglican community (Christo Aitken, grant application letter, 11/2010).

Additions and alterations to the place were made in the 1980s (Robert Staas, funding application letter, 11/2010).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Gardens-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Introduce cultural planting-
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	Developing suburbia-
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	Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Developing cultural institutions and ways of life-National Theme 8
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Religious worship-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Practising Anglicanism-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Church-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Sir John Sulman, architect and town planner-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	Christ Church Anglican Church	00130	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00130	15 May 81	69	2657
Local Environmental Plan	Christ Church Anglican Church	1991	28 May 93
National Trust of Australia register	Christ Church & Group	4945, 4950

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Lambert, The Rev. Laurence T.	1989	'A history of Christ Church, Springwood - to mark the centenary of the church'

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045251
File number:	S90/06053 & HC 32237

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