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IN a special series, the Mercury profiles Tasmania's 50 finest homes. From buildings steeped in history to dazzling additions to our contemporary architecture, they are testaments to Tasmanian talent as well as simply wonderful places for those fortunate enough to reside in them. Thursday October 25th The Mercury Tasmania’s Finest Fifty Homes Nineteenth. Pendragon Hall Hobart The most unusual of Tasmania's best homes is surely Pendragon Hall in West Hobart. The Hall -- once St John's Church, built in 1852 -- has soaring high ceilings, stained-glass windows and ecclesiastical friezes around the walls, There's a huge panel of colourful stained glass above the main bed and the main space was built awe-inspiringly large enough to seat 400 people. Since it was deconsecrated in 1998, it has been both a home and visitor accommodation. There's a wonderful, hushed feel and acoustics to die for -- and you can crank up the stereo unheard by the neighbours through the thick sandstone walls. Though the ambience certainly is bewitching, the present owners are happy to report there's no ghost. HISTORY OF PENDRAGON HALL HOBART 1850 : Rev FH Cox opened a public subscription for funds to build a church suitable to the needs of the Parish of St John the Baptist whose parishioners had,since 1844 had been using the Chapel/School House on the corner of Goulburn and Cane Sts. 1852 : Public subscriptions had attracted the sum of 2,000 pounds Cox (who had experience in drafting church plans,having designed St Johns at Buckland),submitted drawings to the architect G.E.Street for a building that could accommodate 400 people. Street's plan included an apse chancel and a 130ft steeple,however funding dictated that a shorter spire and a gable ended chancel were built.Cox reminded the congregation that the church was to be built for the purpose of 'bringing souls to Heaven' and not 'satisfy architectural fancy'. At a public ceremony on 28 December 1852,the corner stone was laid by Lieutenant-Governor Denison.Surprisingly,the event was washed out by rain! 1853-5 : By July 1853,the church had been built to the main floor level, but because of the slope,the cost of materials and labour a further subscription was needed to complete the building.In addition,wages were at a premium owing to the number of able-bodied men attracted to the gold fields in Victoria.It was even suggested that building be delayed until wages returned to normal. During this period,further subscriptions were received,augmented by gifts (such as the timber for the flooring ) and the exterior of the building was completed at the end of 1855. 1856 : The building was completed and ready for consecration by May this year at a cost of 4,300pounds,of which all but 600pounds had been raised by public conscription. On 22nd May,a consecration ceremony was held,attended by a crowd of parishioners and senior clergy-including the Reverends Cox and Buckland.The Governor Sir H.E.Fox and his wife,Lady Young were alson present.Interestingly enough,it rained again. 1864 : Further subscription was opened for the instillation of a pipe organ in St John's.On 21st September,the opening choral service was enacted with the organist from Holy Trinity playing the newly installed organ. The instrument was made by Thomas Elliott of London and installed at a cost of 222 pounds and 11 shillings. Some additions made to it in Hobart, however, meant that it could not be properly tuned. Neither was it considered powerful enough for the building. 1873 : In April, the reredos was completed and erected. It having been carved and built by Mr R Patterson, a local man previously a stonemason in Birmingham. The design was based on a drawing taken of the mosaic reredos depicting the "The Last Supper" in Westminster Cathedral. It is interesting to note that when first erected, the reredos hid the lower lights of the window and received some criticism for this, despite the fact that the work was considered 'superior to any other in the Colony'. 1880 : This year saw the purchase and installation of a new pipe organ manufactured by Bevington and Sons of Soho, London. This instrument was to replace the less satisfactory Elliott organ. It has two manuals, 17 stops and a compass footboard and is powerful enough to be heard throughout the church (especially now that the partition sealing the arch beside it has been removed). 1900 : Saw to general and alarm and concern, the falling of some stone and masonry from the gable close to the altar. Structural problems were evident and some rebuilding work required. It was decided that the whole building could be improved if the chancel was extended and the East window raised above the level of the Reredos. In addition, the lengthened Chancel would be able to accommodate the recently acquired organ in the tower on the northern side. 1902 : The Chancel was closed off and demolished; the East Window was dismantled and the old foundations removed. In addition, the north pier of the spanned arch to the Chancel was rebuilt. 1903 : On the 17th January, Major General Sir Edward Hutton laid the foundation stone for the rebuilt Chancel, which contains a cavity in which newspapers, coins of the day, and other treasures have been hidden. The building work was complete in this year and included the construction of a council room under the Chancel, with its own entrance and access to the nave from behind the Organ. This period of building and renovation also saw the addition of the Vestry on the south-west corner of the church, with an entrance to Forest Road. 1925 : Major roof repairs were undertaken, and structural repairs to the west end of the building effected. 1997 : It was observed that some of the sandstone work in the steeple was crumbling, so with financial aid from the Heritage Commission, the Diocese had the tower reconstructed at a cost of $14,000. 1998 : The church known as St John's was de-consecrated and the building sold in December of that year. 2002 : The building (whose postal address is 120 Goulburn Street) has been known and listed as Pendragon Hall, since the date of it's sale. The current owners have made rather a splendid residence of the building. SOME KEY FACTS : The East End window, depicting the life of Jesus to the day of Pentecost, was a gift from friends of parishioners mainly from England. The memorial window to George Arthur, formerly Governer of Van Dieman's Land, were the gift of his son Sir F. Arthur. These represent the two light windows in the north-west corner of the church. The two windows alongside in that corner of the church were given by the maidens of the Parish. The front is made from, and carved, in sandstone from Kangaroo Point. The west window was installed in 1864 and is a memorial to Mrs Gellibrand. It was manufactured in Clutterbuck, Stratford, and is unusual in that it differs markedly from stained glass windows of that period. It must be said that this building would never have existed if it was not the vision of the Reverend F. H. Cox and his dedication to seeing that a dream became a reality. Also, of course, to his parishioners, who funded the whole project without any assistance from the Government of the day. St John the Baptist - West Hobart On 28 December 1997 St. John the Baptist Church held its final service. Exactly 145 years earlier, on 28 December 1852, the foundation stone had been laid by Lieutenant Governor Denison. The external structure was completed within 3 years and the Church consecrated by Governor, Sir H.E. Fox, on 22 May 1856. The church building has been in use ever since, with short breaks for renovations, until its recent closure. This was not the first church building in the West Hobart Parish. In 1845 a stone chapel was built in Goulburn Street to serve as a temporary Church. Once the new church was completed the chapel was used continuously as schoolroom and parish hall until it was sold in 1992. The chapel became too small soon after the appointment of the Rev. F.H. Cox to the parish. In 1849, Cox proposed a larger church building. He had already built St. John the Baptist Church at Prosser's Plains (Buckland), and his beautiful work was widely acknowledged. It was agreed that a new church should be built. The designated building site on the corner of Forest Road and Goulburn St. presented a challenge to Cox. He described it as scanty. It had redeeming features, however, in the magnificent backdrop of Mt. Wellington and its elevation which afforded views of the whole of Hobart town , the harbour and the river below. Experienced in church design and building, Cox drew floor plans to accommodate the site and architect G.E. Street used these to draw up an inexpensive design for a modest church to seat 400 people. The Street design became a casualty of the times, however. The Depression of the 1850s resulted in high costs of materials and labour. A modified plan, retaining the basic design, was drawn up by local architect Frederic Thames, and the Rev. Cox reminded his flock that the object of building the church was not to satisfy some 'architectural fancy' but to bring souls into the Kingdom of Heaven. Escalating costs became a major concern once building commenced. The completion of the foundation walls took a third of the total Building Fund monies. With no Government assistance and no wealthy St. John's parishioners, the building committee considered suspending operations until labourers became more plentiful and labour less expensive. The sense of urgency overcame prudence, however, and building proceeded piecemeal as voluntary contributions came in. Over a period of three years, Cox appealed for money, parishioners collected around the parish as well as giving generously themselves, and the building committee accepted responsibility for shortfalls. The exterior was completed in December 1855, the interior a few months later. The total cost of the building was £4,300. All but £600 was covered by public subscription. In addition to subscriptions, the following gifts had been made: From Dr.W.L. Crowther, boards sufficient for the flooring, value at that time about £45 ; from Sir F. Arthur, as a memorial to his father, the late Sir George Arthur (formerly Governor of Tasmania), the two-light stained glass window, representing the two Sacraments, placed in the west end of the north aisle. From several friends, mostly resident in England, three-fourths of the value (about £100) of the large east window, and from the maidens of the parish, the window representing Martha and Mary, with the inscription "The younger woman as Sisters." These windows were all from the manufactory of O'Connor, London. The font, of Kangaroo Point stone, was copied from that of Ketton, Rutlandshire. The Lectern served for Pulpit also, and was placed near the Prayer Desk on the north side of the Chancel. Some years after the present Lectern was placed in the Church, and placed upon steps became the pulpit. The seats which are all free and open are of cedar throughout, and of excellent design. These and all the interior fittings were the work of Mr Thomas Maxwell. The Church Chronicle reported favourably on the Gothic design of the new church, noting the pleasing effect of arches, stone columns and roof timbers. The building was generous and well proportioned. It seemed that the architect had successfully combined beauty, simplicity and solidity of structure. Much of the credit for the building lay with the Rev. Cox. The parish reaped the benefits of his architectural and building knowledge. He supervised closely every part of the planning and building. At times he drew the stonemason's patterns and carved the woodwork himself. Most impressive of all was his ability to communicate and hold before people the vision of the church through quite desperate times of uncertainty so that motivation and commitment remained high. The completion of the building was a tribute to his remarkable leadership . .The church was consecrated in May 1856. Albert Reid, a young man at the time, recorded details of the ceremony. (Albert Reid quote Thursday, 22 May................. ..........no musical instrument being used.) A tea meeting followed, a joyous affair with speeches and toasts all round. An evening celebration of baptism concluded the day. Four years later, at the annual tea meeting of 1860, the parish celebrated the clearing of the church debt. ***** Last act for a historic church . . . . Article from The Mercury, Monday September 14, 1998 Last Act For Historic Church It was a sad day for many yesterday then the St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in West Hobart was deconsecrated. About 150 people attended the special service, at which the Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Philip Newell, handed the historic building back to the secular. Many members of the congregation had been married or baptised at the 146-year-old sandstone church. The longest serving member of the congregation, Jack Tomes, of West Hobart, attended the service and rang the bells for the last time. The 77-year-old joined the congregation in 1940 and was sorry to see the church go. The church will now go on the market. It has not been used as a place of worship since December last year, when the West Hobart parish and St Peter's Sandy Bay joined forces to become the Bay West parish. Bishop Newell said the restructure had resulted in a much stronger parish. It also meant the church avoided the financial strain of maintaining the National Trust listed building. He said spending $100,000 to fix it was not a good use of the church's money. The church was consecrated on May 22, 1856, by the first bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Francis Russell Nixon. Yesterday, Bishop Newell deconsecrated the church by issuing a document under seal, stating the building was no longer set apart for religious use. The document was read by the Archdeacon of Hobart, the Venerable Robert Legg. The Anglican Synod's viability and restructuring committee has recommended the closure of 71 of the state's 230 Anglican buildings by 2001. Bishop Newell said better transport and shifting populations meant not as many churches were needed today. He was not sure for how much St John the Baptist would sell, or to what use it would be put. He had seen churches in England being used as restaurants and puppet theatres. Story by Kylie Skipper - Hobart Mercury |
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