St Mary's The Virgin Anglican Church
History
The church was designed by Edmund Blacket to replace an earlier 1843 church that Blacket found would be too costly to enlarge and repair. Blacket's design provided for a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, two porches, vestry, tower and spire, seating 700 parishioners. The foundation stone was laid on 7 September 1860. It finally opened for services on 18 July 1867. The bell tower was completed in 1887.
In June 2006, $119,464 funding was approved for restoring and re-pointing of the church tower to prevent further water damage; repairs to damaged stonework; and restoration of the tower's pinnacles and their finials.
Description
The church is in the Victorian Gothic style, with a slender stone tower, tracery windows, lower roof over aisles (clerestory to nave), with excellent stone detailing and craftsmanship.
The brick two-storey rectory has a slate hipped roof, bracketed eaves, cast iron columns, balustrade and frieze.
The grounds have important landscape value with mature trees.
Heritage listing
St Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
The church is significant for its role as a tangible record of the Anglican Church in urban and community development
The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
The Church is the finest example of High Victorian Gothic with a magnificent stone spire and excellent stone tracery, set in spacious grounds, with the spire being a major landmark in town and the surrounding area. The rectory is a rare example of large Italianate house in central Maitland. Set in spacious grounds.
The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
The church is significant for its ongoing role as a focus for members of Anglican Church and for associated social activities.
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
This item has rarity value.
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.
This item has representative value.
References
- ^ "St. Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church & Rectory". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00403. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
- ^ "ST. MARY'S CHURCH". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. XXIV, no. 2993. New South Wales, Australia. 18 July 1867. p. 3. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "A Tour of St Mary's Church". Maitland Anglican Church. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ "[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] WEST MAITLAND". Empire. No. 2, 795. New South Wales, Australia. 8 September 1860. p. 4. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "ST. MARY'S NEW CHURCH". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. XVIII, no. 1920. New South Wales, Australia. 8 September 1860. p. 2. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWS". The Sydney Mail. Vol. I, no. 11. New South Wales, Australia. 15 September 1860. p. 1. Retrieved 4 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Zohrab, 2003
Bibliography
- Attraction Homepage (2007). "St Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church & Rectory". City of Maitland.
- Brian McDonald & Associates (1994). Maitland Heritage Survey Review.
- Tourism NSW (2007). "St Marys Church".
- Tourism NSW (2007). "St Mary' Maitland Market Day".
- Tourism NSW (2007). "Maitland Heritage Walk (central precinct)".
- Zohrab, Fr. Roger Lloyd (2002). Maitland Heritage Database - NSW Heritage Iventory Form.
Attribution
This Wikipedia article was originally based on St. Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church & Rectory, entry number 00403 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 1 June 2018.
External links
Media related to St Mary's the Virgin Anglican Church at Wikimedia Commons