St Mary's on the Sturt facts for kids
St Mary's on the Sturt is an Anglican church located on South Road in the suburb of St Marys, Adelaide, South Australia. It's a historic church that has been an important part of the local community for a long time.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Building the First Church
The very first St Mary's Anglican church was built using local timber. It was located on land given by John Wickham Daw. This land was near the Sturt and Brownhill Creek crossings.
The church was built by volunteers, and all the materials were paid for by donations. John Wickham Daw chose the name "St Mary's" because it reminded him of his home church in Kensington, England.
The first church service happened on 4 July 1841. It was led by Reverend C. B. Howard. This church is thought to be the third Anglican church built in the colony of South Australia.
A New and Permanent Church
The first church was only meant to be temporary. So, a new, stronger building was planned. The foundation stone for this new church was laid on 27 October 1846. This new church was built about 200 metres south of the first one.
The new building was designed by Moses Garlick. The stone for building it was donated by the Ayliffe family. The church was finished, and its first service was held on 12 September 1847.
On 11 March 1849, the church was officially blessed by Bishop Short. In the same year, parts like the transepts (side sections), a chancel (area for the altar), a bell tower, a vestry (room for clergy), and a porch were added. The bell tower was later made taller, reaching about 11 metres high. A house for the vicar (the church's minister) was also built around this time.
The old wooden church building was used as a school for many years. It was finally taken down in 1928. The suburb of St Marys was named after this church.
The church, its graveyard, and its gates are considered important historical sites. They were added to the South Australian Heritage Register in 1986.
Ministers of the Church
For much of its history, the minister of St Mary's also looked after other churches nearby. Here are some of the people who served as ministers:
- W. J. Woodcock (around 1847)
- J. Fulford (1847–1851)
- John W. Schoales (1851–1854)
- Robert Strong (1854–1856)
- Astley Cooper (1857–1860)
- George Dove (1861–1862)
- Rev. W. Dacres Williams (1863–1867)
- Dr Richard Francis Burton (1867)
- Alfred Honner (1868–1889)
- J. Leslie Smith (1872–1874)
- John Bach (1875–1879)
- William George Robinson (1879)
- F. T. Whitington (1880–1882)
- C. H. Young (1882–1884)
- William Samuel Moore (1884–1900)
- T. Worthington (1900–1903)
- King William Pobjoy (1903–1919)
- C. J. Whitfield (1919–1920)
- S. T. Longman (1920–1925)
- S. J. Bloyd (1925–1932)
- Thomas Hopkins (1932–1939)
- Andrew G. Hay (1940–)
Churchyard Burials
The churchyard is where several notable people have been buried. These include:
- Captain Ray Boucaut (died 1872)
- Eustace Reveley Mitford
