St Paul's Church, Manuka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's, Manuka |
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St Paul's Church (2010)
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| 35°19′13″S 149°08′09″E / 35.32028°S 149.13583°E | |
| Location | Griffith, ACT |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Paul the Apostle |
| Consecrated | 1939 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | ACT: Listed #157 National: Historic #17894 |
| Designated | ACT: 2011, National: 1992 |
| Groundbreaking | 1938 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Paul's |
| Diocese | Canberra and Goulburn |
St Paul's Church is an Anglican church located in Griffith, a suburb of Canberra, Australia. It was built in 1939 and is part of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
This church is special for a few reasons. It was the first Anglican church built after Canberra became Australia's capital city. It also has the only set of bells in the Australian Capital Territory that can be rung freely. St Paul's Church is listed on the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register. It is recognized as a great example of a church built between the two World Wars, mixing Art Deco and Gothic Revival styles.
The church is found at the corner of Canberra Avenue and Captain Cook Crescent. It is right across from Manuka Oval and the shops in Manuka.
Contents
The Story of St Paul's Church
The area where St Paul's Church now stands was first part of St John the Baptist Church in Reid. This was back in 1914. A simple hall made of corrugated iron was put up in Kingston. This hall was for the workers living in nearby camps.
Early Days and Building Plans
The hall was used a lot in the 1920s. People gathered there every Sunday for church services. There was also a Sunday school for children. By the 1930s, the church community was very active. They even had a choir, football, and cricket teams.
In 1933, people started saving money to build a permanent church. This was during the Great Depression, so it was hard to raise funds. However, a design by architects Burcham Clamp and Son was approved in 1938. W. J. Perry, who was part of the church, won the bid to build it.
Building the New Church
The first stone for the new church was laid on December 11, 1938. This important event was done by the Governor-General, Baron Gowrie. The church was officially opened on August 6, 1939. This was just five days after the 25th anniversary of the first Anglican service held in the old hall.
St Paul's was the first Anglican church built in the area since the 1840s. At first, it was still part of St John's parish. But on March 26, 1950, St Paul's became its own parish. Later, in 1988, an organ loft was added. This was for Queen Elizabeth II's visit during Australia's Bicentenary celebrations.
Church Design and Features
St Paul's Church is built with red bricks. Its style mixes Art Deco and Gothic Revival elements. The church has been made bigger twice since it was first built.
How the Church Grew
The original church only had the main part, called the nave. In 1956, a new sanctuary and a unique bell tower were added. Then, in 2001, two more sections were added to the nave. This made St Paul's the largest Anglican church in Canberra.
Because of its size and location, St Paul's often hosts big church events. These include services for the whole diocese or even national events. This is also because Canberra does not have its own Anglican cathedral.
The Church Bells
The church tower has the only set of change ringing bells in the Australian Capital Territory. There are eight bells in total. They came from different places, with some specially made in England. These bells were installed in 2003. St Paul's is the only church from the territory in the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers.
The Church Organ
The first organ was put in the church in 1970. It was the first three-manual organ in Canberra. It was built mostly from older parts and had some missing pipes. After being damaged by rain, the organ was moved and fixed up in 1990.
Today, St Paul's has Australia's first "combination" or "hybrid" organ. This means it has both traditional pipe organ pipes and custom digital electronic sounds. It has 24 pipe stops and 34 electronic stops. This gives it a total of 57 different sounds. In 2009, a new four-manual console was added. More improvements were made in 2012. These included new trumpet sounds and more pipes for the choir section.
