The Deanery, Perth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Deanery |
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The Deanery facing onto Pier Street
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°57′22″S 115°51′41″E / 31.9561°S 115.8615°E |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 1 December 1995 |
| Reference no. | 2100 |
The Deanery is an old and important building in Perth, Western Australia. It's found right where St Georges Terrace meets Pier Street, Perth. Built in the late 1850s, it was first a home and office for Reverend George Pownall, who was the very first Dean of Perth. Today, it's still used by the Anglican Church as offices. It's special because not many houses from that time are still standing in Western Australia!
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Building The Deanery
In 1857, Reverend George Pownall became the first Dean of the new Saint George's Cathedral in Perth. He needed a place to live and work. Bishop Mathew Blagden Hale agreed that a new building, called Pownall's Parsonage, was urgently needed.
The spot chosen for The Deanery used to be where the old Perth Gaol (jail) stood. This land was swapped with the government in 1858 so The Deanery could be built close to the Cathedral. A sad event happened on this site before The Deanery was built: in 1833, a respected Aboriginal elder named Midgegooroo was captured and died there. It's also believed that town stocks (a device used for punishment) once stood on the grounds of The Deanery.
Design and Construction
Reverend Pownall was very interested in architecture, which is how buildings are designed. He was part of groups that liked the Gothic style of architecture. This style uses pointed arches, large windows, and detailed decorations. The Deanery shows many features of this Gothic style because of Pownall's ideas. The main architect who designed the building was Richard Roach Jewell.
Building The Deanery cost about £900. The money came from three places: the government paid £300, people donated £300, and the Anglican Church added another £300. The building was constructed by people who had been prisoners but were now free to work. This showed Pownall and Hale's belief in helping these people start new lives.
Life at The Deanery
Reverend Pownall moved into The Deanery in November 1859. For over ninety years, it was continuously used as a home. Over time, the building was updated in 1918, 1932, and 1936 to keep up with modern living standards.
Saving a Historic Building
In 1953, there was a plan to knock down The Deanery and build a tall office block instead. But many people protested and wanted to save the historic building! Because of these protests, The Deanery was saved. People started a fundraising effort to collect money to preserve the building. The new Dean hoped that everyone who protested would also help pay to keep the building safe for many years.
The fundraising was successful. The Deanery was updated and then used as both an office and a home for the Dean's secretary, assistant priests, their families, and caretakers.
Restoration and Public Opening
By 1979, The Deanery needed a lot of repair work because it had become run down. Another fundraising effort began, aiming to raise $90,000. They actually raised more than that, with a lot of help from the National Trust. A big project to restore and preserve the building began, even including trying to restore the garden.
After all the restoration work, The Deanery was opened to the public on May 8, 1982. Since then, it has been used as the main offices for the Cathedral.
Recognizing its Importance
The Deanery is a very important historical building. It was added to the Register of the National Estate in March 1978. It was also recognized by the National Trust of Australia (WA) in October 1980. Finally, on December 1, 1995, it was officially placed on the permanent state heritage register, which means it's protected as a special part of Western Australia's history.
- Apperly, R, Irving, R, Reynolds, P, (1989) A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture. Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present (Angus and Robertson, North Ryde)
- Hammond, J (1931) Builders of Perth in Royal Western Australian Historical Society Vol. 1 Pt. IX
- Oldham J & R (1961) Western Heritage (Perth, Paterson Brokensha)
- Stannage, C, T., (1979) The People of Perth, A social history of Western Australia's Capital City (City of Perth, Perth) ISBN: 0-909994-86-2
- Wright, R. P and Smeed, H, (1978) Western Landmarks (University of Western Australia Press)
