BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF ST PETER’S, WALGETT
(Church of England)  Pitt Street, Walgett

By Courtesy of Mrs Joan Brayshaw, Author.

In 1853, Reverend F R Kemp travelled from Warialda to minister to Walgett people until 1859.  Then followed ministers from Wee Waa and Narrabri.  In 1885, a meeting was held to consider establishment of and English Church in Walgett.

The English Church was granted a subdivision of eight lots with frontages to Wee Waa, Fox Streets and Wee Waa Lane. The land was sold and with the money from the sale, land was purchased for the church and parsonage in Pitt Street in October 1891.  {Shortly after this, the church was built, but the builder and cost are unknown.  The mortise and tenon joints were done by a true craftsman.}

The Church was licensed on 8 September 1893, but was not consecrated until 10 October 1894, when it was free of debt.

Walgett district was declared a Parish on 22 September 1896.

In 1937 moves were afoot to build a new church, but eventually it was decided to carry out extensive repairs and the church remained virtually unchanged until 1979, when the church underwent reorientation. 

On the donation of land to the Church by an elderly lady, Mrs Pritchard, St Peter’s War Memorial Hall was built and was opened and dedicated by Bishop Moyes in November 1955.  By 1978, due to its location away from the church and the cost of maintenance, it was sold.  A number of heated meetings were held concerning the building of a new Church complex with a new section to be connected to the remaining old Church.  The money from sale of St Peter’s Hall went into the new building

The Sanctuary and two small vestries were demolished and a partition was erected so that the remaining part of the old church was able to be used while the new part was being built.  The building was dedicated on 28 October 1979 and a consecration service, led by Bishop Chiswell, was held on 16 July 1982.

ARCHITECTURE

The original orientated Church was built in the Victorian carpenter Gothic style which was the predominant style of ecclesiastical architecture used in the Victorian era, especially for small country churches of timber construction.  St Peter’s features the typical pointed Gothic doors and windows and is basically a rectangular timber building with horizontal weather boards on the outside and tongue and grooved lining.  It is painted white inside and out.

The corrugated iron roof is of medium to steep pitch with a flying gable, plain painted barge boards, exposed rafter ends and wide unboxed eaves.  The roof of the small porch is similar as were those of the old Sanctuary and the two small vestries before they were demolished.  Originally the bell-tower was on the roof but now there is a free standing belfry.

Gothic windows range along the southern and northern walls, and on the western end a tall central window is flanked by two smaller ones, all with the pointed arch motif and the Gothic foil motif.  The lower section of each window is a casement consisting of four planes of glass.  All doors are Gothic as are also the archways into the porch and the one that led to the Sanctuary.  The main entrance to the old Church consists of double doors in which the timbers angle upwards towards the point of the Gothic arch, thus accentuating the theme.

The high vaulted ceiling has exposed rafters and trusses – the do not appear to be gang-nailed.  The timbers of the ceiling are used in a herring-bone pattern, carrying on the pointed affect.  The floor is timber and carpeted.

The reorientated Church is a rectangular structure built on the eastern end of the original Church and now connected to it by folding, polished timber doors.  It is constructed of painted concrete blocks and because of the nature of the ground, there are two large steel girders across the ceiling, housed in timber boxing.  The almost flat corrugated iron roof is on two levels with clerestory windows on the northern side.  The fascia boards are painted to match those on the old building, and the wide eaves are boxed.  The double entrance doors are glass flanked by glass lights and glass fanlights above, whilst there are numerous sets of aluminium-framed windows on the eastern and southern walls, all curtained.  A carpet covers the concrete flooring.

When the new building was opened, an angled aisle led from the main entrance to the raised Sanctuary area which is set diagonally across the south-east corner with the altar against the eastern wall.  In the Sanctuary area are the Holy Table, the Prayer Desk and Chair, the Bishop’s Chair and a stand for a flower vase.  There is a plain gold cross on the Holy Table with flower vases on either side and a small lectern on the altar cloth.

The communion rails are set at right angles to the eastern and southern walls either side of the Sanctuary dais.  The Lectern and its Bible are in the body of the Church in front of and slightly to one side of the Sanctuary steps.  Close to the Sanctuary, on the eastern wall, is the font and next to that a stand holding a large brass memorial urn for flowers.

Light weight chairs are arranged in a semi-circle facing the Sanctuary.  There are no pews or kneelers.  The organ is at the back of the Church.

{To day the Holy Table, the Prayer Desk and Chair, the Bishop’s Chair, Communion rails and Lectern are at the Western end of the old Church, with the lightweight chairs facing west.}

Neither the new Church nor the old Church has any stained glass windows or statuary.  There is no chancel as such and both sections are lit by fluorescent lightning and have ceiling fans.

There is no sign of the foundation stone of the old Church or the new complex. 

The high soaring ceiling and upward pointing Gothic arches of the old Church, accentuating the vertical, have been replaced by horizontal planes and space in the new Church complex, signifying more a religion of fellowship.

There is no cemetery in the Churchyard, but during the 1950 flood there was a temporary burial there as the cemetery was under water at the time.

MEMORIALS

There are memorials in the Church  from the very early days and many of the new furnishings in the new complex are memorials to old residents and benefactors of the Church. Also a memorial to the first Vicar, Reverend H G Smith and a list of past vicars of St Peter’s.

REGISTERS

Most of the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are held at the Church. Plans are to have them put on microfiche.