Golden Square Uniting Church heritage report

7/23/2019 Golden Square Uniting Church heritage report

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Victorian Heritage Database place details - 25/9/2015UNITING CHURCH

Location:2A LAUREL STREET GOLDEN SQUARE, GREATER BENDIGO CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number: H1371Listing Authority: VHRExtent of Registration:NOTICE OF REGISTRATIONAs Executive Director for the purpose of the Heritage Act, I give notice under Section 46 that the VictorianHeritage Register is amended by including the Heritage Register Number 1371 in the category described as aHeritage Place:Uniting Church, 19 Panton Street, Golden Square, Greater Bendigo CityEXTENT:

1. All of the building known as the Uniting Church as marked B-1 on Diagram 607787 held by the ExecutiveDirector.2. All of the land marked L-1 on Diagram 607787 held by the Executive Director being Allotment 11 of Section15A in the Parish of Sandhurst as described in Memorial Book 814, No. 519.Dated 6 November 1997RAY TONKINExecutive Director[Victoria Government Gazette No. G46 20 November 1997 p.3202]

Statement of Significance:The Uniting Church at Golden Square was built between 1870 and 1873 to replace an earlier church. In March1852 James "Jimmy" Jeffrey, a digger, had preached on a tree stump near the site of the present church in

Golden Square. In the same year, Rev Symons, stationed at Castlemaine, purchased a modest timber buildingat Golden Square which was the first Wesleyan Methodist church in Bendigo. This was replaced in 1859 by alarger stone building. Eventually the congregation outgrew this church and plans were made for a new one.The architects Crouch and Wilson designed the church, with Messrs Johns and Hinley as the contractors. Thefoundation stone was laid by mining entrepreneur Richard Allingham on 5 January 1870. The church was builin two stages - the first section built at the rear of the existing stone church was opened for worship on 11 May1870. The additions were advanced enough for services to be held early in 1872 and the building was finallycompleted in 1873. The church is a large Gothic style building in bichromatic brick with a slate roof. It isdominated by a corner tower with bellcast eaves surmounted by a tapering spire and a five-light DecoratedGothic west window. There are two porches on either side and a vestry at the east end. A chimney rises fromthe vestry.The Uniting Church, Golden Square is of architectural and historical significance to the state of Victoria.

The church is architecturally significant as a representative and intact example of a church by Crouch andWilson, one of the most influential ecclesiastical and organisational firm of architects in Victoria in the 1860sand 1870s. It is dominated by a corner tower with bellcast eaves surmounted by a tapering spire and a five-light Decorated Gothic west window. The interior demonstrates fine craftsmanship in its carved walnut pulpiflanked on either side by a flight of steps and adorned by a wrought iron balustrade and the similar wroughiron sanctuary railing; the gallery with its cast iron balustrading; and the ceiling trusses and the fluted columns.The church has historical associations with the Wesleyan church in Victoria and its scale and qualitydemonstrates the strength of the denomination in the goldfields. Built to accommodate over 1200 people andknown as the "cathedral of Methodism", for many years this church dominated the surrounding landscape.

Heritage Study

Year Construction Started 1870

Architect / Designer Crouch & Wilson

Architectural Style Victorian Period (1851-1901) Gothic Revival

Heritage Act Categories Heritage place

Municipality ["GREATER BENDIGO CITY"]

Other names WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH

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History

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Golden Square Uniting Church heritage report

Documents

Transcript of Golden Square Uniting Church heritage report