St Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa

St Thomas' Anglican Church
St Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa
St Thomas' Anglican Church Location in greater metropolitan Sydney
33°49′47″S 150°39′20″E
Location	St Thomas Road, Mulgoa, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Denomination	Anglicanism
Website	sydneyanglicans.net/findachurch/st_thomas_mulgoa
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	22 August 1836
Founder(s)	Rev Thomas Makinson
Associated people	William Cox
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	James Chadley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Victorian Gothic Revival
Completed	13 September 1838[1]
Specifications
Materials	Sydney sandstone
Administration
Diocese	Sydney
Clergy
Minister(s)	Rev John Lavender
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	St. Thomas Anglican Church; St Thomas Church of England
Type	State heritage (Complex / Group)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	426
Type	Church
Category	Religion
Builders	James Atkinson and William Chisholm (Atkinson also carved the pinnacled reredos himself)

St Thomas' Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church located in the western Sydney suburb of Mulgoa in the City of Penrith local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The church forms part of the Diocese of Sydney. It was designed by Reverend Thomas Makinson, first incumbent priest and James Chadley and built from 1836 to 1838 by James Atkinson and William Chisholm (Atkinson also carved the pinnacled reredos himself). It is also known as St. Thomas Anglican Church and St Thomas Church of England. The property is owned by Anglican Church Property Trust. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.^[2]

St Thomas' Church is located on land granted to the Anglican Church in 1831 by pioneer, William Cox.^[2][3] The church contains a mechanical organ that was built in 1868 by J. W. Walker of London, with a manual compass of 56 notes, a hitch-down Swell pedal, with 159 pipes.^[4]

History

Between 1809-c. 1904 early land grants were made in the valley to the notable Cox family and were noted for pastoral use, vineyards and orcharding. The Mulgoa Valley was renowned at one time as one of NSW's richest farming districts. The Cox family were influential in the district and state. They suffered the financial depression of the 1840s but eventually their pastoral interests took them further afield, relocating west of the Blue Mountains. They left behind four buildings - Glenmore, Fernhill, The Cottage and St. Thomas's Church - reflecting the early pioneering phase, their era of prosperity and their social and religious aspirations.^[2]

The site was originally granted to the Anglican Church in 1831 by William Cox to be used as a church and school.^[5][2]

St. Thomas' church was built by James Atkinson & William Chisholm in 1836-8 and designed by the Rev. Thomas Makinson, first incumbent, and James Chadley. Makinson carved the pinnacled reredos himself.^[6] The site has a picturesque graveyard of clustered headstones and notable classical sandstone monuments, predominantly of the pastoralist Cox family, on a sloping site bordered with regenerating eucalypts, which complements the church.^[2][7]

1987 Sydney REP 13 (Mulgoa Valley) was gazette, reflecting increasing conservation interest in this important early farming valley, valued for its scenic value, ongoing agriculture, "lifestyle" living and heritage values. St. Thomas' Church and cemetery is a key part of this valley and an identified heritage item in the SREP.^[2]

The Anglican parish at Mulgoa still meet in St. Thomas' Church.^[5][2]

Description

This is a hillside site north of Mulgoa township in a semi-rural area sloping south and east, facing St. Thomas's Road, bordered with regrowth eucalypt seedlings. On the opposite side of St. Thomas' Road is the Mulgoa Pre-School and Day Care centre and Mulgoa Park (comprising oval, hall and tennis courts) between St. Thomas' & Littlefield Roads. To the south-east are Kings Hill Road & Farm Road which have a number of small rural land holdings characterizing development in the township's surrounds.^[2]

The church and hall which are on the northern part of the site have a picturesque graveyard of clustered headstones and notable classical sandstone monuments, predominantly of the pastoralist Cox family (who donated the land and owned (along with other lands such as Winbourne to the south) the two immediately adjacent estates, Fernhill & The Cottage/Cox's Cottage.^[8] An existing driveway to the church is at the north-eastern end of the site. The balance of the site includes open grass paddocks, 2 small dams, fences, areas of disturbed, regenerating native vegetation and areas of bushland predominantly along the eastern part of the site and fringing Mulgoa and St. Thomas' Roads, providing a vegetated screen to the majority of the site. South of the church and almost centrally to the land are the ruins of the former rectory, burnt in the 2003 bush fires.^[2]

The site is a sloping hillside site, bordered with regrowth eucalypt seedlings. The church has a picturesque graveyard of clustered headstones and notable classical sandstone monuments, predominantly of the pastoralist Cox family.^[2]

The church is a sandstone Gothic revival style building, with Georgian proportions but early Victorian Gothic Revival details and the first open timber hammer beam roof in the colony.^[2] The east end has a stained glass window by the early Victorian era artist Charles Clutterbuck who also provided the east window of the Garrison Church, Miller's Point. The subject is stories of the Apostle Thomas.

Condition

As at 12 May 2004, the only reasonably intact late 1830s Gothic Revival rural Anglican parish church in NSW. Superb landscape setting and aesthetic value as an ensemble.^[2]

St. Thomas' Road, c. 1830s, is an original country road with branches leading to many properties and buildings from earliest times;

• site of colonial parsonage and drive, c. 1838 - earth ledge and old bricks, remnant garden planting located immediately behind back fence of new rectory of St. Thomas' Church. Distinct impression of road with remains of gate posts and side fences and possibly picket gate (S.6.5.4, Mulgoa, of appendix D, Historical Archaeological Component by Wendy Thorp, 8/1986 in Fox & Associates, Heritage Study of the City of Penrith, Volume 2 - appendices).^[2]

There are three areas of archaeological interest. The church site is of early colonial interest with the ancestry of the Cox family displayed in the churchyard. It is also of Aboriginal archaeological interest as a camping area overlooking the junction of the 2 streams (see Austral Archaeology report). On the southern portion of the site the archaeological remains of the original rectory are buried and will also require protection. The location of the original rectory building has been established on the ridge south of the church (refer to A121/1 and the 1947 aerial photo where it was still standing). The design of the development will protect this area while allowing for future archaeological investigation of the site as a possible educational tool.^[2]

As defined in the archaeological report, the area of major archaeological importance is located within the church site in which minimal disturbance is taking place. The area south of the church where the school is proposed is defined as of lesser historic and archaeological significance. However the recommendations of the report will be followed during excavation and investigation of the site.^[9][2]

Modifications and dates

The parsonage (c. 1836-8) was demolished c. 1964;^[1][10] and the current parsonage is c. 1968.^[2][11]

Heritage listing

As at 12 May 2004, St. Thomas' is the only extant example of a reasonably intact, late 1830s Gothic Revival, rural Anglican parish church in New South Wales. Its cemetery contains some important early monuments, dating from 1839 and the graves of members of prominent local families.^[12][2]

The golden stone church, with attendant cemetery and gravestones, has a considerable aesthetic impact when glimpsed from Mulgoa Road (now St. Thomas' Road). The picturesque graveyard of clustered headstones and notable classical sandstone monuments, predominantly of the Cox family, is on a sloping site alongside, bordered with eucalpyt saplings, and complements the church admirably. It remains one of the most romantic rural church settings in New South Wales, and has significance both for its superb landscape value and its relative intactness.^[13][2]

The hammer beam roof was the first example of a medieval style open timber roof in a NSW Church and the building as a whole is only existing example of a reasonably intact late 1830s Gothic Revival rural Anglican parish Church in the State. Most of the Church has not been drastically altered, a fact which makes it unique among Anglican Churches.^[14][2]

St Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.^[2]

See also

• Australian non-residential architectural styles
• List of Anglican churches in the Diocese of Sydney

References

1. Bowers, W. R. (William Robertson) (1911). A sketch of the history of the Parish of Mulgoa, Diocese of Sydney, N.S.W. Watchman Newspaper Co.
2. "St. Thomas Anglican Church". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00426. Retrieved 13 October 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
3. "NSW Government Announces $127,000 For Mulgoa's Heritage" (Press release). Tanya Davies MP. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
4. "St Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa". Organ Historical Trust of Australia. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
5. Ingham Planning, 2007, 2
6. "St Thomas' Anglican Church Mulgoa". www.ohta.org.au. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
7. Proudfoot 1987, p. 106.
8. "St Thomas' Anglican Church Mulgoa". www.ohta.org.au. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
9. Ingham Planning, 2007, Appx.C, 3
10. Walsh & Robinson 1989, p. 10.
11. "Brief Parish History - Anglican Parish of Mulgoa - Your Local Church". Google Anglican Parish of Mulgoa. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
12. Fox and Associates 1987: MV-3
13. Proudfoot, 1987, modified Read, S., 2004
14. AHC/ nominator's material

Bibliography

• "Penrith Valley Heritage Drive". 2007.
• Attraction Homepage (2007). "Penrith Valley Heritage Drive".
• Department of Environment and Planning (1987). Sydney Regional Environmental Plan - No.13 - Mulgoa Valley.
• Fox & Associates (1987). Heritage Study of the City of Penrith.
• Ingham Planning P/L (2007). Architectural Design Compliance Statement (Appendix C), in 'Statement of Environmental Effects: to accompany a development application for the Mulgoa Anglican Primary School at St. Thomas' Road, Mulgoa'.
• Irving, Robert; Pratten, Chris (1998). Conservation Management Plan: St. Thomas' Church, Mulgoa.
• Morris, C.; Britton, G.; NSW National Trust (for the Heritage Council of NSW) (2000). Colonial Landscapes of the Cumberland Plain and Camden, NSW.
• Nathanuel Hughes Photographer (2010). Archival Photographic Recording of St.Thomas Mulgoa Church Hall, WC Block and surrounding landscape, 43=119 St. Thomas Road, Mulgoa.
• Proudfoot, Helen (January 1987). Exploring Sydney's west. Kangaroo Press (published 1987). ISBN 978-0-86417-128-3.
• Stiller, John (1984). St. Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa, NSW. Documentation of pipe organ built by J. W. 1868.
• Walsh, Stephanie; Robinson, Peter (1989). St Thomas' Church, Mulgoa 1838-1988. Anglican Parish of Mulgoa. ISBN 0-7316-4174-4.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article contains material from St. Thomas Anglican Church, entry number 426 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 13 October 2018.

External links

• Media related to St Thomas' Anglican Church, Mulgoa at Wikimedia Commons
• St Thomas' Church, Mulgoa at Sydney Anglicans