# The Chronicles of Early Melbourne/Volume 1/Chapter 10

CHAPTER X.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS: THEIR FOUNDATION AND FIRST CELEBRATIONS.
SYNOPSIS: —First Religious Service. —Dr. Thomson. —First Baptism. —First Sabbath-School Teacher. —Church of England. —Bishop Broughton's Visit. —The First Minister. —Rev. Mr. Gryll's Leave of Absence.—Is Succeeded by Rev. J. Y. Wilson. —Foundation of St. James' Laid. —Church Fees. —Prayers for the Queen. —Dr. Broughton's Second Visit. —"Parson Thomson's Cabbage Garden." —Rev. E. Collins at Geelong. —Foundation Stone of St. Peter's. —Port Phillip an Independent Bishopric. —Right Rev. Dr. Perry, first Bishop. —His Arrival and Installation. —Letters Patent Mislaid. —The Bishop's First Sermon. —Sectarian Discord. —"Jack Ketch" in Church. —Geelong an Archdeaconry. —Dr. Macartney's Appointment. —Bean, Braim, and Bloomfield at Geelong. —Episcopal Conference at Albury. —St. James' and St. Lawrence's Cathedral Sites. —Richmond Church. —St. Paul's Church. —The Foundation Laid. —Reverend Thomson's Return, and Farewell. —Death of the Revs. Forbes and Geoghegan. —Diocesan Board of Missions. —Church Conference. —The Rev. Clowes, First Minister at Collingwood. —First Deceased Clergyman in the Colony. —Proceedings of the Diocesan Society. —Death of the Rev. D. Newham. —Opening of the Church at Brighton. —Ministerial Changes. —Dr. Perry's Resignation and Departure.
THE historical work of Mr. Bonwick before referred to, supplies a few curious incidents connected with the early religious services in the colony, and the arrival of the pioneer ministers of the chief Christian communities. Mr. Bonwick had access to special sources of information, both oral and otherwise, and for several of the events narrated, as having occurred anterior to 1840,1 a m in some degree indebted to his researches. Whatever else m a y be written of the motives actuating the Batman co-partnery in their purposed acquisition of the public territory, credit must be given them for a desire to provide, though on a very limited scale, for the religious and moral requirements of their employes; for it is alleged that none but married servants were to be engaged by them, and Dr. Thomson's services were retained as the Company's Medical Officer and Catechist or Lay-reader. In April, 1836, the Rev. Mr. Orton, Wesleyan minister, came on a visit with Batman's family from V a n Diemen's Land, and thefirstregular religious service was performed by him on the 25th, in Druidical fashion, under " the blue ethereal sky," surrounded by sheoaks, on Batman's Hill. It partook slightly of a dramatic display, and was invested with attractions which would be quite a novelty at the present day. In addition to the white portion of the audience there was a large muster of opossum-rugged, blanket-covered, half-naked aborigines, w h o squatted about; and as the proceedings were about to commence, Batman marched in a contingent often blackfellows, brought from Sydney to facilitate his landbuying from the Chief. These darkies were costumed in black neck-ties, white trousers and red shirts, and their head m a n or Serang cut quite a dash in a cast-off military uniform, given him by Colonel Arthur, Governor of V a n Diemen's Land; the inevitable cocked-hat and feathers were included, and in the language of the chronicler formed "the crowning ornament to a dress which he wore with ease and grace." The service of the Church of England was read by the Wesleyan minister, Mr. James Simpson acting as the respondent. " T h e h y m n tunes were pitched by Dr. Thomson, the Surgeon-Catechist, and the preacher's text was the Saviour's address to Nicodemus :—' Except a m a n be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" Captain Lonsdale henceforth added to his other duties those of temporary chaplain, and occasionally read prayers in the old Police Court to a mixed gathering of townspeople, soldiers, constables, and convicts. Towards the close of 1836, Mr. George Langhorne, principal of the Black Missionary Station, established in the n o w Botanic Gardens, though not an ordained clergyman, was able to prepare and preach his o w n sermons, and for a time was acknowledged to be a very worthy pro tern, pastor. His ambition was to take orders in the Episcopalian Church, and this necessitated his early departure to Sydney. His place was supplied by the very useful man-of-all work, Mr. James Smith, w h o became afterwards so thoroughly identified ​with the Savings Bank. "Jimmy" had been for a few years a purser in a man-of-war, and being of a religious turn of mind, m a d e the study of sermons his chief recreation. Happening to have a supply of such sea-stories by him, he now utilised them to the spiritual advantage of his hearers, and with such effect upon himself that in their delivery he is recorded "to have frequently evidenced his own interest in the subject by the shedding of tears." There was then a sheep-pen belonging to Batman on the spot where St. James' Church, in William Street, is built, and this had soon to m a k e way for the " fold " of a "flock" of a different kind, as the erection of a place of worship in this locality was decided upon, and for which, with parsonage and school-house, five acres of the land thereabout were afterwards granted by the Government. " State aid to Religion " was not yet available, and a small wooden building was put up by public subscription, Batman heading the list with ,£50. Though nominally for the Church of England, other denominations were to have the privilege of using it for afternoon services—an opportunity availed of by all except the R o m a n Catholics, w h o never recognise open questions of this kind. T h e structure was supposed to afford accommodation for about 100 persons, and here the free and the bond, and the military, used to assemble, the convicts by themselves at one side, " and in an opposite corner, screened by a curtain, were the singers." O n the 30th April, 1837, the Rev. J. B. Naylor conducted service, on which occasion the ceremony of baptism was performed on thefirstchild so treated in Melbourne. This was the John Melbourne Gilbert, already referred to as the son of Fawkner's blacksmith, and thefirstwhite baby born in the colony. In November, 1837, Melbourne was visited by Messrs. Backhouse and Walker, two worthy Quaker missionaries, from Hobartown. They preached in the church and at the Aboriginal Station, and on taking their departure, declared that " Our gracious Master was pleased to grant a more powerful sense of His presence than w e had ventured to hope for." T h e late Mr. John T h o m a s Smith, w h o could take a hand at many things, was thefirstteacher of thefirstSabbath-school started at this period, and it is avouched of him that " he was a constant attendant at the Primitive prayer meetings." Mr. Smith's youthful religious inclinings did not, however, grow with his years, though he was anything but an irreligious man, and his various pursuits in the changing circumstances of the colony, might, perhaps, account for any apparent backsliding. O n e thing m a y safely be averred that the "prayers" he afterwards heard in public-house-keeping, theatremanaging, and election-carousing were far from being as " primitive" as those of the little ancient Sabbath-school, but he was no worse than thousands of his fellow-colonists, and better than many of them, and was a staunch and liberal supporter of the creed he professed up to the hour of his death. With these few preparatory observations, the respective religious communities will next be reviewed in rotation. CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
T h e ricketty, wheezy /w-Cathedral (over the roof or covering of which was fastened an old ship's bell, like the battered c o m b of a cock after a tough fight, to ring out a hoarse, asthmatic, warning-note to intending worshippers) did not suit the expectant pretensions of a congregation of the Church of England. A n e w church and a permanent clergyman were required, and a meeting was convened for the purpose of securing general co-operation. This gathering came off on the 30th January, 1838, and, as it was thefirsttown demonstration reported in a newspaper, the following record of the proceedings may not be historically uninteresting. It is copied literatim from Fawkner's Melbourne Advertiser, 5th February, 1838. " A public meeting was held at the School-house in this town on Tuesday last, to arrange for the erection of an Episcopal place of worship, and to collect funds to that end. A very liberal subscription was then entered into, and as part of the sheep and cattle pasturing here belong to persons residing in Sydney and V a n Diemen's Land, subscription lists will be sent to those places to enable them to assist in the pious work. T h e resolutions passed at the meeting are to be published at Sydney, Launceston, and Hobartown." T w o months after, an event of the highest ecclesiastical importance occurred, which was no less than an episcopal visitation by the Right Rev. Dr. Broughton, the Metropolitan of N e w South Wales. His Lordship was a passenger in H.M.F. " C o n w a y " from Sydney, and after a few days' sojourn, left for Hobartown on the 19th April. . During his brief stay he preached in the temporary church, and christened six children. O n the 18th, he proceeded to the burial ground, and consecrated the portion assigned to the Episcopalian ​persuasion. It was understood that on returning to Sydney, he would take steps to give the province the benefit of a clergyman and a school-master. His Lordship had not m u c h idle time of it whilst in the new settlement; and yet did not give unmixed satisfaction, for he is thus gently rated in the Advertiser of the 23rd, for performing an important religious ceremonial without giving, what was deemed to be, proper public notice:—"On Tuesday and Wednesday the Bishop of Australia christened six children. W e are sorry that w e cannot recount one, no, not even one solitary marriage. O n Wednesday, pursuant to notice, (but an hour later than the time announced) the Bishop proceeded to the burial ground, and in the presence of a very few persons, consecrated a piece of ground for the reception of the bodies of the Melbournians and others w h o m a y depart this life. W e think that publicity seemed to be avoided, for no public notice was given as to the Bishop's motions, except a few words read on a rainy day in the church. T h e Press is the proper organ for publicity, and in this case would have answered well. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday wrere the days on which the Bishop was prepared to christen, to wed, and to consecrate. W e k n o w that persons, very many persons, would have attended the consecration, had the time of consecration been m a d e public in a proper manner." O n the 30th July, another meeting was held "to consider the means to be adopted for procuring a church and a clergyman." It was proposed to collect by subscription ,£200, as the nucleus of a building fund, and hopes were entertained of receiving some help from the Government. T h e cash, however, did not roll in as freely as expected, and the proposed erection was modified into repairing the original concern. Tenders were called for the alteration in November, 1838, but still the needful was needed. B y the end of February, 1839, the public liberality had been so far quickened, that the "repairs" were completed and merely consisted of a cedar pulpit, and eight cedar pews for the gentry, executed by Mr. T h o m a s Napier. O n the 12th October, 1838, the much-wished for minister arrived, and he had as shipmates Arden and Strode, with an old wooden printing-press and a heap of discarded Sydney Herald type, the debris from which the Port Phillip Gazette was to arise like a Phoenix, from " p y e " instead of ashes. T h e Reverend J. C Grylls, of the Universities of Cambridge and Dublin, is represented as being " of small stature, with a gentle and amiable disposition," and as a preacher it is writ of him " that his sermons were read with solemnity, and were not without their influence upon some of the audience." H e officiated on the following Sunday, taking his text from St. Paul: " I desire to know nothing a m o n g you, save Jesus Christ and H i m crucified." His elocution was marred by a stammer, or as Bonwick euphuistically puts it, " an incoherence of speech troubled the good man," for which, however, Providence vouchsafed him the compensation of a "general demeanour, kind and consistent, which gained him the good-will of the colonists." Before leaving England, his reverence laboured under the delusion that Australia was a country of cut-throats and cannibals, and he left his family, including five fair daughters, until he should hava an opportunity of reporting progress. T o his agreeable surprise, he found that, though not quite an elysium, Port Phillip was far from being pandemonium, and that he and his family ran small risk of being murdered by bushrangers, or " grilled" into entremets for-a corroboree banquet. Consequently he soon became desirous of returning h o m e for the lares remaining after him, and his good-natured parishioners not only provided him with a "testimonial" (thefirstof the kind on record) but threw in a twelvemonths' leave of absence. H e was succeeded by the Rev. J. Y. Wilson, so well-known for m a n y years at Portland. O f Mr. Grylls it may be mentioned that after his return to the colony, he did not resume his missionary labours, but thefivefair daughters were as welcome as a treasure-ship. T h e Gazette in alluding to thefirstarrival of Mr. Grylls as " Surrogate of Melbourne " exclaimed in quite a dispirited style " there seems to be a desperate want though of marriageable ladies," but the writer little thought that his ex-fellow-passenger would in a comparatively short time, import a very valuable consignment for the Hymeneal market. T h e girls did not remain long unwedded ; they all married into the upper-crust of society, and with one exception, lived to see not only olive branches, but grand tendrils blooming like young peach-blossoms around them. Pursuant to the provisions of the Act of Council 7 William I V , N o . 3, the Executive on the 28th February, 1839, issued regulations for grants of money to religious establishments, subject to the conditions that no minister's stipend could be made until there were at least one hundred adults attending the services; and no allowance for a place of worship or a pastor's house, until ,£300 had been not only subscribed, but paid. These requirements could now be complied with ; the stipulated sums were available, a church site ​was obtained, and Messrs. W. F. A. Rucker and P. W. Welsh were elected Church Wardens, Mr. Ralph Walton being thefirstto hold the office of Clerk. In 1838 trustees had been appointed, but they resigned, and there was a meeting of subscribers in the temporary building on ioth June, 1839, Mr. D. C. M'Arthur presiding, when, on the motion of Mr. William Meek, seconded by Mr. James Smith, it was resolved "that the Lord Bishop of the Diocese be respectfully requested to become sole trustee of the intended Church of St. James." At this period it was estimated that the Episcopalians in the district numbered about 900, a third of w h o m were located in and near Melbourne. T h e temporary church would hold only 90, and as an outlay of ,£200 would render it twice as commodious, it became a question for consideration, whether it would be better to incur this expense, or wait a little longer and put up a new one. T h e latter course was the more desirable, and tenders were invited. O n the 7th September a meeting was held, when it was decided to adhere to the original plan to build with brick upon a stone foundation—only a portion of the structure (the nave) to be proceeded with, though the whole building was ultimately of the ugly brown stone, of which some of thefirstpublic buildings in Melbourne were erected. There was a sum of between .£500 and ,£600 available, and as m u c h more, it was believed, could be obtained from the Government. It was stated that Mr. Latrobe (the new Provincial Superintendent) had raised ,£500 before leaving England, and this £ t i o o , with the official subsidy, more than justified a beginning in a work which, as proposed, would cost ,£1500. T h e 3rd October, 1839, should .be marked as a dies notanda in the old annals of Mebourne Episcopacy, because the minister performed a marriage ceremony at 10, a burial service at 11, and a christening at 4 o'clock—a remarkable trio of events at the remote era of which I a m writing. T h e foundation stone of St. James' was laid with many of the usual formalities, on the 9th of November, 1839. At n o'clock the temporary church was crowded, and the service was characterised by a somewhat unusual vocal display of psalms and hymns, accompanied throughout by a Mr. Puller, w h o worked a seraphine with the most praiseworthy perseverance. The-Rev.. J. C. Grylls read the, Collect, "Prevent us, O Lord," & c , and, as a Lesson, the 1st chapter from the Prophet Haggai. At the close of the service His H o n o r M r . Latrobe read aloud from a slip of parchment the following inscription engrossed thereon :— r SAINT JAMES' C H U R C H , M E L B O U R N E . THE FOUNDATION STONE 01- THIS CHURCH, W a s laid this 9th day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, and in the third year of the Reign of H E R M O S T G R A C I O U S M A J E S T Y Q U E E N V I C T O R I A , by His H O N O R C H A R L E S J O S E P H LATROBE, ESQ., Superintendent of Port Phillip, His E X C E L L E N C Y SIR' G E O R G E GIPPS, K N I G H T , Bein-r Governor of the Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, T H E R I G H T R E V E R E N D WILLIAM G R A N T B R O U G H T O N , Lord Bishop of Australia, Sole Trustee. This Church is erected for the worship of Almighty God by the members of the United Church of Great Britain and Ireland. R O B E R T RUSSELL, ARCHITECT.
This, with some gold and silver coinage of the (then) year of the Queen's reign, was enclosed in a bottle and deposited in the cavity prepared for it, in the understone. . T h e upper stone was slowly lowered from its suspensive position and placed. A mallet was handed to Mr. Latrobe, with which he knocked thrice on the stone, and. then looking around declared it to be laid in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. T h e Pastor next offered a short and appropriate prayer, after which a h y m n was sung, and the proceedings terminated with a benediction. T h e Rev. Mr. Grylls departed for England in the beginning of 1840, and efforts were made to procure funds to haste with the church, and some of those pious subterfuges—means supposed to be justified by the end—were resorted to, in the extraction of cash from pockets not always assailable by a more direct mode. Amongst these, was a concert, for which the patronage of the Superintendent was solicited, which Mr. Latrobe withheld from conscientious motives—for which he was not easily forgiven, especially when ​some time after he patronised a similar entertainment, the first regular professional concert given in Melbourne, by a Monsieur and M a d a m e Gautrot, new arrivals from Sydney. About this time there was printed the following schedule of Fees in the Diocese of Australia:—Marriage by License—Clergyman, £i IDS.; Parish Clerk, ios.; Sexton, 5s. Total, £2 5s. Marriage by Banns—Publication of: Parish Clerk, IS. ; Marriage : Clergyman, 5s. ; Parish Clerk, 2s. 6d. ; Sexton, is. 6d. Total, 10s. Churching of W o m e n — C l e r g y m a n , is. ; Parish Clerk, 6d.; Sexton, 6d. Total, 2s. Burial—in a Grave—Clergyman, 2s. ; Parish Clerk, is. ; Sexton, 3s. 6d. Total, 6s. 6d. In a Brick or Stone Grave—Clergyman, ios. ; Parish Clerk, 5s. 6d.; Sexton, 5s. 6d. Total, £1 is. In a Vault—Clergyman, £1 is. ; Parish Clerk, 7s. 6d. ; Sexton, 7s. 6d. Total, ,£1 16s. There are some amusing inconsistencies in this tariff which it is difficult to reconcile :—as, for instance, what in the name of c o m m o n sense could a sexton have to do, in tying the knot of connubial bliss, indispensable though his services might be in piloting a deceased husband or wife out of the world? Or how could the same grim official earn a sixpence in the interesting ceremonial of " churching? " Then the clergyman and clerk both received five times as m u c h for seeing a corpse stowed away in a brick or stone grave as if the interment were in an ordinary one, though the sexton's allowance was only increased about one and a-half, whilst burial in a vault was, as compared with a c o m m o n grave, ten times as remunerative to the clergyman, seven and a-half times to the clerk, and only twice as m u c h to the sexton. Towards the close of the year 1840, the official staff of the Church of England, in Melbourne, was thus :— Minister—Rev. John C. Grylls, (absent in England on leave); Minister—Officiating, and Bishop's Surrogate for granting Marriage Licences, Rev. James Y. Wilson ; School-Master—Mr. James Clarke ; Clerk — M r . Ralph Walton; Sole Trustee—The Right Rev. the Bishop of Australia; Building Committee— His Honor C. J. Latrobe (President), Deputy Acting Commissary-General H o w a r d (Treasurer), the Officiating Minister (Secretary), Dr. Farquhar M'Crae, David C. M'Arthur, and James Smith, Esquires. T h e position which the Government occupied towards the several denominations will be best understood by the publication of the sums voted by the Legislative Council of N e w South Wales, for church and school establishments at Port Phillip for 1841, and though inserted here for convenience sake, its application is intended to be general.—Clergyman of the Church of England, ,£200 ; T w o Presbyterian Ministers (one to be stationed at Geelong) ,£150 each per annum, ,£300; Wesleyan Minister, ,£150; T w o R o m a n Catholic Clergymen, £150 each, .£300 ; Towards erecting churches and ministers' dwellings, on condition of sums to an equal amount being raised by private contributions, ,£2000. Total, .£2950. In aid of the establishment, and in support of schools, on condition of sums to an equal amount being raised by private contributions, £"joo. It was always objected that in a country where there was no State church, an undue favouritism was manifested by giving an Episcopalian £50 a year more stipend than any other minister. S o m e declared it to have been because of the possible or actual burden of a family ; but, if this objection held as against the R o m a n Catholic priest, it could not do so with the Wesleyan and other ministers, some of w h o m were as prolific as those more highly endowed. In 1841, it was definitely understood that the Rev. Mr. Grylls would not return to his pastorate, to which the Rev. A d a m Compton T h o m s o n was associated, and hefinallyreplaced the Reverend Mr. Wilson, whose ministrations were for several years after zealously employed in the Western district. There was a marked difference between the two men, though each endeavoured to do his duty according to his convictions. Mr. Wilson was the abler and more eloquent, Mr. T h o m s o n the more plausible and better diplomatist. T h e former was a fierce and often intemperate controversialist, prone to acrimonious preachings, and writing long, angry diatribes in the newspapers against the alleged fallacies and false teachings of the Church of R o m e ; whilst the latter managed to get on very well with his "separated brethren," and was not ashamed to live on friendly terms with the early priests, and to go hand-in-hand with them in any undertaking initiated for the public good, irrespective of country or creed. During the seven years that " Parson Thomson," as he was universally styled, officiated as the chief Episcopalian minister in Melbourne, he was highly esteemed, though not generally liked, and every one who had opportunity of judging him by his public acts in a clerical or lay character, could find no other opinion of him than that he was both a good missionary and a good citizen. ​In May. 1841, the number of Church of England worshippers was put down at 4626, for the " township and the County of Bourke." T h e erection of the church was far advanced, and the congregation, before it was completed, took steps to procure a site for a second one on the opposite, or Eastern Hill, as the region north of Swanston Street was then called. A meeting was held (23rd June, 1841) at which was announced that the East Melbourne Church movement had met with so much encouragement that more than ,£300 had been contributed without m u c h solicitation. T h e Melbourne Episcopalians were n o w stated to number 2926, and it was agreed to make immediate application to the Government for the land, and the cash advance. In the course of the year, Mr. George Beaver, a master-builder, put up an extensive room or workshop at the eastern end of Little Bourke Street, and this was utilised as a place for occasional worship, by the Rev. Mr. Wilson, pending the erection of the second church. Meanwhile the old wooden structure on the Western Hill was continued in its religious duty, whilst the new one by its side was proceeded with more slowly than was desirable through a lowness of funds; but the day at length came when it was opened for service, to a large congregation. This was on Sunday, October 2nd, 1842, when the Rev. Mr. T h o m s o n officiated, and preached an effective sermon from 2nd Chronicles, chap. 7, verse 15: " N o w mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place." A collection was m a d e to defray the expense of moving the sittings from the old to the new building, and £ 1 1 18s. 3d. received. O n Sunday the 30th October, prayers of thanksgiving were offered in St. James', and some of the other places of worship, for the escape of the Queen from assassination by John Francis, on the 301I1 M a y of same year. Nothing worth special mention occurred until the spring of the next year (1843) when a second episcopal visitation was made by the Right Rev. Dr. Broughton. T h e Bishop arrived at Geelong on the 25th September, per the " Rajah " from Sydney, and continued for a fortnight in the Western District. O n the 9 th October he came by the " Aphrasia " steamer to Melbourne, and was met at the wharf by a number of gentlemen from w h o m he received a respectful and cordial welcome. Dr. Cussen (the colonial surgeon) had his carriage in readiness, into which the Bishop and the Rev. Mr. T h o m s o n stepped and were driven to St. James'. Here there was a brief service, after which his Lordship and a few friends proceeded to the residence of Mr. James Smith, on the south side of Collins Street, where they breakfasted. This cosy snuggery was placed at the Bishop's service during his sojourn in Melbourne. O n the 15th his Lordship preached at St. James' and the next day a public meeting was held at which he presided. Their Honors the Superintendent (Latrobe) and the Resident Judge (Jeffcott) attended, when a resolution was passed affirming the necessity for vigorous action to liquidate a debt of ,£95° on the church, a special subscription for the purpose was opened, and it was determined to make a ward collection through the town. T h e Bishop held a confirmation at St. James' on the 20th, when some 80 persons, aged 14 and upwards, were confirmed and the church was densely crowded on the occasion. Dr. Broughton, took several excursions into the 'country, and was indefatigable in arranging and suggesting for present needs and future contingencies T h e contemplated erection of a church on the Eastern Hill was an object of the first importance and in order to infuse new life into a movement which had become semi-dormant, one of the best attended and most influential gatherings yet held in connection with church matters came off on the irth November in Beaver's building. T h e Bishop was present in the chair, and delivered an earnest and interesting address. T h e other speakers were Messrs. E E Williams, James Simpson J. D. Pinnock, R W Pohlman P. Davis, Drs. Palmer, Campbell, Clutterbuck, and Major St. John. Ibe speech of the day was D r Palmer's, but its literary excellence could be better appreciated by reading than hearing, it H e was always learned, ornate, and impassioned; an accomplished essayist rather than a popular speaker O n this occasion he sketched a brilliant resume of the liberal manner in which the ancients endowed the temples of Paganism, and, passing on to modern times, urged upon his co-i.ligiomsts the necessity for liberal co-operation. " Look," he exclaimed " at our own native land, or to the broad expanse 0 C e l m , and everywhere do w e behold, in its length and breadth, structures at once beautiful and imrosng raised by the piety of our forefathers; and, should it be objected, that to propose such examples for imposing ra.seu uy j Protestant I would answer that at least they m a y serve to F
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U T e r e a u g h t which should forbid as .0 light our torches at Pagan altars or to sharpen our spears at the ​forges of the Philistines. Our zeal needs to be re-kindled, that it may bear some.proportion to our increased intelligence." It appeared there was a s u m of ,£250 available, and it was resolved to endeavour to raise it to ,£400, when application could be m a d e to the Executive for land grants for church, parsonage, and school-house, as well as the pecuniary aid to which the congregation would be entitled under the Church Act Regulations. N o one dreamed at the time that a couple of years more would pass before any real building commencement would be made. T h e Bishop returned to Sydney, a few days after, amidst a cloud of good wishes. A misconception had for some time existed in reference to the grant of the site of St. James'. T w o portions of land, bisected by Little Collins Street, constituted the Church Reserve. There were three acres on the side whereon the Church was erected, whilst the remaining two, on the northern side, were annexed by the minister, and the area was k n o w n for years as " Parson Thomson's Cabbage Garden." As there was no State Church, the other religious denominations believed, and not without reason, that the Episcopal Church had been unduly favoured, by getting a couple of acres too much, and the Press protested vehemently against it. T h e vexed question was referred to Sir George Gipps in 1844, w h o after a thorough consideration of the case, expressed a belief that his predecessor, Sir Richard Bourke, had intended that the whole five acres should be given, and he consequently refused to interfere. T h e T o w n Council took the matter up, and, though the Crown grant for the whole parcel had issued, the street, n o w known as Church Street, or the western end of the disputed block, continued for years to keep alive an acrimonious feeling between the Council and the Government, until it was ultimately settled by a compromise, the terms of which will be found in the chapter devoted to the Melbourne Corporation. In November, 1843, a General Financial Statement was submitted by the Building Committee from which it appeared that the total receipts on account of St. James' amounted to ,£5,927 u s . 4d. In this sum were included ;£iooo received from the Government, ^ 2 0 0 borrowed from the Savings Bank, and ,£75 9s. due to the Bank of Australasia, the remainder being m a d e up of subscriptions, church-door collections, pew rents, and two small items as Bank interest on Deposits. T h e disbursements were thus:— Erecting old church, afterwards removing, pewing, enlarging, etc., etc., £ 3 3 2 ios. ; M r . Beaver for again enlarging, ^ 1 0 0 ; Making a drain around the Church, £2; Mr. George Beaver, to amount of contract, ^1885 is. ; Mr. Alexander Sim, to amount of contract, £3275 3s. iod.; Mr. Russell, Architect, to account, £193 ios.; Interest of Bank of Australasia on loan and other advances, ^ 1 3 9 6s. 6d. Total, fS927 IIS- 4<J.
T h e outstanding liabilities were ,£930 17s. 6d., for contractors' accounts, the balance due to the Bank of Australasia, and .£218 6s. 6d. to the Savings Bank. T h e subscriptions promised since the arrival of the Bishop, would realise ^"450, in which case the deficit would not exceed ,£480 17s. 6d., which would be liquidated by an expected grant of ,£500 from the Government. A n d so St. James' Church continued to go ahead. A choir was formed, an organ obtained, and the services began to assume a respectable and comfortable aspect; but at the Sunday service of 17th November, 1844, a contretemps happened, at which people could not help laughing in the midst of their devotions. There had been a heavy rain the night before, which flowed in freely through portions of the roof, and when the organist tackled to his instrument, to his ineffable dismay he found the pipes of his instrumentfilledwith water, and all his music washed away. T h e Eastern Hill church remained in embryo during 1845, but in January 1846, the Government consented to give ,£1000 towards its erection, with the usual proviso that a like s u m be raised by contributions ; and intelligence was received from the Bishop that a balance of .£1684, remaining to the credit of the Church of England for 1844, would be appropriated to Port Phillip in the following proportions, viz. :—St. James'(Melbourne), ,£500; Geelong, ,£150; Portland, , £ 7 5 ; and the residue in moieties to Portland and Belfast. T h e Eastern Hillites again put on a spurt, and nominated Messrs. James Simpson, R. W . Pohlman, and J. D. Pinnock, as building trustees. T h e requisite vouchers were forthcoming, the land granted, and further preliminaries, plans, specifications, etc., were decided on. Geelong had for some time displayed so m u c h activity, that by March, 1846, they had erected a church, parsonage, and school-house, and the Rev. E. Collins, a newly-arrived clergyman, was sent d o w n as thefirstregular minister. ​Of the plans prepared for the Eastern Hill church, that of Mr. Charles Laing was approved by the Bishop, and in April the tender of Messrs. Webb,.. Brown, and C o , for its erection was accepted for £*333 8s- T h e ceremony of laying the FOUNDATION STONE OF ST. PETER'S
was performed on the 18th June, 1846 (Anniversary of Waterloo-day) in the presence of a numerous attendance, though only two clergymen, viz, the Rev. A. C. Thomson, of Melbourne, and Rev. E. Collins; of Geelong, were present. T h e proceedings commenced by the Rev. Mr. Thomson, and some of the assemblage repeating alternately verses from the 132nd Psalm—after which followed lessons from Isaiah iv, 1 Cor. iii.. and the Collect for St. Simon's and St. Jude's day. His Honor the Superintendent then came forward, and in the usual receptacle for such mementoes, placed a sealed bottle containing a parchment scroll thus inscribed :— THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH, In the Town of Melbourne, District of Tort Phillip, Colony of New South Wales, Built by Local Subscription, Aided by an equal amount from the Colonial Government, W a s laid by His H O N O R
C H A R L E S JOSEPH LATROBE, E S Q ,
Superintendent of Port Phillip, On the 18th day of June, A . D , 1846, and in the ninth year of the reign of Q U E E N VICTORIA. WILLIAM
G R A N T B R O U G H T O N , D.D., of Australia.
A D A M C O M P T O N T H O M S O N , Minister of St. James' Parish of Melbourne, J A M E S SIMPSON, J A M E S D E N H A M
P I N N O C K , R O B E R T W I L L I A M S P O H L M A N , E S Q U I R E S , Trustees, C H A R L E S L A I N G , Architect.
T h e upper stone being lowered andfixed,his Honor said, "In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I lay this foundation stone of a church to the praise and glory of His name." Then handling trowel and mall, he went through the customary forms, and finished by declaring, " This stone is laid as the foundation and corner-stone of a church to be built in this place ; to be named St. Peter's, and to be set apart for the preaching of the right Catholic faith, which we believe and confess, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." Recitations from the Psalms followed, after which an excellent address was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Thomson. The Rev. Mr. Collins offered a prayer, and the proceedings terminated with a collection towards the building fund, which was liberally responded to. In the course of the year 1846, it became known that it was intended to appoint a Bishop to Port Phillip, and a meeting was held in St. James' school-room on the 14th September, whereat an address was adopted for presentation to the Bishop of Sydney, thanking his Lordship for his zealous exertions in procuring the erection of Port Phillip into an independent Bishopric. St. Peter's Church presented a handsome gable, with a neat stone cross fixed in it, and on the night of the ioth December, some evil-minded vandals demolished the external decoration. Next morning the emblem of Christianity was found with a piece of rope round its neck, in a gully in the now Fitzroy Gardens. It had evidently been pulled down by help of the rope, and its socket with some stone-work attached had come away with it. T h e perpetrators of such dastardly blackguardism were never discovered, though there were strong suspicions against certain individuals. About half-a-year after, a new cross was put up, and had better luck than the other. It was said that the church plan, as originally designed, was provided with a cross, which was erased at some meeting of subscribers ; but, subsequently, some underhand Puseyites managed to interpolate the one that went up, and came down so unceremoniously. T h e accuracy of this assertion is open to much doubt, especially as it appeared in a newspaper not remarkable for its veracity. A church was opened in Geelong on the 24th June, 183.7, by the Rev. Mr. Collins, when a capital sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Thomson, and a handsome collection made for the building fund. THE ARRIVAL OF BISHOP PERRY.
A n event to be red-lettered in the ecclesiastical history of the Province, took place on the 23rd January, 1848, viz, the arrival of the ship "Stag," from London, which, amongst other passengers, ​brought the following, clerical and lay, viz. :—The Right Reverend Dr. Perry and Mrs. Perry ; the Rev. Mr. Macartney, Mrs. Macartney, and eight junior Macartneys; the Rev. Mr. N e w h a m , wife, and child; and the Rev. Mr. Hales and wife. T h e "Stag" anchored in the Bay on a Sunday evening, but the passengers did not land that night. At an early hour on M o n d a y morning the steamer " Diamond " was chartered to proceed to the Bay with over a hundred persons, including Superintendent Latrobe and the Mayor. T h e new Bishop brought with him a high reputation for piety, erudition, and zeal, in all of which he thoroughly stood the test throughout an active and distinguished missionary career. H e was born at Hackney, in Middlesex, on the 17th February, 1807. H e graduated at Cambridge in 1828, became Senior Wrangler, and was elected Fellow in 1829. H e read for the Bar from 1828 to 183T, and on returning to college, in 1837, took the degree of D.D., and was tutor until 1841. In 1836 he received Priest's ordeis, and for several years, was minister of St. Paul's, Cambridge. O n St. Peter's day, 1847, he was consecrated thefirstBishop of Melbourne in Westminster Abbey. T h e Bishop and his friends came to Melbourne in the " Diamond," and as the steamer was leaving, the yards of the " Stag " were manned, and three hearty parting cheers given, a compliment cordially returned from the " Diamond." A s the steamer approached the wharf there was a large concourse of persons in waiting, and as his Lordship put his foot for the first time on Melbourne ground, he was welcomed with loud peals of acclamation. H e bowed his acknowledgments, and was driven to St. James' Parsonage, whence he subsequently moved to the Southern Cross Hotel, then and still in the western part of Bourke Street, where apartments were secured. The Southern Cross was thefirstplace of entertainment opened as a Family Hotel, where all the quiet comforts of a h o m e could be obtained. T h e host was M r . J. S. Johnston, so long and favourably known in Melbourne as an alderman and politician, and no house of public accommodation was more respectably conducted than his. After a sojourn of a few days there, Bishop Perry rented one of the only two cottages then at Jolimont, which he occupied until he moved to Bishop's Court in 1851. T h e Bishop was installed at St. James' on January 28th, and, as to be expected, such a ceremonial novelty, brought together as many persons as the church could contain, including a large sprinkling from the other religious denominations. A n amusing contretemps occurred, for, by some oversight, the Queen's Letters Patent creating the Bishopric had been mislaid somewhere amongst the Bishop's papers, and could not be found. It was thought they had been left on board the "Stag," but there was no doubt that they would be speedily forthcoming. This was an awkward predicament, but their production that day was dispensed with, the Bishop was inducted with all the other formula;, and he delivered a very eloquent discourse from 2nd C o r , Chapter v , verse 20. " N o w then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though G o d did beseech you for us; w e pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." This first Episcopal sermon established his reputation as a pulpit orator of no mean order, and was by special request, published in pamphlet form, and widely circulated. At 3 p.m. of the same day, the church was again opened, when His Lordship was waited upon by a deputation of Church of Englanders, headed by the Rev. Mr. Thomson, to present an address of welcome, which had been agreed to at a meeting of Episcopalians held for the purpose some days before the Bishop's arrival. T o this address His Lordship returned a very elaborate and appropriate reply. A n d thus the Bishop commenced in a way which elicited approval from all shades of society. But he was not many days in town, when he committed an indiscretion which it would be hard for any unbiassed writer, unacquainted with the working of the Bishop's inward consciousness, to justify. T h e Rev. Father Geoghegan, the R o m a n Catholic Pastor, accomplished gentleman as he was, wishful to pay meet respect to a distinguished stranger, though the bead of another creed, called for the purpose on Bishop Perry. Whether His Lordship was, or was not at the time in the Southern Cross Hotel is not known ; but at all events he was not " at h o m e " for the visitor who left his card. T h e Bishop, instead of treating the clerical paste-board as a badge offering the conventional courtesies of one gentleman to another, recoiled from itasif it were a snake, and if he even touched it, only did so to drop it into an envelope and return it with a curt, caustic note, a freezing intimation that he could not recognise " T h e Rev. P. B. Geoghegan" in any shape or form, officially or otherwise—in fact conveying the idea that he wished to shun the card-sender as though he were an emissary from the Evil One. This unmerited rebuff to probably the most popular m a n then in the Province, provoked a deep feeling of anger against the Bishop, without the pale of his own ​communion, and even within, there was by no means a consensus of opinion that he had done the right thing. M a n y a conscientious Protestant believed that His Lordship had done what was egregiously wrong, but shook the head and said nothing. T h e religious discordfirstaroused at the elections of 1843 was supplied with fresh fuel by the Bishop's action, and strengthened the sectarian rancour which broke out at intervals amongst the religious denominations in after years, and has never died out. T h e ungodly flame was subsequently well fanned by a religious publication started under the auspices of the Bishop ;— the Church of England Messenger—The reverse of a Messenger of Peace and Good-will, and very different from another periodical of the same type—the Presbyterian Messenger, conducted by the Rev. James Forbes. T h e Rev. Daniel N e w h a m was forthwith appointed to the Cure of St. Peter's, and the Rev. H . B. Macartney to that of M o o n e e Ponds. O n the 30th January the Bishop preached at St. Peter's, and the Rev. H . B. Macartney at Woodlands. M r . Henry M o o r was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese, and on Sunday, the 13th February, at the close of the service at St. Peter's, the new Chancellor read H e r Majesty's Letters Patent, previously mislaid. A chronicle of the time records "that the ceremony took nearly an hour, and Mr. M o o r seemed well pleased when it was over." This valuable Charter of the Bishop's appointment had been found some time before, and the N e w South Wales Government Gazette, 5th February, 1848, contains the "Letters," bearing date 26th June, 1847, a n d in which the Q u e e n has been graciously pleased to appoint the Right Reverend Charles Perry to be Bishop of the See of Melbourne, and further ordaining " that the said town of Melbourne shall be henceforth a city, and be called the city of Melbourne." Further changes were soon made, amongst which it was announced that the Rev. Mr. Macartney was to be stationed at Heidelberg, and a Mr. Bean shortly to be admitted a minister of the Church, was to officiate twice a week at Williamstown. Occasionally, occurrences, ludicrous and sometimes very unbecoming, used to happen. Once on a time, before the arrival of the Bishop, during a hot-wind Sunday, a settler, fresh from the bush, rushed into St. James' in the midst of the service. Thirsting for the W o r d of God, which he had been for some time without hearing from lips duly accredited, he attended little to his toilette, and so it happened that he was garbed in a short jacket, leather-belted, and displayed a periphery of bleached linen in an interstice presented between the extremes of the jacket and another indispensable garment, which is supposed to be unmentionable. H e entered a pew near which was a pompous medico of the period, who, disturbed in his devotions by some brusquerie of the other, affectedly turned round and looked as black as thunder at what he conceived to be an unauthorised intrusion. His indignation would no doubt have soon evaporated under the influence of the place, but unluckily, his eye was caught by the circlet before mentioned ; and such a trim in a temple of worship, and on the Sabbath, and in the presence of the elite of Melbourne, appeared to be such an appalling act of desecration, that after vainly requesting the intruder to withdraw, he actually had the temerity to give him in charge to a constable for unbecoming conduct in a house of prayer. The matter was, however, amicably arranged by the intervention of friends and an ample apology. It was a pity it did not go into Court, where a swingeing verdict of false imprisonment would have taught the vEsculapius that if pharisaical snobbery is to be indulged, it m a y sometimes be carried to an unreasonable extent, and should be enjoyed only as a very high-priced luxury. A scene of an altogether different kind was enacted at the afternoon service in St. Peter's, on Sunday, 27th February, 1848 ; and, though in a certain sense, more excusable than the former one, was a most disgraceful exhibition. T h e Rev. M r . T h o m s o n was officiating, and a numerous congregation were absorbed in their devotions, when they were suddenly electrified by someone bellowing out an " Amen," which rang through the building, and it was immediately ascertained that the public executioner ("Jack Harris"), was standing in their midst, in an advanced stage of intoxication, vociferating " aniens" and hammering away on thefloor,with a big stick, as if keeping time with the organ. H e was called upon to desist, and replied byflourishinghis cudgel, and, as he had not sufficient control of his muscular system, the weapon flew backward out of his hand, and went very near disfiguring an exquisitely got up young gentleman connected with the choir. T h e sexton procured the truncheon and tried to make peace, but the offendor threatened to break both his and the parson's heads, and pulling from a greasy pocket a well-thumbed edition of Cooper's novel, " T h e Bravo of Venice," coolly commenced to give out a text from ​it. In the meantime a Sergeant Stapleton, a strong .active member of the Police, was invoked to eject the hangman, who, in the midst of intense confusion, declared he should have the rest of the service gone through in his o w n way. Stapleton seized Harris by the neck, : nd after a smart tussle of cuffing and kicking, the scoundrel was dragged away, howling like a maimed gorilla, and .swearing that if he had his rope with him, " h e would strangle the whole lot of them, parson and all." T h e fellow, after a night in the lock-up, was brought before the Police Court next morning, where the presiding Magistrate happened to be Mr. Moor, the Chancellor. In addition to the foregoing, evidence was given of Harris being a ticket-of-leave prisoner of the Crown, and he was sentenced to six months' inprisonment with hard labour. Dr. Perry did not let the grass grow under his feet, and no m a n could have worked more unceasingly and energetically than he did. S o m e difficulty was experienced in settling the question of the maintenance of St. Peter's, and a " W a y s and M e a n s " meeting was held on 22nd July, presided over by Mr. James Simpson, when it was estimated that .£140 per annum for two years would solve the present difficulty, towards which a subscription list was opened, and names for a good proportion of the sum at once put down. O n the 6th August, St. Peter's was inaugurated as a church, on which occasion the Bishop preached a morning, and the Rev. M r . N e w h a m , an evening sermon. T h e Diocesan Society was established on the 12th September, 1848, at a numerously-attended meeting in the Temperance Hall, Russell Street. T h e Bishop, who was chairman, delivered a luminous address, in which he formulated the objects of the proposed institution. T h e other speakers were : — M r . Latrobe (the Superintendent), Messrs. J. L. P'oster, A. M'Kenzie, R e d m o n d Barry, Joseph Raleigh, E. E. Williams, William Hull, C. Campbell, the Revs, (now Dr.) Macartney, and A. C. Thompson. T h e principles of the society were settled, and it was declared to be organised for the following purposes : — T o promote the building of churches, maintenance of clergy, circulation of Bibles and prayer books, and the advancement of true religion, consistent with the discipline of the United Church of England and Ireland in the Diocese of Melbourne. A brief code of rules for its management was adopted, thefirstset of office-bearers elected, and ,£180 contributed in aid of the ends sought to be obtained. Geelong was constituted an Archdeaconry, with a jurisdiction over the entire Western District, and Dr. Macartney was appointed Archdeacon in October, 1848. A small section of Church of England worshippers, considering that the Rev. Mr. Collins, the first minister, had a preferent claim, were dissatisfied. Dr. Macartney was then fifty years of age or something over, and some of his opponents had the folly to insinuate that he was too old for the work. H e has already outlived every one of them by many years, has been working hard ever since, and is still in harness (1888), forty years after, an instructive commentary on the fallacy of the fashion now getting into vogue, of measuring ability by a rule of thumb, which beckons to a person thoroughly efficient to stand aside when he reaches a certain arbitrary maximum of years. Dr. Macartney, n o w the well-known Dean of Melbourne, was born in Dublin in 1799, and is aztate 89. H e is a son of Sir John Macartney, a m e m b e r of the Irish House of C o m m o n s , and a more untiring and conscientious minister never officiated in the colony. O n the 31st October, Bishop Perry administered confirmation to 82 persons at St. James', on which occasion the church was crammed to overflowing. In November the erection of a G r a m m a r School near St. Peter's, upon which ,£650 were to be expended, was commenced, and Mr. Budd, R . H , was to be the master. T h e Bishop's lengthy missionary tour through the Western District also took place. In January, 1849, a branch of the Diocesan Society was opened at Geelong, and promised to be an efficient ally of the parent body in Melbourne. T h e important district of Collingwood was without a place of worship, and as there was no land there available for a Government grant, the Bishop purchased from Mr. John Hodgson, a site whereon to erect a church (the now St. Mark's). Brighton, which already had a small building for religious uses, was now given a pastor to itself in the person of Mr. Brickwood, a private school teacher, w h o was about to take orders, and Mr. Bean (about to be ordained) was- assigned to Gippsland. T h e new school of St. Peter's, or, as it was afterwards designated, T h e Melbourne Diocesan School, was opened on the n t h April. It professed to give a sound scriptural and general education, and its terms were—Entrance fee, ,£2 2s. and ,£1 is. for every additional boy of the same family; annual fee, ​£10 10s., payable quarterly. In March, 1849, the Bishop rented the Russell Street Temperance Hall for temporary worship, and the Rev. W . Merry was nominated to officiate there. O n the 13th M a y the Bishop issued hisfirstpastoral letter. A confirmation was held at Geelong on 2nd June, when there were twenty-six recipients, chiefly adults; and on the 3rd Sunday of the month, the Bishop held an Ordination at the same place, on which occasion the Archdeacon presented Messrs. Bean and Braim for Priest's, and Mr. Bloomfield for Deacon's orders. T h e church service in the evening was read by the Reverend Mr. Braim. O n the 22nd August, a meeting of the subscribers and pew-holders of St. Peter's was held in the Diocesan G r a m m a r School. After paying all demands on the Church account, and fencing the ground, there was a balance of ,£95. T h e pulpit was proposed to be put up at a cost of between ,£70 and ,£80. T h e Trustees urged the taking of immediate steps with respect to the parsonage, and invited co-operation. A committee was appointed to collect contributions, for which a list was opened forthwith, and headed by the Bishop with ,£100 out of funds placed at his disposal from England, and ,£10 as his individual donation. Efforts had been for some time m a d e for the erection of churches at Richmond and St. Kilda, and at the former place the Rev. Joseph Docker presented for a site an acre of land, worth ,£100. T h e first annual meeting of the Diocesan Society was held at the Temperance Hall on the 12th September, 1849, when Bishop Perry gave an interesting precis of the past year's proceedings. Mr, Edward Courtney was appointed itsfirstSecretary at an annual salary of ,£150. T h e Bishop presided over a meeting at Howard's Royal Hotel, St. Kilda, on the 16th October, to concert measures for the speedy erection of a church and school-house, and ,£150 was subscribed in the room. T h e Richmond congregation pushed on with m u c h vigour, and on the 5th December, the subscribers assembled at St. Peter's Schoolroom to determine upon a plan of building prepared by Mr. James Blackburn. ,£350 had been subscribed, the Bishop was willing to lend, out of the General Church Fund, £ 1 0 0 for two years without interest, and the Rev. Mr. Docker, w h o had given the land, offered to contribute ,£100, if all w h o had subscribed doubled their subscriptions, but nothing was done in this respect. It was supposed that half the chancel in the submitted plan could be completed for ,£600, and accommodation so provided for 120 sitters. T h e only business transacted was the appointment of Messrs. D. S. Campbell, W'. Highett, Edward Bell, George James, and Henry Ghinn, as trustees. Towards the close of the year the Rev. Mr. Singleton was appointed to Kilmore, the Rev. Mr. T h o m s o n obtained leave of absence to visit V a n Diemen's Land, on account of ill-health ; and on December 23rd, Messrs. Brickwood and Merry received ordination, and Mr. Cheyne was admitted to Deacon's orders. Before Bishop Perry left England, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, agreed to sanction a grant of land as a site for an Episcopal mansion, with £ 2 0 0 0 towards the building, and a stipend of ,£500 per annum. T h e land (two acres) was granted in East Melbourne, in the course of 1849, and the money was to be paid from the sale of land belonging to the Church of England, in what was then known as the Middle District, i.e. N e w South Wales, outside the boundary of Port Phillip. But the land did not pass into the possession of the church until the April following.
An Episcopal Conference
Was held at Albury (a place remarkable for intercolonial conferences since) on the 1st February, 1850, when the Bishops of Sydney and Melbourne met at the then inconsiderable border village. They were received with kindly warmth by the residents, at both sides of the Murray, and on Sunday the 3rd, after service Dr. Broughton held a confirmation. There were two services on that memorable day, and it is doubtful if the churches of Albury have since listened to two such brilliant orations as were then preached, viz, in the morning by Bishop Broughton, and the evening by Bishop Perry. The next day, 4th, a meeting was held, with Dr. Broughton as chairman, at which business of an important nature, as concerned the Riverina neighbourhood, was disposed of. Arrangements were made for the maintenance of a minister to officiate at convenient places in both districts, the Bishop of Sydney undertaking to contribute ,£100 for one year, and ,£50 was to be raised by the settlers on each side of the H u m e ​(Murray), i.e., a total of ,£200. A resolution was also passed guaranteeing the erection of a school-house, and a committee appointed to give effect to the stipulations. T h e Bishop held another confirmation at St, James', Melbourne, on the 27th March, when he had the hitherto unusual number of five assistants, viz, the Revs. N e w h a m , Strong, Brickwood, Bloomfield, and Chase. A fortnight after, a subscription was c o m m e n c e d to raise funds for a church, to be built " somewhere between the Prince of Wales' Hotel (Little Flinders Street) and the wooden bridge over the Yarra, to be known as St. Lawrence's Cathedral;" and in two hours eleven persons put down their names for ,£100 each, one for ,£50 and one for ,£25. T h e list soon reached ,£1400, and the site selected and granted by the Government, was an abandoned Market Reserve between Flinders and Little Flinders Streets, and abutting on Swanston Street. But it was not intended to c o m m e n c e the building until the opening of the following year, and as St. James' was a cathedral, and St. Lawrence a n a m e not generally approved, it was determined to abandon it, and that the coming ecclesiastical structure should be known as St. Paul's Church. St. James' was every day growing more insufficient for the accommodation of increasing numbers, and many and anxious were the deliberations thereupon. It wasfinallyresolved to negotiate a loan of ,£1600 at 8 per cent, to be applied to putting in n e w foundations, constructing a gallery and transepts, one of which was to serve as a vestry room, the other a registry office, and, though last, not least, to replace the unsightly deformity that topped it, facetiously called a tower. This church, never an agreeable-looking pile, was originally a positive eyesore to the town, and as, after Batman's Hill, it was the second sight that met the gaze of strangers coming up the river, people looked from one to the other, and asked in astonishment what on earth was the uncouth object in the distance? If built, as primarily designed by M r . Robert Russell, it would be surmounted by a neat, symmetrical steeple; but from want of funds, the plan was mutilated in every conceivable way, and the future cathedral was "bonneted" with an abortion of no k n o w n order of architecture in existence. It was therefore placed in the hands of Mr. Charles Laing, an architect of repute, to rehabilitate it; but it was so muddled by the well-meaning, though ignorant oflficiousness of Dr. Palmer, the ruling spirit of the Building Committee, that another abortion, not quite so bad as thefirst,was the consequence. In fact, the old tower was raised a little, crowned with a pepper-pot and embellished with some circular enrichments, only two of which could be seen from any given point of view, and so like spectacles were these eyeletholes, that a facetious Scotch lady used to declare " O h , St. James' has taken to wearing glasses!" Bishop Perry and Dr. Palmer were delighted with the change, which was laughed at by the church worshippers, some of w h o m spoke of it jeeringly as an erection for which the Bishop was responsible. It remains in m u c h the same state to-day, about the most dismal-looking picture in the whole city of Melbourne. Another ordination was held on the 26th May, when Messrs. Bloomfield, Tanner and Gregory were enrolled in the priesthood. T h e Bishop was assisted in the ceremonial by the Archdeacon and the Rev. Mr. Chase ; Mr. H . J. Chambers acting as pro tern. Chancellor in the absence of Mr. H . Moor. T h e movement organised for the erection of a place of worship at Richmond was prosecuted so vigorously that, towards the end of the year, such progress had been m a d e as warranted an actual commencement of the work. June the 20th, 1850, the period fixed for the initial ceremony, was a fine, bracing, mid-winter day, and a large number went out from Melbourne to be present. Church Street was then very different from what it is now, as it was far out of town, and no h u m a n habitations to be seen except a few comfortable home-nooks of country villas dotted on both sides of the river, and some brickmakers toiling in the distance. There could not be found a more picturesque or brighter-looking locality—a pleasant suburban break in the surrounding forest. Amongst thefirstto arrive were His Honor Mr. Latrobe and his wife, who resided at Jolimont, the then half-way station to Richmond. Bishop Perry was accompanied by the Rev. Messrs. N e w h a m , Kloomfield, Strong and Gregory, and at the appointed hour there were several hundred persons in attendance. Prayers were offered, a couple of hymns chanted, and the stone was laid by the Bishop. In the proverbial cavity was placed a bottle, containing some coins of
THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A CHURCH
Devoted to the Service of Almighty God, for the use of that body of the Christian Church, known as
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,
And called in Honor of the Proto-martyr, St. Stephen, was laid by
The Right Rev. Charles,
Lord Bishop of Melbourne,
On the twentieth day of June, Anno Domini, One thousand eight hundred and fifty: in the fourteenth year
of the Reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty
QUEEN VICTORIA.
Governor of the Colony of New South Wales,
Sir Chas. Augustus Fitzroy, Knt.
Superintendent of the District of Port Phillip,
Charles Jospeh Latrobe, Esq.
Trustee of the Church:
The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Melbourne.
Building Committee:
Edward Bell, Esq.; Henry Ghinn, Esq.; George James, Esq.; Wm. Highett, Esq.
Daniel Stodhart Campbell, Esq.
Architects:
Arthur Newson, and James Blackburn, Junr.
The proceedings closed with an address from the Bishop, and a liberal collection towards the building fund.
A commotion was caused unwittingly, by Bishop Perry, at whose instigation his Chancellor (Mr. Henry Moor), as a Member of the Legislature of New South Wales, introduced in the Council two measures, (a) for the regulation of Church Temporalities, and (b) a Church Discipline Bill. General dissatisfaction was expressed by the other denominations, and even shared by no inconsiderable number of the Episcopalians. An impression prevailed that the ruling powers were disposed to unduly favour the Church of England, and instances of undue preference were not wanted. From the earliest times the Episcopalian Minister was allowed by the Executive Regulations £50 a year more in his stipend than the clergymen of other churches. Then there was the "Cabbage Garden," a trifling but significant item, followed by the endowment of the Bishopric with land and money. These circumstances, and others existing only in imagination, fomented such an opposition to the Church Bills that the Mayor (Dr. Greeves) was requisitioned to convene a public meeting on the subject, which was held in the Mechanics' Institute on the 7th August and the attendance was numerous and influential. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. James Clow, T. O'Dell, A. Morrison, A. M . Ramsay, Messrs. J. P. Fawkner, J. O'Shanassy, J. A. Marsden, and Dr. P. M'Arthur. The proceedings were characterised by an unusual unanimity amongst sectional representatives, and a fixed determination to resist, by every constitutional means, the passing of the Bills. Several resolutions were adopted, as well as a petition to the Legislative Council, praying that body not to pass into law such "obnoxious Bills" because "they were partial in their character, subversive of the principle of denominational equality evidently recognised by the present constitution of the colony, calculated to aggrandize a particular sect, and to plant a dominant Church in the country " — and further, "that these Bills, by arming an Ecclesiastical Court with secular powers, are fraught with the utmost danger to our civil and religious liberties, and cannot be viewed by an enlightened British Community, but with feelings of jealousy and serious apprehension." Dr. Perry affected much surprise at the storm of discontent thus evoked, and declared that no harm to other Communions was meant by, or contained in, the Bills. In the Legislature they were also opposed ab initio, and Mr. Moor, under the pretence of desiring to allay popular dissatisfaction in Melbourne, withdrew them. The fact was the Bills would have been rejected, and this, Moor was about the last man not to foresee—but as a dexterous politician he made a virtue of necessity, and so secured a clever retreat from a position at the time far from enviable.
On the 25th August there was an interesting ceremony at the opening of a new church by Dr. Perry at Broadmeadows, or, as all that country side was then better known, the Moonee Ponds. ​Two noteworthy events happened in September, viz. : — O n the 7th, a meeting of the Diocesan Society was held at the Temperance Hall, when Mr. W . F. Stawell made hisfirstappearance in the role of a religious lecturer, his theme being " T h e Reformation." H e delivered a second one, on the same subject, which brought forth afiercerejoinder from Mr. James Wallace, a R o m a n Catholic school-master. The annual meeting of the same body was held on the 20th, at which an excellent address was delivered by the Right Rev. Dr. Short, Bishop of Adelaide, w h o was paying a visit to Dr. Perry. ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.
The foundation stone of this edifice (now being displaced to make way for the Cathedral) was laid on the 21st September, 1850, in the presence of thousands of people. At one o'clock the two prelates (Perry and Short) made their appearance, accompanied by Archdeacon Macartney, and as many ministers as could be mustered. T h e Superintendent, the Mayor, and most of the City Council were there. The ceremony began by Dr. Perry offering a prayer, " that G o d would be pleased to further their endeavours to promote His Glory, by raising edifices where His people might assemble to thank H i m for His blessings, and receive instruction in His Word." M r . J. M . Smith then read from a parchment slip the following inscription :— THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE CHURCH OF ST. PAUL'S, MELBOURNE, Was laid by T H E R I G H T R E V E R E N D C H A R L E S PERRY, DD., First Bishop of Melbourne, On the Twenty-first day of September, Anno Domini, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty, being the Fourth Year of his Consecration, and the Fourteenth of the Reign of H E R M O S T G R A C I O U S M A J E S T Y Q U E E N VICTORIA. Governor of the Colony of N e w South Wales, SIR C H A R L E S A U G U S T U S F I T Z R O Y , K N T . Superintendent of the District of Port Phillip, C H A R L E S JOSEPH L A T R O B E , ESQ. Mayor of Melbourne, A. F. A. GREEVES, ESQ. Trustees of the Church : T H E R E V . D A N I E L N E W H A M , M . A , Incumbent of St. Peter's; R I C H A R D G R I C E ; G E R M A I N N I C H O L S O N ; J O H N M A T T H E W S M I T H ; G E O R G E HASKELL. Architects : JAMES A N D CHARLES W E B B .
Builder : J A M E S LINACRE. In the good Providence of God there was also present on the occasion, on his journey to attend thefirstConference of the Bishops of the Australasian Dioceses, to be held at Sydney, A U G U S T U S SHORT, D.D.,
First Bishop of Adelaide.
This was sealed in a bottle and placed in an excavation in the under stone upon which the upper one was to be lowered. T h e builder handed the trowel to the Bishop w h o spread some mortar, and the upper stone was slowly eased from its suspense when the requisite mallet knocks were given and the stone so "laid." Bishop Perry delivered an effective address; Bishop Short, the Archdeacon, and Rev. Mr. N e w h a m following. A collection was next made, and a simultaneous rendition of the 100th Psalm closed the proceedings, after which, Mr. H . Moor, M . L . A , on behalf of the clergy and laity of the Church of England, Port Phillip, presented an address of Christian welcome to Bishop Short. Soon after, the Rev. A. C. Thomson returned from leave in V a n Diemen's Land, and announced his intention of permanently connecting himself with the ministry over the Straits. O n the 9th October one hundred and fifty persons publicly bade him farewell at a tea party in the school-room of St. James', the Mayor presiding, when Mr. T h o m s o n was presented with an address, and a testimonial of a purse of sovereigns. H e ministered in V a n Diemen's Land for a considerable time, and died there some years ago. It is a singular incident that the three clergymen of different denominations, who were so well and popularly ​known in the primitive times, should have become dissociated from the early missions which they severally worked with untiring zeal, and when occasion required, co-operated pro bono publico, irrespective of sectarian considerations. The Revs. James Forbes, P. B. Geoghegan, and A. C. Thomson were three of the old identities—as well known as Batman's Hill, like which they were gradually obliterated from the public mind. N o work of charity or philanthropy was ever mooted in which they were not amongst the foremost volunteers to give a helping hand, and apart from their religious ministrations, no three men were ever held in more general esteem. Mr. Forbes seceded from the parent stock of Presbyterianism, to which he was long and conscientiously affiliated, founded a branch of the Free Presbyterian Church in Melbourne, and died in connection with it. Mr. Geoghegan, who ought to have been thefirstRoman Catholic Bishop of Melbourne, in a few years left the colony, and died Bishop of Adelaide. O n the 31st December, 1850, the Church of England worship in Port Phillip was represented by seven churches, estimated to contain 2460, but having a general attendance of 2550 persons. The year 1851 was an epoch fraught with much importance to the Church of England in the newly-created-colony of Victoria, and Bishop Perry stuck to his work in a manner to thoroughly establish his reputation as an indefatigable labourer in the cause to which he had devoted himself. O n the 8th January he "floated" " T h e Melbourne Diocesan Board of Missions" at a public meeting held for the purpose, with His Honor the Superintendent as Chairman. The objects of this Institution were (1) to establish and maintain missions and generally assist any efforts for the conversion and civilisation of the Aboriginal inhabitants of the Diocese. (2) Co-operation with the Provincial Board of Missions at Sydney for the conversion and civilisation of the heathen race in all islands of the Western Pacific. (3) T o receive and forward subscriptions to particular missionary societies with special missionary objects. The management was to consist of a Patron, President, Vice-president, and Committee, with two Treasurers (one lay and one clerical), two Secretaries (one lay and one clerical), all to be members of the Church of England. Life membership was obtainable by a ten guinea contribution, or executors paying ,£50. Annual subscribers of £1 is, or collectors of £2 12s. or more annually, were to be members. The office of Patron was reserved for the acceptance by the Governor of the colony; the Bishop and the Archdeacon were to be ex officio President and Vice-president respectively, and the clergy ex officio members. A code of laws was approved, and thefirstelective office-bearers appointed. Bishop Perry was busily engaged to the westward, and at Belfast, on the 4th May, he confirmed eighteen persons prepared by Dr. Braim. O n the following day a dinner was given to 140 children, in a newly-erected boarding school. A n ordination was held at St. James', Melbourne, on the 15th June, when the Bishop, assisted by the Archdeacon, the Rev. Mr. Strong, and Chancellor Moor, admitted the Rev. Messrs. Cheyne and Gregory to Priests', and Mr. Clowes to Deacons' orders. THE CHURCH ASSEMBLY.
The Bishop having in contemplation to hold a conference of the clergy and laity of the Church, steps were taken for convening the same. This was to consist of two branches, i.e., every clergyman to be an ex officio member, and lay delegates to be elected by the parishes throughout the diocese. The conference was opened in St. James' School-room on the 24th June, 1851. It was the festival of St. John the Baptist and Divine service was held at the Cathedral, after which, the Conference assembled, when there were thirteen ministers and thirty-two lay representatives present. The Bishop, as President, opened the proceedings Their object was to consider and determine matters relating to the good government, discipline, and temporalities of the diocese, such as (1) the permanent endowment of the church, and the best means for carrying out that object; (2) the system and administration of church patronage generally throughout the diocese ; and (3) the constitution of the Church of England in Port Phillip, as regarded(a) the mode of appointment of B i s h o p s - ^ , the expediency and mode of organising Diocesan Synods and Conventions-^;, the expediency and mode of organising Provincial Synods and Conventions. From thefinancialreport it appeared that the receipts from 18th June, 1848, to date, amounted to £14 191 8s 5 d all of which had been expended less balance in hand of ^ 2 6 3 qs. 6d. Of the receipts, .£io'6co had been received from England, ,£364 from Sydney, and the residue contributed in Port ​Phillip. T h e Assembly sat for several days and conducted its business according to the standing orders of Parliament. Its debates were marked by ability, good temper, and a knowledge of the important questions discussed. T h e reports in the Melbourne newspapers were read with an interest not restricted to the Episcopalian community, and there can be no doubt that the session was productive of enduring benefits to the denomination interested. T h e Rev. J. A. Clowes was thefirstminister specially assigned to Collingwood, where he was to officiate north of Gertrude Street. T h e ladies of his congregation were so well pleased to have a parson "told off" for their spiritual guardianship, that they presented him with a surplice, scarf, gown, and a five-pound note as pocket-money. T h e first clergyman, deceased, in the colony, and whose loss, in August, 1851, occasioned much regret, was the Rev. Mr. N e w h a m , Pastor of St. Peter's, a gentleman of m u c h amiability of character and unassuming zeal. H e had expended some private funds on St. Peter's parsonage, and a subscription was m a d e to reimburse the amount so advanced, as well as to procure some provision for his bereaved widow. A brief account of his funeral will be found in the " Mortuary Chapter " of this publication. T h e Annual Meeting of the Diocesan Society was held at the Mechanics' Institute on the 26th September. His Honor the Superintendent (Mr. Latrobe) presided, and Mr. R. W . Pohlman submitted a eport detailing the progress made in the affairs of the church. This document communicated several interesting particulars :—St. Paul's Church, the foundation of which had been laid in the September of the preceding year, was far advanced towards completion, but the funds were exhausted. Its subscription list showed twelve contributors of £"100 each, two of w h o m had increased their donations to ^ 2 5 0 ; nevertheless a lamentable want of zeal and liberality was evinced by the parishioners. Churches were almost in readiness at Heidelberg, Brighton and Richmond, and during the year another new place of worship (St. Paul's) had been commenced at Geelong; but nothing had been done respecting a proposed church at Williamstown. T h e only new school-building was at Belfast, which supplied accommodation for boarders. Plans were in contemplation for erecting a church at Tarraville (Gippsland), establishing boarding schools at Ballan and Burnbank, and building a parsonage at St. Kilda, for which ,£350 had been raised. It was hoped that in another year there would be a fourth church erected in the northern part of Melbourne, and a fifth church was greatly needed at Collingwood, T h e expenditure of the English Episcopal Fund for the year was:—Stipends for clergy and readers, ,£3310 3s. 2d.; for churches and schools, ,£1814 17s.; total, .£5125 os. 2d, T h e receipts from local contributions for maintenance of clergy and lay-readers realized ,£1484 13s. 7d, and several grants, amounting to about ,£1500, had been received from societies and friends in England. T h e income of the Diocesan Society for the year was .£636 17s. sd. T h e additions to the clerical staff were the Rev. J. Taylor (from England), appointed temporarily to Williamstown; Rev. C. Perks (from England), as temporary curate at St. James'; Rev. W . H . Liddiard, in charge at St. Kilda ; Rev. J. A. Clowes (ordained on Trinity Sunday), at Collingwood ; Mr. Matty, as an additional lay-reader at Geelong, and Mr. Pitt, from the London City Mission, was visitor at Melbourne. There were expected from England the Rev. J. Hart Davies, to be Archdeacon of Melbourne ; Rev. George D r u m m o n d , Rev. S. L. Chase, and Mr. Potter, a candidate for Holy Orders. Reference was made to the efforts in establishing Bush Missions, and providing for the spiritual wants of the aborigines; several grants for the year were recommended, and the shortness of funds complained of. T h e death of the Rev. D. N e w h a m was deplored, and a graceful and well-deserved tribute offered to his memory. T h e Church Conference was specially noted as " a most interesting event in the present course of our ecclesiastical history," and "from the manner in which it was conducted, as well as from the conclusions at which it arrived, m u c h benefit m a y be expected to arise." T h e report evinced considerable literary ability, and concluded in terms worthy of quotation, viz.:—" T h e foundation of national prosperity is not in material wealth, but in Christian truth as the source ofSpublic virtue and freedom, no less than of social and domestic happiness. In vain shall our land yield her increase, our flocks and herds multiply, or our gold abound, if true religion and piety be not established among us, and if our people care not for the training up of their children in the knowledge and fear of God." T h e meeting was addressed by the Bishop, Messrs. W . F. Stawell, T. T. A'Beckett, H . Moor, H . C. Childers, the Rev. Mr. Perks and others, and resolutions were passed of thanksgiving to G o d for the success ​accorded, acknowledging with gratitude the liberality of the English contributors; appealing for support to the members of the Church, and urging upon the inhabitants of Melbourne especially, to aid in the completion of St. Paul's. T h e new church at Brighton was opened October 12th, when the Rev. Mr. Brickwood officiated, and towards the end of the month the Rev. Mr. R o b b left Gippsland for V a n Diemen's Land, receiving an address and testimonial prior to departing. T h e Rev. J. H . Davies, recently arrived, was appointed Archdeacon, and accepted the pastorate of St. Peter's. Archdeacon Macartney was appointed Dean and transferred to St. James' (Melbourne). O n Sunday, the 2nd November, what was described as " an outrageous occurrence" happened in Gippsland. T h e Rev. M r . Bean announced at a service at the Mitchell River that he should officiate there again, either on Sunday, the 7th, or Sunday, the 14th December, when a person named Ward excitedly exclaimed—"Sunday is not the 7th, but the 8 t h — n o ! the 9th." There was much commotion, and the vociferator was only saved from rough treatment by the tact and forbearance of the minister, w h o happened to be right in his reckoning of the calendar. T h e Rev. A. A. Strong, for some time in charge of St. James', decided upon returning to England at the end of the year, and on Sunday, 28th December, addressed a valedictory discourse to his parishioners. At the opening of 1852 the following changes were effected : — D r . Macartney, Dean of Melbourne and Minister of the Cathedral of St. James', vice Strong ; Rev. W . Merry went h o m e on account of ill health ; Rev. C. T. Perks translated to Richmond, was succeeded at St. Peter's by the Rev. Mr. Handfield; Rev. E. Collins, of Geelong, was given three months' leave of absence, his place to befilledby the Rev. G. D r u m m o n d ; Mr. J. Potter was admitted to Holy Orders, and stationed at Williamstown ; and the Rev. J. S. Gregory had been for some time detached as a Missionary to M o u n t Alexander, then revolutionised by the untold golden treasures of which it was the unconscious holder for centuries perhaps uncountable. T h e Bishop had announced that he would hold his primary visitation for the Archdeaconry of Melbourne at St. James' Cathedral on 21st January. T h e Census taken on the 2nd March, 1851, showed the number of Church of England worshippers in the colony as 37,443, and of these there were 10,945 in the City of Melbourne. T h e gold discoveries, before the year had run out, unexpectedly disarranged all the calculations of the statists, and whirled religion as well as every other public institution along the railroad of life with a more than express speed. Dr. Perry kept at the helm through times of great peril, and remained faithfully at his post until increasing years and arduous exertions warned him of the prudence of handing over his episcopal trust to a younger and stronger hand. H e accordingly did so, and, on the 26th April, 1874, departed from the colony. In 1881, the Church of England population of Victoria numbered some 325,000 persons, and there were 172 registered clergymen, 573 churches, providing accommodation for 76,402 worshippers, 44,825 of w h o m usually attended at the 29,^9 services approximately performed during the preceding year. T h e items referred to in the foregoing paragraph are thus stated in Mr. Hayter's Statistics for l8 86-7 -Population (estimated), 356,420* ; Registered Ministers, 201 ; Churches and other Buildings used for Public Worship, 883, providing accommodation for 103,185 Worshippers; Services, 46,143; Average Attendance, 58,862.
» Including Free Church of England and Protestants not otherwise defi