The printed metal sign is set at an angle on a metal post, and has the following inscription:
St John the Evangelist Anglican Church
"Church services in the Hartley area were initially held in private houses and after 1839, in Hartley Courthouse. From 1835 onwards Anglicans in the area sought government assistance. A minister was not appointed until 1857 when the prominent Gothic Revival style architect Edmund Blacket completed the design for the church.
"It is interesting to note that the Roan Catholic Church was completed almost ten years previously, indicating the well established influence of Irish immigrants in Hartley. While St John's was designed by Blacket, he did not personally supervise the construction.
"The construction was supervised by the local builder William Rose. Originally the door of the church faced the Great Western Road. This entrance was later blocked up and evidence of this modification can still be seen. St John's is not in the ownership of the NPWA and is still a functioning Anglican parish church."
From a local website:
STONEWORK
"The “Early English” stone church was built without Blacket’s supervision and accordingly was very simple in design. The paired lancets on each bay of the nave have no mouldings and the stepped buttresses and western bell-cote were standard in the 1850’s. The only external decoration was a simple moulded strong stone course below the windows and a hood mould over the east window. Even so, sad to relate, the local contractor William Rose, appears to have misread Blacket’s drawing because the stone string course or nosing is only beneath each window when it should have been continuous as was normal with Blacket’s designs.
"Mortimer Lewis also had his plans for the Hartley Court House misread. It appears that early Hartley builders appear to have been competent tradesmen but stylistically inept."
TIMBERWORK
"The timberwork was carried out by the Burton Brothers who had recently arrived from England. Henry was engaged to do the timber works and asked his brother, Horatio F Burton, to join him in the work.
"Horatio took up permanent residence at Bowenfels where he lived for 71 years until his death in February 1929. St John’s interior is simple with a plain chancel dividing nave from sanctuary. The entrance to the church was originally to be on the north side but due to severe westerly winds experienced this was closed and the entrance without a porch was made through the second bay opposite - on the south wall of the nave."
St John's
Address: 1 Old Great Western Highway, Hartley, NSW, 2790, Australia
Visited: 1125, Thursday, 23 May, 2019