1868 - Church Hall - Victor Harbor, SA, Australia
S 35° 33.371 E 138° 37.239
54H E 284339 N 6062671
This Foundation Stone is for the former Newland Memorial Church, now Uniting Church Hall.
Waymark Code: WMZ87X
Location: South Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 09/26/2018
Views: 3
This former two-storey Congregational Church was built of cemented bluestone (local to the area), after the earlier small chapel built in 1846, was considered too small (28' x 19'). (It also would have been a fire hazard, with its thatched roof, and kerosene or whale oil lamps being used inside. Before Reverend Ridgway William Newland's death by accident in 1864, he had instigated plans for building this stone church.
The white-marble tablet is on the left-hand (eastern) side of the front of the Newland Memorial Uniting Church Hall, beneath the cream-painted turret.
NEWLAND MEMORIAL CHURCH
________
The Foundation Stone of this Church
was Laid by
Mrs. R. W. Newland
widow of the
Rev. Ridgway William Newland
10th March 1868
The 1920's saw population growth in the Victor Harbor area, and even the 1919 addition of the Annexe (which was added to the front of the former church, adding two extra arched windows to each side) was not sufficient, so the larger, quadrant-shaped church over the street was built in 1927.
A 'Blue Plaque' attached to the Hall has the following information:
'The district's Congregational Church movement was very strong as a result of Reverend Ridgway W Newland's work. This church was built by Robert Veitch and Ephraim Weymouth using local bluestone and slate for roofing. The foundation stone was lain in 1868. After numerous fundraising events held to meet a building cost of over £1000, the church was opened in 1869. It was built with two levels, the lower one used as a schoolroom. When it became necessary to expand in 1919, the front section of this building was added and was named Hodge Memorial Annexe in memory of Reverend Charles Hodge who was the successor to Newland.'
Address: 30 Victor Street, Victor Harbor, SA, 5211, Australia
Church Phone: (08) 8552 7732
Visited: 0721, Tuesday, 29 May, 2018
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