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Carrington Avenue Uniting Church (former Methodist Church)
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1961 Methodist Rally at Carrington Avenue Church
Photograph: Strathfield District Historical Society Collection |
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On the 2nd July 1907, a meeting of twelve friends convened by the Rev. Charles Newman of the Burwood Methodist Circuit, was held at ‘Alviston’ the residence of Mr. James Moran. The object of the meeting was to be the consideration and advisability of taking steps to purchase land and erect a Methodist Church in Strathfield.
It was unanimously decided that:
Subsequently a meeting of this committee on July 4th 1907 with the Rev. C. T. Newman, heard that an offer of a block of land 134’ x 140’ in Carrington Avenue, the property of the Fraser Estate, was one of several blocks available and it was resolved:
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‘It is desirable to secure the block offered by Mrs. Fraser, at a cost not exceeding £700 and that Mr. Joseph Vickery be asked to oblige the committee by negotiating and purchasing on behalf of the committee on the best terms possible’.
The first Trustee Meeting, consisting of six members, with Rev. C. T. Newman in the Chair, was held at the residence of Mr. W .H .Kells on August 4th 1907 and they heard that Mr. Vickery had negotiated the purchase and the Chairman had signed the agreement on behalf of the church.
By the New Year of 1908 the work of erection had commenced so that by February 8 the foundation stone could be laid. This ceremony vas performed by E. K. Bowden Esq. M.P. in the presence of a large and representative gathering.
On Saturday April 11th. the church was opened by His Excellency the Governor of NSW Sir Harry Rawson RN GCMG. The President of the Conference the Rev. Benjamin Danks, preached the dedicatory sermon. Rev. C. T. Newman was assisted in the service by Revs. J. Woodhouse [Secretary of the Conference] and J. Woolnaugh. Present members remember the late, much-loved Albert Harper who was present at the opening sitting on the shoulders of his father.
The new church had been built by E. C. Lusted according to the plans of Mr. A. G. Newman, whose work of planning and supervision of the erection was truly a labor of love. The first Sunday morning service was conducted by the Rev. J. Woodhouse, the evening service by Rev. C. T. Newman.
The first Trustees of the church were Rev. C. T. Newman, Rev. James Woolnough, Mr. J. A. Somerville, Mr. E. A. Brunsdon, Mr. J. H. Squire, Mr. Joseph Vickery (Treas.), Mr. W. H. Kells, Mr. J. F. Bruce, Mr. Alfred G. Newman, Mr. James Moran (Secretary) and Mr. J. Whitfield.
The first Sunday services of the new church marked the close of the Rev. C. T. Newman’s long and honourable career as a circuit and connexional minister. On becoming a supernumerary minister, Mr. Newman came to reside in Strathfield and continued to help the infant church by his counsel and preaching. It remained under the jurisdiction of the Burwood circuit until 1910 when that circuit had made such progress the time was ripe for division. The new circuit which included Concord had Strathfield as its headquarters.
Rev. W. E. Bromilow D.D. was the first superintendent minister of the Strathfield circuit. For four years he continued in this ministry until elected President of the NSW Conference in 1911. It is said that because of his inspiration the Strathfield Church has always prided itself upon being a missionary church. Throughout the period of the first twenty-one years Mr. J .H. Harper was an able and enthusiastic Home and Foreign Mission Secretary.
Mrs. Bromilow laid the foundation stone for the Sunday School hall on May 7th 1910. Mr. Clarence Newman had conducted a Sunday School class of eighteen scholars ever since the 26th April 1908, in the choir vestry, and Mr S. P. England was superintendent. When the decision was made to build a Sunday School hall, the Ladies’ Church Aid guaranteed the annual interest on the cost of the building. Mr. Alfred Newman succeeded Mr. England and served ten years as superintendent. Miss Elma Murphy founded the kindergarten department and later Mrs. Dunn [nee Dorothy Green], to be followed by Miss Ethel Thompson. The kindergarten hall was built and opened in November 1921. Mr. R. H. Nesbitt succeeded Mr. Newman and then Mr. E. C. Glasson followed as superintendent.
Activities such as Christian Endeavour was established in 1914 by Miss Ponton, then Miss Annie Orr, Miss Thomas and Miss Harper as superintendents. Under Miss Thomas it grew so large it was divided into junior and senior sections and the leadership for the latter was given by Mr. Harold Wyndham. The Strathfield Methodist Young People’s Guild was formed in April 1921 to foster social interaction and this lead to the formation of a Tennis Club which leased courts in Fairholm Street.
The Conference in 1915 ratified the purchase of the property at Enfield for the purpose of a Theological College, giving the name ‘LEIGH’ in commemoration of the Rev. S. Leigh, first Wes1eyan missionary to the Colonies. It also appointed the Rev. W. E. Bennett MA. ED. to be the first Principal. Only in 1917, when most students offered for war service, was the training suspended .
In 1927 a beautiful chapel, the E. Vickery Memorial Chapel, gift of Mrs C T Newman, was opened and dedicated. In the same year the Governor of New South Wales, His Excellency Sir Dudley de Clair, laid a foundation stone for a now College building and it was opened during the Conference of 1928.
The Rev. B. J. Meek returned to the area in 1917 as superintendent minister of the circuit, having previously held this same appointment in the Burwood circuit from 1885 to 1888 when churches had been opened at Bankstown, Enfield and Homebush. Again his zeal resulted in land being purchased at South Strathfield. Development in the Concord area required the area Concord, Concord West and Rhodes to become a separate circuit. He rested from his labours in 1920 but decided to remain in the Strathfield area until his death in 1923. The South Strathfield church opened for worship in 1922, and the present church in 1959.
The organ in the Carrington Avenue church when it became the Uniting Church was installed in 1925 following long discussions guided by Mr. Harland Vickery and the first recital was given by Mr. Frederick Newton, then organist of' St. Andrews Cathedral, whose advice had greatly assisted the church. After 1977 the beautiful organ in the Albert Road Congregational Church, now Korean Parish, was transferred to Carrington Avenue and after extensive refurbishment, replaced the original which had fallen into disrepair.
The Rev. A. M. Sanders came to Carrington Avenue in 1927, following the retirement of the Rev. J. W. Leadley and this proved an enriching experience for the congregation. Mr. Crane, organist and choirmaster, suggested to the Church Trust the appointment of a choirmaster and Mr. Cathro commenced a new phase in the development or the musical aspect.
The Ladies’ Church Aid and the Women’s Foreign Missionary Auxiliary started in 1909 and fulfilled their aims with dedication and cheerfulness. Under the ministry of the Rev. Edmund Walker c.1957, a Migrant 'Staging Home" was acquired in Moore Street Strathfield for Methodist British migrant families.
A tabulation of finances for the first twenty-one years shows interesting statistics.
Beautiful memorial windows and plaques are a feature of this church. The windows on the eastern side commemorate the service of Mabel and George Davey and C. T. Newman, the first pastor; the south panel erected by the Nesbitt and Murphy families in honour of Ethel L. Nesbitt; on the western wall is a window for Joseph and Emily Vickery and the second to Amy A. Vickery and Elizabeth, wife of C. T. Newman.
Plaques commemorate the Rev. Benjamin Meek, Ethel G. Thompson, Mr. Robert H. Nesbitt, Joseph Vickery and his daughter Lilian. The 1914-1918 War Honour Roll lists the names of all church members who enlisted and the plaque those who made the supreme sacrifice- Frank and William Curry, Reginald Harrison, Raymond Jordan, Phillip Kelly, Joseph Ranson, BA LLB and Walter Rogers.
A carillon was installed as a memorial to those who made the supreme sacrifice in the 1939-1945 War - James Douglas, Harold Evans, William Hancock, Donald Hood, John Roberts, Trevor Rowsell and Ronald Smith. A Memorial Book lists the names of all who enlisted. After 1977 a Memorial Book was transferred from the Presbyterian Church in Homebush Road and it records the names of those who served from that congregation.
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Publication and author information
This article was first published in Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter Vol.16 No. 7 July 1993 and SDHS Vol.16 No.8 August 1993
Lucy Stone OAM was the former Secretary of the Strathfield District Historical Society.
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