FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE
70-80 HANMER STREET WILLIAMSTOWN, HOBSONS BAY CITY
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Statement of Significance
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FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE - History
The site falls within four allotments (5, 6, 7 and 9, Section 5) temporarily reserved as a "Site for Presbyterian Place of Public Worship and Minister's Dwelling" by Government Order on 14 January 1853 (VGG 18/10/1872: 1928;). The site was permanently reserved from sa le by Government Order on 9 December 1872; construction of the church within allotments 6 & 7 commenced in August 1859, and was completed in June 1860 (VCG 27/12/1872: 2330; Heritage Alliance 2009: 6-8). Due to substandard construction, extensive sections of the building were demolished and rebuilt during 1870-1871, and a gothic-style tower was added to the front of the church in 1934 (Heritage Alliance 2009 : 6-8, 14).A series of interconnected outbuildings - including a Sunday School hall and "Young Men's Room", were erected within allotment 5 during the period 1865-c.1920 (Heritage Al liance 2009: 17-18). The current Church manse, situated at the rear of allotment 5 and fronting Hanmer Street, was constructed in September 1963 (Heritage Alliance 2009: 20).
Construction of the St Andrew's Presbyterian Church manse, located at the rear of allotments 6 & 7, at 70- 80 Hanmer Street, has been summarised by Heritage Alliance (2009: 20) as follows :
"Plans were evidently submitted by a number of architects, and the commission was entrusted to C J Ponton. Tenders were called, and the contract award ed to the lowest tenderer, G Ponton, who had tendered a sum of £1,901. The foundation stone was laid on 3 August 1887 by the Reverend Dr Cameron Lees of Edinburgh, who was then officiating at Scots Church, Collins Street. Typically, the project did not proceed without problems. In what would have seemed to be a repeat of the construction of the church itself, work on the manse was delayed when the builder declared in solvency. Fresh tenders were called and the remaining contract, worth £1,165, was awarded to Goss & McClure. The new manse had been completed by 26 June 1888, when the architects advised that Reverend Clark and his family had taken possession of the building".
The manse's foundation stone - salvaged during demolition - has been insta lled in a low wall near the church's Cecil Street frontage.
The manse building was of two-storey polychromatic brick construction of Victorian Italianate design, with a slate tile roof. A square three-storey tower dominated the eastern aspect, while a return verandah flanked the ground floor to the south and west. A plain rectangu lar two-storey brick structure was appended to the rear of the main building; presumably encompassing t he kitch en, and possibly servants' quarters.The outline of t he manse building - provided in t he 1908 MMBW (detai l) plan - shows the building to be of a symmetrical design, with a kitchen sink near t he northwest co rner, a water tank near the north-east corner, and a cesspit and outbuilding situated against the northwestern property boundary. The 1918 MMBW drainage plan identifies the location of subs urface services, includ ing t he cesspit at the northwestern property boundary, which is "to be abolished", stoneware pipe drains, and a gully t rap.
Little is known regarding t he 1964 demolition of the manse. However a letter - dated 26 June 1964 - from P.G. Incoll (Acting Secretary, Board of Management, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Williamstown) to Mr. A. W. McLeich of Brighton states:
... I accept your tender for the demolition of t he two storey brick residence ... and its outbuildings to ground level and for t he removal of pepper trees adjacent for the total sum of £250.0.0, (Incoll 26/06/1964)
The land encompassing the demolished manse has remained vacant and undeveloped since 1964."
FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE - Interpretation of Site
The site was vacant and undeveloped land situated at the rear of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church prior to construction of the manse. The manse served as the residence of the church reverend and his domestic cohort from 1888 until c.1964. Upgraded sewerage services to the structure are recorded as being completed by 1915. In addition to domestic activities, wedding ceremonies are reported to have been conducted in the manse building (e.g. The Argus, Saturday 27 November 1915, p.13 (Marriages: Bell-Klemke).
FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE - Archaeological Significance
The former St Andrew's Presbyterian Church manse site has been assessed as having high archaeological significance, with the potential to contain remains related to Williamstown's early social and religious life.
. The activity area has not been redeveloped since the manse and outbuildings were demolished - apparently only to ground level- in 1964 (IncoIl26/06/1964). It seems likely that in situ nineteenth-century structural remains and associated deposits remain at the site.
. A number of partially-exposed basalt wall footings associated with the former manse structure were identified during the field survey.
. Aerial photographs (2010) of the site - taken at times of reduced ground cover - identify that additional external and internal wall footings remain in situ.
. During the field survey, a number of nineteenth-century artefacts were identified within exposed deposits across the northern section of the proposed development activity area.
FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE - Historical Significance
An in-depth assessment of the historic significance of the site is required. The results of the Heritage Alliance (2009) Conservation Management Plan suggest that the site - being formerly part of the St Andrew's Presbyterian Church Complex - is of high historic significance.
Heritage Inventory Description
FORMER ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MANSE - Heritage Inventory Description
Grassed vacant land situated at the rear of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Cecil Street, Williamstown VIC. The site frontage is 70-80 Hanmer Street, Williamstown VIC. The land is informally used as Church carpark. Encompassing approximately 2000 m2, the site is bounded by Hanmer/Street (south), residential structures and a laneway (east), and St Andrew's Presbyterian Church and associated church structures (north and west). The land has been since vacant since demolition of the former Church manse during 1964.
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FORMER MORGUEVictorian Heritage Register H1512
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WILLIAMSTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H1639
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RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H0487
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