WIlliam Carey Chapel
349 Barkers Road KEW, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
'The William Carey Chapel' and its immediate grounds, 349 Barkers Road (off Daniell Place), Kew are significant to the City of Boroondara. The chapel is a post-war example of ecclesiastical building at a denominational school dedicated to the memory of alumni lost to war. Designed by architects Cecil R. and Graham F. Lyons Pty Ltd, it possesses a high level of architectural integrity.
The William Carey Memorial, a bronze bas-relief image mounted on a boulder to commemorate the school's namesake, is a contributory landscape element.
How is it significant?
'The William Carey Chapel' is of local historical, architectural and aesthetic significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
'The William Carey Chapel' (1969-71) is of historical significance as it is representative of an established pattern of construction of architect-designed memorial chapels at denominational schools, immediately following both World Wars, and the associated losses inflicted upon those school communities by such conflicts in the City of Boroondara. (Criterion A)
'The William Carey Chapel' is a significant example of ecclesiastical architecture that is representative of the design ethos, optimism and architectural modernisation expressed in post-war period. The design features honesty of structure and material, clean lines and an overall sense of innovation in design characteristic of this period. The entire chapel complex is of aesthetic significance as a complete example of largely intact building complete with a memorial sculpture. (Criteria D & E)
'The William Carey Chapel' is of social significance for its associations with the memory of former school alumni, known as 'Old Grammarians', lost in World War II and ongoing connections with the wider Carey Baptist Grammar School community. The site on which the chapel is constructed, and the chapel itself, have remained in the continuous occupation of Carey Baptist Grammar School, since the construction of the chapel in 1969-71, and these strong associations continue today. (Criterion G)
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WIlliam Carey Chapel - Physical Description 1
The subject property, 'The William Carey Chapel', forms part of the larger property at 349 Barkers Road, Kew, known as Carey Baptist Grammar School. The larger property is located in that part of Kew bordered by Sackville Street to the north, Daniell Place to the east, Barkers Road to the south and Wrixon Street to the west. The subject property is located on the west side of Daniell Place, being located in that part of the street between Mount Street and McCartney Avenue.
The Chapel is a single-level pyramidal shaped structure, extending to a total height of 17m at its apex. Extending down to the ground level where it is supported on overpainted rendered concrete blade walls, at its four corners, the roof of the Chapel is clad with green Welsh slate. A single line of Perspex clad glazing extends as strip skylights up the centre of each roof face, culminating in a pierced apex. At the base of the building, at the centre of each elevation, the roof height raises where it is supported on additional overpainted concrete blade walls, to create a deep eave lined with timber slats, exposing the exterior walls of the building beneath; the blades align with the Perspex glazed skylights of the roof above. The remainder of the walls are constructed from cinnamon coloured brickwork, the face of which has been split through creating a rusticated wall surface. Entrances in these locations consist of overpainted vertical timber clad doors with varnished timber door handles, some with steps constructed from bluestone sets. An olive green colour scheme to timber joinery, located on the less visible south-east elevation of the chapel, appears to be an earlier colour scheme when compared with the blue colour scheme to joinery elements on the more visible elevations of the chapel.A repousse copper sign on the south-east side of the buildings denotes the name of the chapel.
On the west side of the building is the narthex, a partially glazed single-storey structure that sits adjacent to the three-storey school building. The Chapel is arranged on an angle to the narthex. Originally, the narthex connected the Chapel with the adjoining two-storey Matriculation Study Centre; the latter has since been demolished. It is noted that the narthex is not built as designed, with the omission of three bays with two sets of double doors, external planters and the baptistery to the south wall of the interior. Further alterations in 2015 removed the baptistery and relocated a set of original doors in the north elevation.
Within the immediate grounds of the Chapel, some original landscaping elements remain. These include the extensive use of bluestone setts for the construction of steps and paving, raised garden beds and a 7.6m high timber crucifix, albeit in a later location. Informal native plantings are present with a large Corymbia Citriodora (Lemon Scented Gum) immediately adjacent to the Chapel. The William Carey Memorial, a boulder mounted with a copper bas-relief of William Carey, remains on the north side of the chapel. To the east, a bitumen car park separates the Chapel from Daniell Place.
Despite the noted changes, 'The William Carey Chapel' still exhibits a high level of integrity. This is a result of the built form and detailing of the Chapel, and some of its associated landscaping features, according with that documented in the original permit drawings held by the City of Boroondara. The Tree of Life sculpture, however, has been removed from the Chapel.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study Volume 4: Kew
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading: Significant
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AUBURN PRIMARY SCHOOL NO.2948Victorian Heritage Register H1707
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AUBURN RAILWAY STATION COMPLEXVictorian Heritage Register H1559
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ROTHAVictorian Heritage Register H0510
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