The Heritage Impact Assessment of St. John’s Anglican Cathedral

Heritage Impact Assessment: St Johns Anglican Cathedral

Section 1: Background

The design of the original cathedral based on Reculver church was suggested by Elizabeth, the wife to Governor Macquarie, under who was the influence of Parramatta.

1.1 Purpose of the heritage impact assessment

The essence of the heritage impact assessment is to evaluate the configurations of the current building compared to that of the initially build church (Gleeson 2012, p.20). The importance of this evaluation is to determine the kind of activities that take place and the measures that ensure the heritage of the infrastructure is preserved in addition to the archaeological significance of the premises (Haskell and Callanan 1997, p.22). This therefore highlights the reasons for conducting the impact assessment to address heritage issues in the vicinity of the existing building at present.

1.2 Location and description of site

The church is located in Governor Macquarie’s market place and former town square its former town square in the heart of Parramatta’s Centennial Square (Hall, et al. 2005, p.30). St. Johns Anglican Cathedral covers an extensive piece of land that is occupied by several tree establishments, hedges, lawns, and landscaped flower beds open to the public. The south-west corner of this vast landscape houses a Victorian cottage a premise that is thought to have been initially the Verger’s cottage (Haskell and Callanan 1997, p.24). At the entrance to the Church Street stands the Royal Memorial Gates as the World War I memorial to the volunteer service men and women and were constructed in 1918. The 23 March memorial dedication is included on the pillars of the Royal Gates which alternatively indicate the roll of honour for those volunteers and the community. In November 1917, King George V granted permission for the Royal Arms to be displayed over the gateway’s stonework (Gleeson 2012, p.22). Paving in the premises runs from north to west and amongst them are the brush box and English oak trees while east and south of the cathedral are surrounded by grasses.

The south Church Street of the premises which runs along the north alignment is covered by numerous hybrid plane trees. The Church Street mall commencement and completion are commemorated by numerous plaques surrounding the oldest oak (Haskell and Callanan 1997, p.27). This led to the marking of the Church Street between Macquarie and Darcy Streets as a space for pedestrians only after the closure by plaques which were the last major transformation of the premises. The southern cathedral boarder is lined by brush boxes which run further north while the jacarandas cover most of the south boundary (Gleeson 2012, p.24). The south-east of the cathedral is covered by a matured white oak in lawn. The paved pedestrian mall which was the former Church Street kerb line is traced by hybrid plane trees.

Section 2: Heritage Assessment

The state significance of the St John’s Cathedral is based on the influence of Governor Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth and bore the advances in speed and efficiency in design as Lt John Watts’s role and the Parramatta wider programme build up under Macquarie (Herman 1963, p.8). The importance Macquarie placed in civic construction and the NSW civilization of the convict colony and the improvements in the building styles is depicted by the design of St John’s. The ambition on the public works program under Macquarie is displayed by the surviving elements of the towers of St John’s Cathedral (Hall, et al. 2005, p.41). During the 19th Century, the Parramatta townscape used the towers as the focal point which has become hidden in the present day due to increased development (Cameron 2015, p.4). On the contrary, the cathedral still serves as an important landscape in Parramatta. The streetscape and the civic identity of Parramatta are the crucial elements depicted by the twin spires of St John’s. They have created dominance in Parramatta closer to the views of the 19th Century. Cyril Blacket, James Houison and Lt John Watts are the three architects attributed to the work on the cathedral in the 19th Century in NSW (Herman 1963, p.9). The Victorian Romanesque style is the basis of the overall cathedral design that based the frame of the towers of the previous chapel to anchor the cathedral and give shape to the western front.

2.1. Historical summary

The Darug Nation who consisted of numerous families, hordes or clans is the former inhabitants of the Parramatta River line and is the indigenous people here. The present day Parramatta city was the area that belonged to the Burramattagal tribal clan and was situated at the river head (Hazlewood 2008, p.12). The temperate climates, animal life, prolific plants and ample fresh water made the place a suitable area for living. Soldiers and convicts under Governor Phillip’s rule are believed to be the first European settlers in 1788 (Winslow 2002, p.47). They are believed to have lived at Rose Hills on Parramatta River which provided lands for cultivating and clear spaces for infant colonies. The Burramattagal clan is believed to have died out by 1830 following the introduction of smallpox, a European disease, in 1798 while the rest of the Parramatta region showed little chances of conflict between the indigenous people and the new settlers (Winslow 2002, p.52).

2.2 Heritage status & legislative framework

Since interception, this cathedral has acted as the centre of the Anglican community giving its state significance (Hazlewood 2008, p.14). This town is at the demographic centre of Sydney and being the second city in the region, the cathedral is an esteemed community landmark and a significant symbol of the local heritage. The routes to the rail and bus interchange see a large number of commuters traverse these grounds on a daily routine making the premises a prominent landmark.

2.3 Key heritage assets or features

The cathedral ground to the north-west corner houses the Memorial Church Hall of 1910 providing car parking spaces, parish offices and a hall. The SHR listings only include the frontier hunter Street car park in the curtilage (Hazlewood 2008, p.14). The two western towers were built around 1818 and the oldest structures within the existing building. These were modeled from the ruins of the Saxon Church of St. Mary build in the 12th Century. The appearance of stone on the four-storey towers is rendered by the overlay of cement on handmade sand stock bricks (Haskell and Callanan 1997, p.31). The historical of the premises is overlaid by the moveable heritage of memorial, fittings, fixtures, furnishings and furniture placed in the cathedral. This is in addition to the Royal Memorial Gates which depict the roll of honor.

2.4 Comparative analysis

Dating from 1803, the cathedral has actively served as place for continued Christian worship and the oldest church site giving it state significance. The parish is among two 1802 proclaimed premises and the first parish build this country.

2.5 Statement of Significance

In addition to the state significance the cathedral serves, it also has a historic significance with its two towers having the rarity of Governor Macquarie (Hazlewood 2008, p.17). The formal recognition and spiritual development is acclaimed by Governor King when the proclaimed the St. Phillip’s and the St. John’s Cathedrals in 1802. The site of the first parish church houses the St John’s Cathedral.

Section 3: Description of proposed activity

The Standard Exemptions outline the accordance with which repairs, maintenance and cleaning of the roof slates and the stonework should be conducted (Hall, et al. 2005, p.44). In addition, the installation and the replacement of interpretative signage, installing and replacement of external lighting, gardening and digging of garden beds are to be conducted in a manner that does not damage or impact the integrity of the cathedral structure.

Section 4: Summary and Recommendations

The use of the land prior to the 1797 land grant and the consequent establishment of the premises as a religious centre may have resulted in the development of subsurface deposits. Archaeological deposits may also be present due to the adjacent to the Native Institution. Procedures in management have led to the recommendations of completing Archaeological Assessments prior to new excavation or ground disturbance operations (Haskell and Callanan 1997, p.22). The Heritage Act 1977 (Section 57(1)) of the Heritage Council stipulates that the Standard Exemptions should be followed in activities related to repair, cleaning and maintenance within the cathedral (Kerr 1977, p.13). Temporary concerts and exhibitions are to be conducted in the settings of the heritage items or in ways that do not alter existing fabric while the Directors endorsement is to be obtained prior to working on activities with slight impacts on the significance of the fabric and/or the heritage (Hall, et al. 2005, p.46). Information on the significance of item heritage is to be internally and externally provided in the installation and replacement of interpretative signage. This recommendation follows where a minimum number of fixtures of heritage item are fixed or free-standing with mortar joints sympathetic with the spaces and materials.

A maximum of 30cm depth is allowed during digging and gardening to limit the impact of damage and the structures of the cathedral (Herman 1963, p.18). Care should be taken to ensure such operations should not disturb archaeological relics, trees, fences and walls within the premises. The sympathy of heritage item is to be preserved by limiting the impact on heritage item such as during external lighting replacement. Heritage precinct and reduced impact on heritage fabric should also be observed during installation of external signage. Minimum alterations during the replacement of lighting and electrical elements should be observed to minimize space and heritage fabric alteration. New excavations are to be reduced by using existing underground service trenches to dispose storm water thereby limiting damage to heritage fabric (Hall, et al. 2005, p.47). Collectively, the suitable recommended approach to activities within the cathedral is to conduct an archaeological assessment that indicates the extent of damage from which the suitability of the activities can be determined.

References

Hazlewood, R.M., 2008. Characteristics and correlates of Anglican religiosity in the dioceses of Sydney and Newcastle: an historical and sociological study.

Haskell, J. and Callanan, J., 1997. Sydney Architecture. UNSW Press.

Hall, S.T., Church, P.S.U., St John’s Anglican ProCathedral, P., St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, P., House, S.O. and St Andrew’s Congregational Church, B., 2005. CITY AND COUNTRY.

Cameron, N.M., 2015. Music of the Anglican Cathedral and selected Anglican parish churches of the Diocese of Sydney 1869-1940.

Herman, M., 1963. The Blackets: An Era of Australian Architecture. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

Winslow, C., 2002. The Parramatta Bar-Definitely Not the Lost Tribe. Bar News: The Journal of the NSW Bar Association, (Summer 2002-2003), p.28.

Kerr, E.J., 1977. Designing a Colonial Church: Church Building in New South Wales 1788-1888 (Doctoral dissertation, University of York).

Gleeson, D.J., 2012. George William Sydney Fitzpatrick (1884-1948): An Australian Public Relations ‘pioneer’. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 13(2), pp.2-12.