August Meeting (Newsletter No. 241, Aug. 2018) How do you consider designing an extension to a church that was built in 1861, just where do you start, especially when it is a church of local significance and listed by Heritage Victoria? The church in question was designed by architect Nathaniel Billings, built by well-known pioneer builder George Stebbing on land donated by Henry Dendy and is St Margaret’s Church in Pitt Street, Eltham. Adjoining this church is a large mud brick hall known to many of our Society members. It was also the venue for our 50th anniversary celebration dinner on 21st November 2017. At our Society meeting at 8.00pm on Wednesday 8th August 2018 architect David Wagner from Atelier Wagner will speak about the opportunities and challenges experienced in designing and constructing a contemporary style extension to this revered historical building, valued by the local congregation. Prior to becoming involved with St Margaret’s the Atelier Wagner architectural practice has, among an extensive range of projects, renovated and extended several churches. With this project there was also the challenge of incorporating, modifying and connecting the adjacent buildings that shared an entrance foyer.0:57:51 duration Digital MP3 File 20 MB audio recording, david wagner, eltham district historical society, jacqui wagner, meeting, society meeting, st margaret's church

35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 28) Mount - Kodak KodachromeProcess Date MAR 89Meltham, st margaret's church, pitt street

Decorated by society member, Dorothy MarkbyColour photograph25th anniversary, shire of eltham historical society, st margaret's church hall

batch 4, eltham, pitt street, st margaret’s church

batch 4, eltham, pitt street, st margaret’s church hall

St Margaret’s Church of England was officially opened on December 12, 1861. It is the oldest intact church building in Eltham. At the time it was known as Christ Church until its consecration in 1871, when it was completely free of debt (£1,700 for the church and parsonage) despite the district’s poverty. This was largely due to the free labour and materials, including locally made bricks donated by local artisans and others. The church is historically significant because it is the oldest church in the former Shire of Eltham and has associations with the philanthropist and founder of Brighton, Henry Dendy (who donated the land on which the church is built), the architect Nathaniel Billing and the prominent local builder, George Stebbing. The church is architecturally and aesthetically significant because it is constructed in the Gothic Revival style with several stained-glass windows of various dates and is also a very early use of polychromatic brickwork in Victoria. Billing was one of the first Melbourne architects to employ polychromatic brickwork and an important early architect. The rear wall was intended to be temporary. A major feature of the design is the large buttresses with long, steeply graded upper faces. The overall design is well proportioned with the surface brick patterns relieving an otherwise austere design. The church is spiritually and socially significant because it has been an important place of worship for the people of Eltham for almost 150 years. The land on which the buildings stand was donated by Henry Dendy. Dendy arrived in Melbourne in 1841 after purchasing in England eight square miles at Brighton under the system of "special surveys". After this land passed out of his hands, Dendy moved about Victoria, visited England, then returned to settle in Eltham where he purchased a flour mill. Dendy chaired the meeting held in 1860 “for the purpose of devising such means as may be expedient for the establishment of a Church of England in the township of Eltham”. He became chairman and treasurer of the church committee. Unlike the establishment of many early churches in Victoria where a vicar was appointed to a parish and later a permanent church was constructed, the population at Eltham initiated action to build a church. The nearest church at that time was at Heidelberg and the Eltham settlement was part of the parish of St Johns Heidelberg. Isolation and the tedious, time consuming journey between Heidelberg and Eltham resulted in the Eltham community taking its own action. The original vicarage (Dendy House) at the rear of the church is also an important part of the cultural significance of this place because it is connected to the church and the development of the Eltham area. Together, the church and the vicarage are aesthetically significant because they form a significant streetscape feature. The mud-brick community hall designed by Robert Marshall was added in 1978. In 2014 the original temporary rear wall was removed as part of a modern extension designed by Architects Atelier Wagner and constructed by Conrad Construction and Management. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State significance Victorian Heritage Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p67 St Margaret’s Anglican Church in Pitt Street, Eltham, which officially opened on December 12, 1861, is the oldest intact church building in Eltham.1 With the nearby courthouse and police station, it was one of the first permanent community buildings in the district. The church and vicarage are on the Register of the Heritage Council of Victoria and the National Trust of Australia – Victoria. The church is important as an early example of polychrome brickwork by the notable architect Nathaniel Billings. It is also notable for its historic associations with the early settlement of the Shire of Eltham and its connection with Henry Dendy, Brighton’s founder.2 Henry Dendy, who lived in Eltham much longer than at Brighton, chaired the original meeting which planned the church, and he donated the half-acre (0.2ha) site. Dendy had arrived in Melbourne in 1841 after buying eight square miles (20.7sq km) at Brighton while in England. After this land passed out of his hands, he eventually settled in Eltham where he bought a flour mill, west from the corner of Main Road and Pitt Street (then called Brewery Lane). The vicarage was named Dendy House after him. The Eltham settlers were unusual in initiating the establishment of a church. Usually in Victoria a vicar was appointed to a parish and then a permanent church was constructed. But then, the nearest church was at Heidelberg, which was a tedious and time-consuming journey. St Margaret’s builder was a local, George Stebbing, who also constructed the former Methodist, later Uniting, Church at John Street and the Shillinglaw Cottage near Eltham’s Central Park. It is believed the first Anglican Bishop of Melbourne, Bishop Perry, dedicated the church. After the ceremony he joined in the festivities at the nearby pub and a bill was sent to the parish for teas taken there by the bishop with other participants. The first vicar was the Reverend Robert Mackie from 1864 to1866. St Margaret’s Church was originally called Christ Church until its consecration in 1871, when it was completely free of debt (£1700 pounds for the church and parsonage) despite the district’s poverty. This was largely due to the free labour and materials, including local bricks, donated by local artisans and others. St Margaret’s Church is in the Gothic Revival tradition with a buttressed nave, paired lancet windows, porch and bell-cote. It was the first polychromatic brick church in Australia, using softly contrasting coloured brickwork.3 Billing was one of the first architects to introduce polychrome brickwork into Melbourne. His original drawings for St Margaret’s survive in a folio of his architectural work. However the church’s brickwork is more subdued than in his drawings. About half the windows – those in clear glass with gold borders – are original. The stained glass windows were made much later, but the one behind the altar is thought to be the oldest in the Diamond Valley. It was to be temporary until the congregation could afford to extend the church. In the early 1960s the original cedar pews were replaced by blonde timber pews and the originals were sold to restaurants and to private individuals. Eminent local sculptor Matcham Skipper created a crucifix for the church. A major addition was made in 1978, when the weatherboard hall was replaced by a mud-brick hall. Made of local material, it was designed by local architect and a former shire president Robert Marshall. The mud-brick hall reflects the style of building in Eltham of the late 1970s and for which Eltham is well-known. Perhaps because its earthy tones blend with the surrounding environment, the hall sits well with the church building. St Margaret’s membership has included economist and ABC chairman, Richard Downing; political commentator, diplomat and academic, William Macmahon Ball; Eltham civic leader, Charles Wingrove; artist, Peter Glass; and Eltham’s first postmaster, Frederick Falkiner.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, st margaret's anglican church, st margaret's church, st margarets church hall, christ church

St Margaret’s Church of England was officially opened on December 12, 1861. It is the oldest intact church building in Eltham. At the time it was known as Christ Church until its consecration in 1871, when it was completely free of debt (£1,700 for the church and parsonage) despite the district’s poverty. This was largely due to the free labour and materials, including locally made bricks donated by local artisans and others. The church is historically significant because it is the oldest church in the former Shire of Eltham and has associations with the philanthropist and founder of Brighton, Henry Dendy (who donated the land on which the church is built), the architect Nathaniel Billing and the prominent local builder, George Stebbing. The church is architecturally and aesthetically significant because it is constructed in the Gothic Revival style with several stained-glass windows of various dates and is also a very early use of polychromatic brickwork in Victoria. Billing was one of the first Melbourne architects to employ polychromatic brickwork and an important early architect. The rear wall was intended to be temporary. A major feature of the design is the large buttresses with long, steeply graded upper faces. The overall design is well proportioned with the surface brick patterns relieving an otherwise austere design. The church is spiritually and socially significant because it has been an important place of worship for the people of Eltham for almost 150 years. The land on which the buildings stand was donated by Henry Dendy. Dendy arrived in Melbourne in 1841 after purchasing in England eight square miles at Brighton under the system of "special surveys". After this land passed out of his hands, Dendy moved about Victoria, visited England, then returned to settle in Eltham where he purchased a flour mill. Dendy chaired the meeting held in 1860 “for the purpose of devising such means as may be expedient for the establishment of a Church of England in the township of Eltham”. He became chairman and treasurer of the church committee. Unlike the establishment of many early churches in Victoria where a vicar was appointed to a parish and later a permanent church was constructed, the population at Eltham initiated action to build a church. The nearest church at that time was at Heidelberg and the Eltham settlement was part of the parish of St Johns Heidelberg. Isolation and the tedious, time consuming journey between Heidelberg and Eltham resulted in the Eltham community taking its own action. The original vicarage (Dendy House) at the rear of the church is also an important part of the cultural significance of this place because it is connected to the church and the development of the Eltham area. Together, the church and the vicarage are aesthetically significant because they form a significant streetscape feature. The mud-brick community hall designed by Robert Marshall was added in 1978. In 2014 the original temporary rear wall was removed as part of a modern extension designed by Architects Atelier Wagner and constructed by Conrad Construction and Management. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State significance Victorian Heritage Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p67This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, st margaret's anglican church, st margaret's church, christ church

One of a series of videos "Stories from the Nillumbik Shire with Geoff Paine" Geoff Sandy, Parish Historian and Archivist gives a history of the church which was opened 12 December 1861. It is constructed of polychrome bricks (lots of different colours). References a long relationship of over 159 years between the church committee and the Eltham Hotel across the road for refeshments for church events. The land was donated by Henry Dendy, the founder of Brighton where he lived for five years before going bankrupt and moving to Eltham where he bought a steam powered flour mill on the banks of the Diamond Creek at the end of Pitt Street. The church is heritage protected as well as the 1870 parsonage, Dendy House. It was always meant to be a much bigger church and extended along the north wall. This was finally achieved in 2014. Shows views inside of the original section and the extension. Also discusses the original tall windows on the south with gold trimming and other windows with gold trimming. Some original windows have been replaced by stained glass. Discussion about the Patron Saint of the Church, Margaret of Scotland. The original window made for £1 by Yuri and Fergusson in Melbourne and possibly one of the first made in the Colony of Victoria was relocated to the north wall during the 2014 extension. The crucifix was made by Matcham Skipper. Also features the Honour Roll. The walls of the extension are mudbrick, timber from a variety of sources and very much in keeping of the character of Eltham. The bell and bell tower are original. At the end of the First World War the bell was rung so vigorously that the bell broke.MP4 Digital file 00:05:48; 672MBvideo recording, church bell, dendy house, eltham, eltham hotel, flour mill, geoff sandy, henry dendy, honour roll, matcham skipper, mudbrick construction, pitt street, st margaret's anglican church, stained glass

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Safety 5035eltham, st margaret's anglican church, pitt street, church

History of St Faith's Montmorency4 p. text and colour photographst faith's montmorency, st margaret's anglican church eltham

Present day St Margaret's Anglican Church, Pitt Street, Eltham Photo: Tom Prior (maternal uncle to Ivy Reynolds) using his home-made cameraThis photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years. The Reynolds family were early settlers in Research. The Reynolds/ Prior collection of photographs were taken by Tom Prior, the maternal uncle of Ivy Reynolds, around 1900 and the 60 photos in the album give a fine overview of many of the landmarks of Research and Eltham over 100 years ago. lvy lived in the family home for many years at 106 Thompson Cres Research. Ivy's father, Ernst Richard Reynolds and grandfather, Richard Reynolds, lived at the same address. Ivy's father Richard worked for Mr. Trail on his property in Research. Reynolds Road is named after the family. Mr Tom Prior (wife Eva) worked at the Melbourne zoo. He was very innovative and made his own camera, using the black cloth hood to exclude the light. The photographs are a reminder of the rural nature of Research and Eltham and its rich heritage.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negchurch of england, eltham, pitt street, reynolds prior collection, sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, st margarets anglican church

Unidentified femalepeter stirling collection, st margaret's anglican church, eltham

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsFuji 100Neltham, st margaret's anglican church, pitt street

35mm colour positive transparency Mount - Black and Whitest margaret's anglican church, pitt street, eltham

Photocopy of page headed "order of programme" with historical information Photocopy of article "St Margaret's C of E, 95 years" from "The News" 14th December 1956 Photocopy of article "The oldest shire church" from" and "Eltham in old days" by Sarah Dawson both from 100 years of News Special edition August 27, 1997 page 30 Typed recollections from Peter Bassett-Smith, 2001 Invitation, flyer and booklet: Celebration of 150 years for gathered community of St Margaret's 1861-2011 (26 February 2012). Service booklet 10 pages from an unsourced book about the early history of the Church of England in Eltham, including references to the denominational school, naming of the district, church, Henry Dendy, site, W.B. Andrew, building committee, laying of foundation stone, building, opening and dedication, list of vicars to 1960. Other documentsHG Booklet 39 and 190harry gilham collection, st margaret's anglican church, norm williams, peter bassett-smith, doney, organ

Changing streetscapeRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsUnidentified; half-frame numberingchurch, pitt street, st margaret's anglican church

Changing streetscapeRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsUnidentified; half-frame numberingchurch, pitt street, st margaret's anglican church

Born Digitaleltham, st margaret's anglican church, construction, pitt street

35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)eltham, pitt street, st margarets anglican church

Digital scan of photograph - Original Source Copy: St Margaret's Parish Archives. church of england, churches, eltham, st margarets church, mud bricks, robert marshall

Black and white photograph of group at church dinner to raise money for a new St Margaret's Vicarage held at Eltham Shire Hall, Arthur Street c.1950sInscribed on back with arrows indicating Rowley and self (Lilas Scale)st margarets, churches, anglican, church of england, functions, lilas scale, eltham shire hall

Digital scan of photograph - Original Source Copy: St Margaret's Parish Archives. church of england, churches, eltham, st margarets church, mud bricks, robert marshall

Digital scan of photograph - Original Source Copy: St Margaret's Parish Archives. church of england, churches, eltham, st margarets church, william heber green