Historical information

The foundation stone of the New Wesleyan Church, Were Street, Brighton, Victoria was laid by Mrs W P Wells, the wife of the Superintendent of the Brighton Circuit and President of the Victorian Wesleyan Conference in 1887. The foundation stone was temporarily removed in the late 1930s and the 1937 publication "Were Street Jubilee" details the "proposed Jubilee Church". The same trowel was used when the stone was re-laid in 1955 at the beginning of the construction on the new church.

Physical description

S060.1 Silver commemorative trowel with a bone handle. The front and back both have inscriptions. The front has heavily engraved decoration.
S060.2: Presentation box for S060.1. Teal colour rouched satin lined box made of brown leather.

Inscriptions & markings

S060.1 Front: "TO MRS W. P. Wells ON THE OCCASION OF HER LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE Wesleyan Church WERE STREET BRIGHTON APRIL 2ND 1887"
S090.1 Back: "THIS TROWEL WAS USED BY REV. A.W.PEDERICK, L.TH. PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE TO Lay the Foundation Stone of the new WERE STREET METHODIST CHURCH 30th JULY 1955".