This photograph is copyright.
(C) Pamela Mawbey 2010

THIS WAS THE CHURCH

IN WHICH

GEORGE MAWBEY MARRIED ANN WILLIAMS

ON

24 JULY 1838
IT WAS

THE FIRST

'ST PHILIP'S'

CHURCH OF ENGLAND

BUILT ON CHURCH HILL, SYDNEY.

MADE OF STONE, IT WAS DEMOLISHED

BECAUSE IT WAS STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND

AND REPLACED BY ANOTHER STONE CHURCH

OF THE SAME NAME

FURTHER UP THE HILL

WHICH IS STILL STANDING TODAY.

This photograph is copyright.
(C) Pamela Mawbey 2010

THIS WAS THE MAN

WHO MARRIED GEORGE MAWBEY and ANN WILLIAMS

THE VENERABLE WILLIAM COWPER
FIRST AND ONLY RECTOR

OF 'OLD' SAINT PHILLIP'S, SYDNEY

[The two above paintings are in the St Philip's Church rectory.]

The first Anglican church in Australia, built of wattle and daub, opened on 25 August 1793 and burnt down five years later on 1 October 1798.
There is a monument to it on the corner of Bligh and Hunter Streets, Sydney.
It was built on the side of a hill, and its replacement was built on another, on the other side of a valley.
*
Its replacement, a stone church named St Philips (located in what is now Lang Park at the Sydney Harbour Bridge end of York Street) opened in 1810.

It was typically Georgian in style but has unusual architectural elements like the turret (church tower) on one side and what appears to be an observatory on the other.

*

There was a large, prominent clock on the front of the turret which seems unusual these days.

No doubt it helped many couples getting married to get to the church on time.
*

Looking at this clock reminded me that clocks on buildings used to be much more prevalent than they are today. There has been many a time when I have not been able to find one when I have been in a hurry to get somewhere when walking through the streets of Sydney.

As a child I recall being particularly fascinated by the majestic one on the GPO (General Post Office) in Martin Place.
*
The Reverend William COWPER (1778-1858) was the rector of the parish of St Philip (1809-1858) and Archdeacon of Cumberland and Camden.
He laid the foundation stone for the second St Philips, located on the other side of York Street, on 1 May 1848.
It was not consecrated until 1856 because of labour shortages caused by gold rushes.

[Source: St Philips Anglican church, Sydney and website]
*
The church was named 'St Philip's' as a tribute to Captain Arthur Phillip RN who commanded the First Fleet and became the first governor of the colony of New South Wales.
But for some unknown reason, the spelling of the name was not the same, with one 'l' used for the church instead of two as in the governor's surname.