By Irma Walter, 2022.
When Narroway’s cottage became vacant, Allnutt converted the former home into a Congregational Church, removing the partition and fireplace and installing four pews and a pulpit. The church was consecrated on 12 September 1850 and Allnutt wrote a hymn to commemorate the occasion. [see Hymn Written for Opening of Congregational Chapel, Australind 1850 on this website.] He conducted a weekly service, preaching to a small group of believers, followed by a Sunday School for children. Besides carrying on the work at Australind, Mr. Allnutt, with the assistance of Mr. James Hough, conducted services in Bunbury under very primitive auspices. Mr. Hough used to tell of his riding to Bunbury to preach, with a sack for a saddle and straw ropes for stirrups.
The Congregational Church (1850 – 1915) and later St Nicholas’ Church (1915 – 1987).[1]
Allnutt continued his pastoral work up until his death in 1861. James Dagley Gibbs, Narroway’s son-in-law, succeeded Allnutt as the group leader, until the Rev. Andrew Buchanan arrived in 1866, having been appointed by the London Missionary Society to act as a missionary in the South West of Western Australia. Some Sundays he walked the six miles to Australind, delivered the service, taught Sunday School, then walked back to Bunbury.
Once a larger Congregational Church was built in Prinsep Street, Bunbury in 1866, the Australind Church was closed due to dwindling numbers. The old building was sometimes used as a school room, but often stood empty. At one time it was used by Frank Travers as a place for drying possum skins.
The Church of England began using the little building occasionally before purchasing it in 1914. The Rev. John Frewer, Anglican Rector of South Bunbury, was instrumental in the acquisition of the building for the Bunbury Diocese. The church was licensed and consecrated in December 1915 and renamed St Nicholas’ Church.
The Anglican congregation remained relatively small, with the Clifton family stalwarts of the little church. Australind’s population remained fairly stagnant during the first half of the 20th century, and it wasn’t until the 1970s and ‘80s that employment opportunities in the region improved. A wood and asbestos building, known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary, was moved from Carey Park to Paris Road Australind in 1987 and re-dedicated as St Nicholas’ Church in the hope that the bigger church would enable further growth. Weddings, baptisms and funerals were sometimes held in the historic little building.
St Nicholas Church float in 1979 at Harvey as part of Western Australia’s
150th Anniversary celebrations. Photo courtesy of Melva Mitchell.
The second St Nicholas Church served the community from 1987 – 1994. It was moved westward across the block to become the Op Shop, making way for the current St Nicholas church. Photo taken September 1987 by Betty Smith. [2]
On the left is the Op Shop (formerly the second St Nicholas Church) and the original St Nicholas Church on the right, taken after 1994. Photo courtesy of Harvey & Districts Historical Society, Federation Display.
The population of Australind in the early 1990s increased rapidly as did parishioner numbers. The wooden church was found wanting and planning for an extensive building program commenced. A Rectory was completed in March 1994 and construction of the Worship Centre began the same year. The current St Nicholas’ Church building was consecrated by Bishop Hamish Jamieson on 16 October 1994.[3]
St Nicholas’ Church, 1994 – current.
The heritage Church of St Nicholas still stands proudly at the edge of Paris Road. Known as the smallest church in WA, it is regularly visited by tourists, but by 2008, in order to prevent further vandalism, it became necessary to keep the building locked.
It was extensively damaged when a car crashed into it in 2007. The building was repaired but suffered the same fate in 2012, causing severe structural damage and making it unsafe for public use.
The little St Nicholas’ Church was placed on the State Heritage list in 2009. In 2018 St Nicholas Parish Australind received a Heritage Council Grant to assist with its restoration. Work was completed in November and the little church was reopened to the public on 15 December 2018. A barrier fence has been erected to protect it from further accidents.
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[1] Photo from https://www.stnicholasaustralind.org.au/historic-church/
[2] State Library of Western Australia, Historic buildings on Paris Road, Australind, September 1987, Betty Smith Photographer, 314869D.
[3] Plaque on wall at Worship Centre.