heritage

St Peter's Presbyterian Church, North Sydney was established in 1866. The first grant of land for the establishment of St Peter's Presbyterian School was in 1844. 1864 saw the construction of the Stone School House. St Peter's Presbyterian Church was opened on 16th September 1866, and the Manse built in 1871. St Peter's School Hall in Blues Point Rd was opened in 1891.

The Church is of Gothic style built from Sydney sandstone and Welsh slate roofing with a distinctive bell tower with copper spire and bronze cross. The Church contains stained glass windows dating from the 1880s, and a beautiful 1885 grand pipe organ made to order by the London firm Maley, Young and Oldknow, the only known organ by this firm in Australia. St Peter's Manse is a double fronted two-storey sandstone Victorian Gothic Revival Villa with distinctive gables and decorative lacework to the veranda.

The schoolhouse, commonly referred to as the Stone Hall, is of particular interest as the earliest surviving school building on this side of the harbour, and illustrates the 19th century practice of having one large schoolroom where children of all ages were taught side by side.

Heritage Restoration Funding Project

St Peter's Church, Manse and other building of the parish are listed on the heritage registers of the Federal, State and Local Governments.

In 2004, at the request of the Committee of Management, Noel Bell Ridley Smith and Partners, Heritage Architects, prepared a conservation management plan for the Church and Manse, and subsequently for the halls. Since then, in accordance with these plans, the Committee has taken action

to renew the Welsh slate on the Manse roof and on part of the roof of the church
to install appropriate drainage around foundations of the Manse and Church
to restore the Manse veranda
to update the Church lighting

The Committee is now beginning to implement the program for restoration of the Stone Hall. The stonework, particularly on the northern side, is in poor condition as a result of salts absorbed from the soil over the last 150 years. The drainage will need to be corrected, and the stonework then repaired.

All of this costs money.

It is some years since any government support for heritage conservation has been available, though we will be applying for a grant under the NSW government heritage scheme which will be reopening later this year. In the meanwhile, the Church has had some generous benefactions, without which much of what has already been done would not have been possible.

To support this important work, make out a cheque to The National Trust of Australia (NSW) St Peter's North Sydney Conservation Appeal and post it to

The Treasurer,
St Peter's Presbyterian Church,
PO Box 682,
NORTH SYDNEY 2059