In January 1882 a meeting was held of Trustees and inhabitants to consider the necessity of erecting a new building as the present one was found to be too small.The Rev. Thomas Gray was In the chair and it was resolved that J Sinclair be appointed Secretary Mr John Murray Jnr proposed and Mr P Miller Snr seconded that subscriptions be started and a new building erected . It was also proposed that. the present meeting be formed into a building committee, consisting of Messrs. Richard Godfree, Peter Miller Snr, P Miller Jnr, J F Miller Ed Miller, W Lyddon, T McCallum, J Maxwell. J Shearer, C Chalmers, J Sinclair with Mr T. Murray as convener – five members to form a quorum.
Then commenced a very busy time of meetings and decisions. At a meeting held on 19 February, the amount collected by subscription was £76/12/6. It was proposed that the new building be 35ft x 23ft externally and that it stand in the same position as the present one, This was altered at a meeting on 1 April when it was proposed and carried that, the new building face the road. On 22 February the sub-committee had specifications revised and approved but by 16 March no tenders were received and an offer from J Gosden and J Sinclair was received but was considered to be too high. It was then resolved that specifications for the carpentry work be reconsidered and altered, the committee to make enquiries of practical men and fresh tenders to be called for the mason work only.
Then a memorial was received from Springton asking that the building be erected there, This was referred to a congregational meeting held 21 March. After much discussion it was resolved to erect the building on the present site, as it could not be shown there would be an advantage to remove it to Springton.
At a Committee meeting on 1 April two tenders were received, from Gosden and Sinclair for £54 and from Berry and Leman for £60, The one from Gosden arid Sinclair was accepted and it was resolved that Mr. P. Miller Jnr go to town and purchase the timber and material for work. Messrs J Murray Jnr and P Miller Snr with J. MoCallum were appointed to be Inspectors of works.
On 26 April it was resolved that, the windows be only 2 ft, wide instead of 2ft.6 inches and an order be sent to Adelaide to get them made and forwarded to Mt, Pleasant. The Committee was to meet again on 29 April. In the meantime, the foundation stone was laid, The following Is a copy of the document placed in a bottle deposited under the foundation stone.
“The Foundation Stone of this building was laid by Mrs. Gray, wife of the present Pastor ( Rev, Thomas Gray) on the 26th day of April in the year of our Lord, 1882. being the 46th year since the Foundation of the Colony of South Australia, and the 46th year of the reign of Hear Majesty, Queen Victoria. The place now occupied being found too small and altogether inconvenient for the present requirements of the congregation, they resolved to erect a new and larger building to be opened to all Christian denominations. The Presbyterians to have the preference. The ground where this is erected being at present in the hands of five Trustees via Messrs_ Peter Miller Snr, John McCallum. Thomas Dixon-Jefferson, William Windsor Snr and John Murray Jnr. Mr. Joseph Dunn having resigned on July 12th 1881, Mr. Murray was duly elected to fill his place. Builders – Gosden and Sinclair. J Sinclair. Secretary to Building Committee”.
On 18 May Mr. Sibley was employed to do the carpenter’s work. If terms could be agreed upon. On 21 June it was decided that Mr. Lyall be asked to conduct the opening services and Mr. David Murray be asked to take the chair in the evening of the tea meeting day. On 17 July it was resolved that a platform be erected in the new building, and that there be six lamps, three on each side.
The Rev. Thomas Gray had been chairman at all meetings except two. The amount. collected was £120/14/- with promises of £6/10/- totalling £127/4/-. Disbursements were £75/19/5 and outstanding liabilities of £74/1/5 totalling £150/0/10, a deficit of £22/16/10.
There are no details of the opening. Mr Lyall who was asked to preach is thought to be the Rev. James Lyall – one of the early Presbyterian ministers- Mr. David Murray, a prominent name in the Adelaide Presbyterian community is mentioned as finding the money to pay the fees of Robert Mitchell to attend Whinham College. Robert having lived in this area was one of the first candidates for the ministry in South Australia.
There are no records of meetings until 1908 when the Rev. A McLennan was in the chair. The meeting was called to elect five trustees in the place of the original ones, now deceased. The persons elected were Messrs J L Murray, E G Miller, M McCallum, D C Maxwell, and J Millyard. The fee for registering the new trustees was £5/12/-.
As can be seen from the photo above there was no door in the porch and in 1909, Mr Sibley was paid £3/3/7 for a porch door. In 1911, four new windows were purchased for £10/4/-. In 1917 a hat and coat rack was placed in the porch. During 1920, the Rev J.A. Munro-Ford was the minister and at a meeting he mentioned the high cost of horse feed. The following year he brought up the advisability of providing an annual allowance for maintenance of the horse and trap, as living expenses had gone up considerably. He suggested £30, but the meeting decided to allow £20. Later in the year, a meeting decided to buy a new trap which cost £86/10/-.
The Vestry was built In 1932 for the Jubilee year of the Church building. Alterations were made to the choir platform and a new ‘pulpit’ added. The vestry was completed on 9 August and used for the first, time on 14 August for the 50th Anniversary of the present Church building. The Reverend Webster was the Preacher who dedicated the new vestry at the morning service.
From information compiled by Mrs Ruth Starick (nee Miller) for the celebration of the centenary of the church building in 1982.
