Former Methodist Church, 53 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East

 

 53 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East, November 2011. And view from Miller Street looking south.

Have you ever wondered about the history of the old church building just south of the Miller Street intersection on Nicholson Street, Brunswick East?

Not much has been recorded about this far south-eastern corner of Merri-bek and it’s time to do a little exploring.

The church was often known as North Fitzroy Methodist Church, but in fact it’s on the west side of Nicholson Street, which makes it Brunswick East. Having said that, my latest research shows that many of the congregants lived close by in Fitzroy North and Carlton North.

View using Google maps, 2024. The old church is in the middle. It remains. The Sunday School used to be on the left and the new church on the right. They were demolished in 1990.

Church services were held from 1871 at East Brunswick. A wooden church was built on the corner of Nicholson and Millers Streets towards the end of the 1870s and remained there until 1932, when a brick church took its place. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find an image of the wooden church.

Although there were a number of church buildings on the site, only one remains – the original church, built in the 1880s. It’s a simple brick building, made of handmade bricks, with narrow Romanesque-style windows and cream brick highlights. It would be interesting to know whether John Glew, brickmaker and ardent member of the Brunswick Wesleyan congregation, was involved in their production. He certainly made the first cream bricks in the area.

The simplicity of its design is reflected in its designation in its earliest days as a Wesleyan Mission Hall or Chapel – no frills.

From The Methodist History of Victoria and Tasmania, reprinted from The Spectator special issues, nos1-36. 1898-1902. 

My grandparents' wedding, April 1900.

I was struck by the similarities between these two photos, both taken in 1900. The first is of the Nicholson Street church, complete with its original bell tower. (I wonder what happened to the bell?) The second is of my grandparents’ wedding at the Audley Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Staffordshire, England. That chapel was built in 1876 so it is more or less contemporary with the Nicholson Street church.

The following photos, taken at the turn of the 20^th century, give you an idea of the life of the church at the time. They are all taken from The Methodist History of Victoria and Tasmania, reprinted from The Spectator special issues, nos1-36. 1898-1902. (Available at the State Library of Victoria, for those who are interested.)

East Brunswick Methodist Sunday School teachers. Back (from left): Messrs Carney, J Wild, W Pick, J Cook, W Brentnall. 2^nd row (from left): Mr W Hooker (Secretary), Miss A Hooper, Mr Shepherd (Superintendent), Miss Gray, Mr W Thomas (Assistant Secretary). Front row (from left): Mr B Hills, Miss E Pearce, Miss E Battram [Batterham], Mr Ramsay.

East Brunswick Methodist Trustees. Back row (from left): Mr Slinn, Mr J Wild (Secretary of Trust), Mr W Batterbury. Front row (from left): Messrs W Pick, R Pope, J Cook.

East Brunswick Methodist Choir. Back row (from left); Miss E [Emily] Battram [Batterham], Miss E [Edie] Pick, Mr Harper, Miss E [described elsewhere as Judy] Pearce, Mr W Pick (appears to be the conductor), Mr J Wild, Mrs J Cook. Middle row (from left): Miss M [Mary] Woods, Miss L [Lena] Hills (organist), Mrs Hills, Miss A [Amy] Battram [Batterham]. Front row (from left): Master C Hills, Miss A [Ada] Harper, Miss E [Elsie] Hills, Miss E Carroll, Master J [Jack] Battram [Batterham] The small organ in the photograph is a portable American reed organ. The church’s pipe organ was yet to be installed when this photograph was taken. 

This was a well-attended church, with what we might call now an ‘aspirational’ congregation. In 1907 a brick extension was added, and in 1912 the church closed for 5 weeks while it was renovated ‘to meet the growing requirements of the congregation.’ (Herald, 26 February 1912) It was given a new metal ceiling (probably pressed metal), better windows, electric lighting and the Herald noted that ‘the interior has received artistic treatment from the painters.’  All of this was financed by the congregation.

The East Brunswick Methodist Church organ in its new home, St John the Divine Anglican Church, Toorak Avenue, Croydon. Image courtesy John Maidment.

In 1921, a pipe organ was installed as a memorial to 84 members of the congregation who served in World War 1. It was dedicated by Brigadier General Harold (‘Pompey’) Elliott on 31 July 1921. Interestingly, of the names I have managed to trace, not one was from Brunswick East. Most lived in Fitzroy North and a few in Carlton North.

Thanks to historian John Maidment, I know that the organ, built in 1921 by George Fincham & Sons, was moved to its new location, St John the Divine Anglican Church in Croydon, in 1980-81, some years prior to the repurposing of the church site.

From a pamphlet produced in 1979, BCHG collection.

A more conventional brick and tile church was built to the north of the old church, on the corner of Miller Street, in 1932. The Sunday School, built many years before in 1880, was located to the south of the old church. So there were now three church buildings between Miller Street and Our Lady, Help of Christians.  The furnishings in the new church were made of Australian oak and construction cost £2500 (about $254,000 today), a massive amount to find in those difficult Depression years of the 1930s.

Nicholson Street church, Brunswick circuit. Contains: Foundation stone ceremony invitation of the new church on Saturday, 3 September, 1932 at 3pm; Memorial scroll with names of the officials, members of congregation, Sunday school scholars who availed themselves of the opportunity of signing the scroll; The Brunswick Methodist newsletter, August, September, October 1932); The Spectator Aug 31, 1932; The Argus 3 Sept, 1933. (Uniting Church Archives – Synod of Victoria collection)

A few years later, in 1935, five stained-glass windows were installed by members of the White, Bunston, Olver, McMahon and Corben families. Little is known about the windows, although thanks to glass historian Dr Bronwyn Hughes, I know that the Corben window was ordered from Brooks, Robinson & Co on 2 August 1935 by Mr H F Corben of 88 Rochester Road, Canterbury.  The design was The Good Shepherd, and the same cartoon was used at the Lutheran Church at Tarrington near Hamilton, so this image gives you an idea of what it looked like.

Image courtesy Dr Bronwyn Hughes.

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has in its collection a photograph album belonging to Clarence C U Saunders (1907-1969) (RHSV AL-81). For a time, Saunders lived in Fitzroy North and attended East Brunswick Methodist Church. Notes in the catalogue say that the album was found in a tip or hard rubbish collection in Queensland, which is where Saunders died in 1969. The album covers the period from Easter 1927 to April 1933, so around the time when the new church was built. They give you an idea of some of the church-related activities the young members of the congregation such as Clarence Saunders were able to take part in, despite the terrible times during the 1930s Depression.

In 1990 it was announced that the church site was to be repurposed for housing for the elderly and although the 1932 church and the old Sunday School were demolished, the 1880s church was saved, as you can see in the following newspaper article.

The Sentinel, 17 Dec 1990.

What a long and rich history this south-eastern corner of Merri-bek has had. More from this corner of our world in future posts.