St. James Church
BUILT
St James’ Church was constructed between 1819 and 1824.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION/DENOMINATION
Worship at St James' maintains the traditions of Anglican church music, with a robed choir singing psalms, anthems and responses in contrast to the great majority of churches in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney where services are generally celebrated in styles associated with Low Church and Evangelical Christian practices. The teaching at St James' has a more liberal perspective than most churches in the diocese on issues of gender and the ordination of women.
INTERESTING FACTS
It is the oldest church building in the City of Sydney and has been in continuous use from its consecration on 11 February 1824 to the present.
The church contains a rare collection of 19th century marble memorials, its painted Children’s Chapel is unique in Australia and it includes amongst its collections and contents rare items of movable heritage. The original building has an extensive undercroft (called the Crypt) with sandstone walls, a central corridor and twelve brick barrel vaults.
The church in which the first ordinations of Anglican clergy were held in Australia and classes held for the first theological college.
Isaac Nathan, who "constituted himself musical laureate to the colony" and is considered "Australia's first composer", created a musical society at St James' in the 1840s.
Gallery
360˚ Virtual Photo
Exterior
Interior
Organ
Credits
All media by Luke Cabading.
Sources
St. James - King Street. (n.d.). History and Architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.sjks.org.au/church/history-and-architecture/ [Accessed 24 Dec. 2019].
En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). St James' Church, Sydney. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_James%27_Church,_Sydney [Accessed 24 Dec. 2019].
Sydney.com.au. (2017). St James Church: Sydney Churches : Sydney : sydney.com.au. [online] Available at: https://www.sydney.com.au/st-james-church-sydney.htm [Accessed 24 Dec. 2019].
Mackerras, C. (1967). Biography - Isaac Nathan - Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online] Adb.anu.edu.au. Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/nathan-isaac-2502.