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ST. MARGARET'S ANGLICAN 1) CHURCH, 2) FORMER VICARAGE (DENDY HOUSE), 3) ADOBE HALL AND 4) GROUNDS, ORIGINALLY CHRIST CHURCH, PITT ST, ELTHAM
79-83 PITT ST ELTHAM, NILLUMBIK SHIRE

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247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham - Old photograph of St. Margaret's (ELHPC no.?) - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham - Old photograph of St. Margaret's (ELHPC no.?) - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham - Old photograph of St. Margaret's (ELHPC no.?) - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 02 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 03 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 04 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 05 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 06 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 07 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 08 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 09 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 10 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 11 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 12 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 13 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 14 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 15 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 16 - St Katherine's Church at St. Helena (ELHPC No. 900) - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
247 - St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham 17 - Demolished Eltham Catholic Church (ELHPC No. 681) - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Colour 1 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Colour 2 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Black & White 1 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Black & White 1 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Colour 4 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Colour 5 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Colour 6 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Black & White 3 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
St Margarets Anglican Church Eltham Window 1 - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study 1992
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Statement of Significance

REVISED STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE, CONTEXT, 2010

What is significant?
The 1860-61 church building, the c1869 additions and alterations, the stained glass and the pre-1950 fixed furnishings and the Dendy House (vicarage) the mature exotic site planting and the surrounding site to the title boundaries.

How is it significant?
The church and vikerage are historically, spiritually, architecturally, aesthetically and socially significant to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
The church is historically significant because it is the oldest church in the former Shire of Eltham and has associations with the philanthropist and founder of Brighton, Henry Dendy (who donated the land on which the church is built), the architect Nathaniel Billing and the prominent local builder, George Stebbing (Criteria B & H). The church is architecturally and aesthetically significant because it is constructed in the Gothic Revival style with a number of stained glass windows of various dates. The overall design is well proportioned with the surface brick patterns relieving an otherwise austere design (Criterion F). The church is spiritually and socially significant because it has been an important place of worship for the people of Eltham for almost 150 years (Criterion G).

The Dendy House (vicarage) is historically and socially significant because it is connected to the church and the development of the Eltham area (Criteria A & G). Together, the church and the vicarage are aesthetically significant because they form a significant streetscape feature (Criterion E).

BICK STUDY, 1992
St. Margaret's is the oldest church in the Shire of Eltham, has historic associations with architect Nathaniel Billing and is also a very early use of polychromatic brickwork in Victoria. Billing was one of the first Melbourne architects to employ polychromatic brickwork and an important early architect. St. Margaret's also has historic associations with its prominent local builder George Stebbing. The original vicarage (Dendy House) at the rear of the church is also an important part of the cultural significance of this place.

BASIS OF SIGNIFICANCE:

ILLUSTRATION OF THE THEMES

HISTORY

ARCHITECTURE

RARITY

STREETSCAPE

DEGREE OF SIGNIFICANCE: CHURCH, DENDY HOUSE AND SITE STATE SIGNIFICANCE, MUD BRICK HALL LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE

EXTENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: ENTIRE CHURCH INCLUDING STAINED GLASS AND PRE 1950 FIXED FURNISHINGS, MATURE EXOTIC SITE PLANTING, DENDY HOUSE, HALL AND SITE.

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    • Historical Australian Themes

      ST. MARGARET'S ANGLICAN 1) CHURCH, 2) FORMER VICARAGE (DENDY HOUSE), 3) ADOBE HALL AND 4) GROUNDS, ORIGINALLY CHRIST CHURCH, PITT ST, ELTHAM - Historical Australian Themes

      TOWNSHIP DEVELOPMENT

      EARLY SETTLEMENT

      8.6 Worshipping

      8.6.1 Worshipping together

      8.6.2 Maintaining religious traditions and ceremonies

      8.6.4 Making places for worship

      8.10.4 Designing and building fine buildings

      Physical Description 1

      ST. MARGARET'S ANGLICAN 1) CHURCH, 2) FORMER VICARAGE (DENDY HOUSE), 3) ADOBE HALL AND 4) GROUNDS, ORIGINALLY CHRIST CHURCH, PITT ST, ELTHAM - Physical Description 1

      Church

      Style Victorian Gothic-early English.

      Design standard apart from belfry and side front door.

      Plan rectangular.

      Single storeyed.

      Walls solid face brick..

      Roof gabled with no eaves, slate clad. Feature are the simple form; brickwork, belfry, windows, front door, window above the altar and the organ.

      Dendy House

      Style Victorian.

      Design standard four room house.
      Plan rectangular.
      Single storeyed.

      Walls solid face brick.

      Roof gabled, with eaves, slate clad.

      Features are the facade with its two gables, the central lattice porch, face brick walls, simple design, chimneys and the very largely intact interiors.

      Hall.

      Style Eltham Style.

      Design unique.

      Plan basically rectangular.

      Single storied.

      Walls timber post framed, solid mud brick cladding.

      Roof pitched with verandahs or eaves.

      Features are the design and construction.

      Usage/Former Usage

      ST. MARGARET'S ANGLICAN 1) CHURCH, 2) FORMER VICARAGE (DENDY HOUSE), 3) ADOBE HALL AND 4) GROUNDS, ORIGINALLY CHRIST CHURCH, PITT ST, ELTHAM - Usage/Former Usage

      Original Use: Church of Englad, Church and Vicarage

      Present Use: Anglican Church

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Nillumbik - Shire of Eltham Heritage Study

      Author: David Bick
      Year: 1992
      Grading:

Public contributions

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