heritage

[What We Do]

The story of the Parish Church of All Saints, Ainslie is a unique one. As the building stands in modern Canberra, it is a link with a very fascinating fact of the old Sydney transport system. This pamphlet tells the story as to how this former Sydney building came to Canberra, and became a “Station of the Cross” as it was formerly described by its first Rector, E.G. Buckle.

THE SYDNEY NECROPOLIS

In 1855, the first railway line in NSW was opened from Redfern to present day Granville, and Sydney began to develop around this western area. The planning authorities had not only to contend with the plans of the living, but also the dead. In the late 1850’s plans began to emerge for a large cemetery area, a city Necropolis as it was then termed. By the early 1860’s an area of 250 acres had been set aside at Haslem's Cree, where there was a railway station and this became the new Necropolis.

This area was some distance from the railway station and in 1864 a spur line was built from the station to the cemetery. Plans were then considered for a special funeral train service to operate from Sydney. The earliest record of this train service is in 1867, the times of departure being set down at 9.15 am and 3.00 pm.

A further decision was then made that the funeral train traffic should be handled separately from the ordinary traffic. Plans were made for two special stations to be built, one at the Sydney end and one in the cemetery. Both buildings were built to ecclesiastical design, and the one at the cemetery has now become All Saints Church, whilst the one at Sydney is still situated near Sydney Central.

THE ARCHITECTURE

Both stations were designed by an architect, whose work is shown in many of Sydney’s old buildings. He was James Barnet F.R.I.B.A., and at that time he was Colonial Architect for NSW. Born at Arbroath, Scotland in 1827 he first took up carpentry and stone masonry, after which he took courses in drawing, design and architecture. He came to Australia in 1860 and joined the Colonial Architects Office as Clerk of Works. In January, 1865 he became Colonial Architect, and he supervised the development of 1,351 buildings and carried out works to the value of Ł6,000,000. His biggest job was the construction of the Sydney GPO at Martin Place.

Both stations were built of sandstone from the Pyrmont quarries and each was built as a terminus. The buildings were appropriately decorated with sculptured figures executed by two sculptors Thomas Ducket and Henry Apperley. The largest figures in the Cemetery Station were the winged angels set on either side of the northern arch, whilst the roof trusses were adorned with cherubs. Decorative tile work was laid on the platforms, the tiles coming from the Cumberland Pottery near Enfield. A the southern end there was a five sided apse-like extension used as a waiting room and fitted with a fireplace and chimney.

THE FUNERAL TRAIN SERVICE

In practice, the locomotive backed the train into the cemetery from Haslem’s Creek so that the coffin van at the end of the train would be under the complete shelter of the building. The coffins would then be taken out, processions formed and these would move either to the graveside or to the chapels. It must be explained that although the station was built to look like a church, it was never used as one. There were chapels built around the station for this use. The bell tower was provided with a bell and this was tolled as the train came in. Afterwards it was rung for a different purpose to warn people when the train was ready to return to Sydney.

Meanwhile facilities were provided at some of the stations on the way to Lidcome (as Haslem’s Creek became known), so that funerals could join the train at these points. Funeral trains also ran to Woronora (near Sutherland on the Southern line), and to Sandgate Cemetery (near Newcastle). The railway stations at these places were normal buildings however.
As the original cemetery area at Haslem’s Creek was extended it became necessary to extend the line. The first extension was made in 1897 and involved the removal of the waiting room so that the line could pass right through the building. In 1908 a further extension was made and this increased the line in the cemetery to a total length of 2Ľ miles. Four stations were provided, the original “church” station becoming Cemetery Station Number 1.

In addition to the funeral train services, visitors trains ran at weekends so that people could visit the cemetery and attend to the graves. The funeral train service saw its greatest use around the turn of the century but by the 1920’s the service started to take a downward turn. Motor funerals were coming into use and these provided a more flexible service than the train service which was confined to the one line. Somewhere about the 1920’s the service closed down altogether, though it appears to have been revived to a limited use in the second world war, with the problems of petrol rationing. On 3rd April, 1948 the railways moved out of Rookwood altogether, and to show that they meant it they pulled the track up.

THE FINAL YEARS IN SYDNEY

The deserted station then went through a most interesting phase. It was the venue of a large two-up school, and became the haunt of vandals and metho drinkers. Gentlemen of the road slept in it, oblivious of the ghosts that may have haunted it. In the 1950’s a bush fire went through the cemetery, and the old wooden roof caught fire. Nothing of the roof was left, as it crashed down on the platforms destroying all the platform tilework in the process. Fortunately little damage was done to the stonework. In the next few years the position deteriorated. Open to the weather, the vegetation grew wild over the platforms, whilst little attempt was made to clean up the wreckage from the fire. The site rapidly became an eyesore, a position not appreciated by the cemetery authorities who were trying to clean the place up. So they put pressure on the railways to remove the station altogether.

Now the railways did not know what to do with such a building, their only solution would have been to knock it over. Fortunately they realised the history of the building and its beauty and attempts were then made to sell the stonework. The story was made known all around Sydney, but no offers were made.

THE MOVE TO CANBERRA

Just before this the Parish of Canberra North had been created, and its first Rector was the Reverend Ted Buckle formerly of Sydney. The present Hall had a chapel at one end and this was the Parish Church. With the Hall there were some tennis courts and beyond that more land, where one day a church would be built.

Then came that eventful day in December, 1957, when the Rector read a copy of the Anglican, the church newspaper. On the front page was a picture of the stonework in Rookwood, and the news that it was up for sale. In a flash came the inspiration “This is the church for the site” and Ted Buckle was off in a bid to convince the congregation, the local Church Council and most of all the Diocesan Bishop-in-Council, that this was the right thing to do.

Ted set off to Sydney with a parishioner, Stan Taunton who was a builder, plus some other tradesmen to look at the site and study the possibility of moving it. Although overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task, it was decided to give it a go. The faithful ladies of the church found that they had Ł100 to spare, and an offer was made to the railways to purchase the stone for this amount, and shift it out of Rookwood. This was accepted and the big game of building blocks was under way.

Stan Taunton and his son John, camped in the cemetery at Rookwood for a period of 14 weeks and supervised the demolition and removal of the stones. Stan prepared sectional drawings of the building and took many photos of the sections while they were being demolished. 782 tons of sandstone were shifted in 83 semi-trailer loads, the largest stones being the two angel stones in the archways. Demolition took about 3 months and cost about Ł8,000.

Rebuilding took well over 12 months and cost about Ł16,000, the main cost being in the new roof which is of Tasmanian Mountain Ash. A stonemason, Mr James Orr was employed to supervise the construction of the stonework and we owe much to his skill and craftsmanship. A great deal is also owed to Stan Taunton for his supervision of the whole job. Eventually in October, 1959 the task was completed and the church dedicated on All Saints Day, 1st November, 1959.

Some changes were made to the building when it was built. The angel arch (originally at the entrance) was placed inside. The bell tower has been changed from the left hand to the right. The side transepts; originally in the centre were shifted more to the rear. The open sides were glassed in and doors placed on the transepts.

Two loans had been taken out to cover the cost of erection of the church, one with the Commercial Bank and one with the MLC Insurance, the total amount borrowed being about Ł24,000. These loans had to be repaid before the church could be fully consecrated to the service of the Lord. This position was reached by 1975. Including Loan interest, an amount of Ł75,000 was repaid and it has been estimated that approximately half of this amount came from the sale of booklets, cards, etc. to tourists.

On All Saints Day, Saturday, 1st November, 1975, the Consecration of the Church was carried out by the Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Warren. A large congregation attended, and it included many former parishioners, who had been specially invited. All former Rectors of All Saints were there including the Reverend Ted Buckle, who came from New Zealand to attend the ceremony. At that stage he was the Archdeacon of Auckland and later became the Assistant bishop of that diocese.

To take a virtual tour of the church, click here.

For more photos of the history of All Saints, click here.

The entrance to All Saints' on the Day of Opening,
All Saints Day, 1 November 1959


	The story of the Parish Church of All Saints, Ainslie is a unique one. As the building stands in modern Canberra, it is a link with a very fascinating fact of the old Sydney transport system. This pamphlet tells the story as to how this former Sydney building came to Canberra, and became a “Station of the Cross” as it was formerly described by its first Rector, E.G. Buckle. THE SYDNEY NECROPOLIS In 1855, the first railway line in NSW was opened from Redfern to present day Granville, and Sydney began to develop around this western area. The planning authorities had not only to contend with the plans of the living, but also the dead. In the late 1850’s plans began to emerge for a large cemetery area, a city Necropolis as it was then termed. By the early 1860’s an area of 250 acres had been set aside at Haslem's Cree, where there was a railway station and this became the new Necropolis. This area was some distance from the railway station and in 1864 a spur line was built from the station to the cemetery. Plans were then considered for a special funeral train service to operate from Sydney. The earliest record of this train service is in 1867, the times of departure being set down at 9.15 am and 3.00 pm. A further decision was then made that the funeral train traffic should be handled separately from the ordinary traffic. Plans were made for two special stations to be built, one at the Sydney end and one in the cemetery. Both buildings were built to ecclesiastical design, and the one at the cemetery has now become All Saints Church, whilst the one at Sydney is still situated near Sydney Central. THE ARCHITECTURE Both stations were designed by an architect, whose work is shown in many of Sydney’s old buildings. He was James Barnet F.R.I.B.A., and at that time he was Colonial Architect for NSW. Born at Arbroath, Scotland in 1827 he first took up carpentry and stone masonry, after which he took courses in drawing, design and architecture. He came to Australia in 1860 and joined the Colonial Architects Office as Clerk of Works. In January, 1865 he became Colonial Architect, and he supervised the development of 1,351 buildings and carried out works to the value of Ł6,000,000. His biggest job was the construction of the Sydney GPO at Martin Place. Both stations were built of sandstone from the Pyrmont quarries and each was built as a terminus. The buildings were appropriately decorated with sculptured figures executed by two sculptors Thomas Ducket and Henry Apperley. The largest figures in the Cemetery Station were the winged angels set on either side of the northern arch, whilst the roof trusses were adorned with cherubs. Decorative tile work was laid on the platforms, the tiles coming from the Cumberland Pottery near Enfield. A the southern end there was a five sided apse-like extension used as a waiting room and fitted with a fireplace and chimney. THE FUNERAL TRAIN SERVICE In practice, the locomotive backed the train into the cemetery from Haslem’s Creek so that the coffin van at the end of the train would be under the complete shelter of the building. The coffins would then be taken out, processions formed and these would move either to the graveside or to the chapels. It must be explained that although the station was built to look like a church, it was never used as one. There were chapels built around the station for this use. The bell tower was provided with a bell and this was tolled as the train came in. Afterwards it was rung for a different purpose to warn people when the train was ready to return to Sydney. Meanwhile facilities were provided at some of the stations on the way to Lidcome (as Haslem’s Creek became known), so that funerals could join the train at these points. Funeral trains also ran to Woronora (near Sutherland on the Southern line), and to Sandgate Cemetery (near Newcastle). The railway stations at these places were normal buildings however. As the original cemetery area at Haslem’s Creek was extended it became necessary to extend the line. The first extension was made in 1897 and involved the removal of the waiting room so that the line could pass right through the building. In 1908 a further extension was made and this increased the line in the cemetery to a total length of 2Ľ miles. Four stations were provided, the original “church” station becoming Cemetery Station Number 1. In addition to the funeral train services, visitors trains ran at weekends so that people could visit the cemetery and attend to the graves. The funeral train service saw its greatest use around the turn of the century but by the 1920’s the service started to take a downward turn. Motor funerals were coming into use and these provided a more flexible service than the train service which was confined to the one line. Somewhere about the 1920’s the service closed down altogether, though it appears to have been revived to a limited use in the second world war, with the problems of petrol rationing. On 3rd April, 1948 the railways moved out of Rookwood altogether, and to show that they meant it they pulled the track up. THE FINAL YEARS IN SYDNEY The deserted station then went through a most interesting phase. It was the venue of a large two-up school, and became the haunt of vandals and metho drinkers. Gentlemen of the road slept in it, oblivious of the ghosts that may have haunted it. In the 1950’s a bush fire went through the cemetery, and the old wooden roof caught fire. Nothing of the roof was left, as it crashed down on the platforms destroying all the platform tilework in the process. Fortunately little damage was done to the stonework. In the next few years the position deteriorated. Open to the weather, the vegetation grew wild over the platforms, whilst little attempt was made to clean up the wreckage from the fire. The site rapidly became an eyesore, a position not appreciated by the cemetery authorities who were trying to clean the place up. So they put pressure on the railways to remove the station altogether. Now the railways did not know what to do with such a building, their only solution would have been to knock it over. Fortunately they realised the history of the building and its beauty and attempts were then made to sell the stonework. The story was made known all around Sydney, but no offers were made. THE MOVE TO CANBERRA Just before this the Parish of Canberra North had been created, and its first Rector was the Reverend Ted Buckle formerly of Sydney. The present Hall had a chapel at one end and this was the Parish Church. With the Hall there were some tennis courts and beyond that more land, where one day a church would be built. Then came that eventful day in December, 1957, when the Rector read a copy of the Anglican, the church newspaper. On the front page was a picture of the stonework in Rookwood, and the news that it was up for sale. In a flash came the inspiration “This is the church for the site” and Ted Buckle was off in a bid to convince the congregation, the local Church Council and most of all the Diocesan Bishop-in-Council, that this was the right thing to do. Ted set off to Sydney with a parishioner, Stan Taunton who was a builder, plus some other tradesmen to look at the site and study the possibility of moving it. Although overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task, it was decided to give it a go. The faithful ladies of the church found that they had Ł100 to spare, and an offer was made to the railways to purchase the stone for this amount, and shift it out of Rookwood. This was accepted and the big game of building blocks was under way. Stan Taunton and his son John, camped in the cemetery at Rookwood for a period of 14 weeks and supervised the demolition and removal of the stones. Stan prepared sectional drawings of the building and took many photos of the sections while they were being demolished. 782 tons of sandstone were shifted in 83 semi-trailer loads, the largest stones being the two angel stones in the archways. Demolition took about 3 months and cost about Ł8,000. Rebuilding took well over 12 months and cost about Ł16,000, the main cost being in the new roof which is of Tasmanian Mountain Ash. A stonemason, Mr James Orr was employed to supervise the construction of the stonework and we owe much to his skill and craftsmanship. A great deal is also owed to Stan Taunton for his supervision of the whole job. Eventually in October, 1959 the task was completed and the church dedicated on All Saints Day, 1st November, 1959. Some changes were made to the building when it was built. The angel arch (originally at the entrance) was placed inside. The bell tower has been changed from the left hand to the right. The side transepts; originally in the centre were shifted more to the rear. The open sides were glassed in and doors placed on the transepts. Two loans had been taken out to cover the cost of erection of the church, one with the Commercial Bank and one with the MLC Insurance, the total amount borrowed being about Ł24,000. These loans had to be repaid before the church could be fully consecrated to the service of the Lord. This position was reached by 1975. Including Loan interest, an amount of Ł75,000 was repaid and it has been estimated that approximately half of this amount came from the sale of booklets, cards, etc. to tourists. On All Saints Day, Saturday, 1st November, 1975, the Consecration of the Church was carried out by the Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Warren. A large congregation attended, and it included many former parishioners, who had been specially invited. All former Rectors of All Saints were there including the Reverend Ted Buckle, who came from New Zealand to attend the ceremony. At that stage he was the Archdeacon of Auckland and later became the Assistant bishop of that diocese. To take a virtual tour of the church, click here. For more photos of the history of All Saints, click here.
	The entrance to All Saints' on the Day of Opening, All Saints Day, 1 November 1959