Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church
Encyclopedia
The Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church is situated in the inner western Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 suburb of Annandale
Annandale, New South Wales
Annandale is a suburb of Inner West Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Annandale is located within 3-5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt. Annandale's northern end lies on Rozelle Bay,...

. It is an example of Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

 and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...

.

Description and history

The church was erected between 1886 and 1889 by Mrs Helen Hay Mackie Baillie as a memorial to her late husband, John Hunter Baillie (1818-1854). Its sandstone spire reaches a height of 56m (182 ft) and is the tallest church spire in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, the twin 70m spires of Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The cathedral is dedicated to "Mary, Help of Christians", Patron of Australia...

 completed in 2000 are taller but are steel cored.
The church was designed by Cyril and Arthur Blacket, sons of the Colonial architect Edmund Blacket
Edmund Blacket
Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...

. Its interior features massive pillars of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

 granite with Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 bluestone bases and capitals. The baptismal font and pulpit are carved from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 Oamaru stone and green marble.

The church houses a large 19th Century organ by William Hill & Son of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

OVer the years significant anniversaries have been celbrated including the 100th in 1989 and on Sunday March 1st 2009 the church's 120th anniversary was celebrated. . There is a current National Trust sponsored Appeal, which seeks to raise the estimated $4.5 million required for restoration of the building and organ.

Sunday Service and Sunday School continue to be held each Sunday at 10am with special services at Christmas and Easter and for such events as the annual Kirking of the Tartan in June

External links

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