St Paul’s Church of England
This charming little church was the first official place of worship for Anglican residents of Jarrahdale.
Historical information
After catastrophic bushfires in 1895, the remains of Jarrahdale were moved further west. Up until this point, church services and Sunday School had been held either at the local school, the town hall or the timber company’s reading room – but the townspeople now decided to build a dedicated Anglican church*.
The timber company, the town’s major employer, provided land on Armstrong Road and donated the building materials. The locals came together to raise funds for furnishings. The building was designed by Mr F Bird and was constructed of jarrah timber with a metal roof. The foundation stone was laid in February 1896 by Bishop Charles Riley, and the new St Paul’s Church of England was finished the next year.
In 1954, the church was moved to Atkins Street to be closer to the centre of town, and it was re-consecrated by Archbishop of Perth, Robert William Haines Moline on 11 July. A Mr Andrew Della carried out some alterations to the 60-year-old building following the move, including shortening the porch, changes to the stairs, adding a tearoom, and repainting the walls white (rather than cream) and the roof green. The church was also connected to electricity for the first time.
In 2008 the church was moved again, to its present location next to the Old Post Office on Jarrahdale Road. It was never re-consecrated but has been blessed.
*Around 40% of West Australians were nominally Anglican at this time.
Physical description
From its new location set into the side of the hill, the church overlooks the Jarrahdale township down to Gooralong Brook. The building is a symmetrical, single-storey, three-bay church in Federation Carpenter Gothic style. It features a high-pitched gable roof, porch, and lancet-shaped doors and windows.
Present day
Today, St Paul’s is owned by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale. The church regularly hosts weddings, baptisms and funerals – and although it is now non-denominational, the Anglican Church still conducts services there.
Further reading and references
Special thanks to Ms Debra Armstrong and the Jarrahdale Heritage Society for aiding the research for this article.
Coy, N. J. (1984). The Serpentine: A history of the Shire of Serpentine–Jarrahdale (p. 107). Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.