The Parish of Swansea - A Short History - St Peter's Swansea
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A Short History
The Parish of Swansea
‘A place to belong’
Caring for locals in Blacksmiths, Cams Wharf, Catherine Hill Bay,
Caves Beach, Chain Valley Bay, Gwandalan, Murrays Beach, Nords
Wharf, Pelican, Summerland Point & Swansea
Our Mission: In faith and prayer, to show God’s love to all through
our worship, witness and care.
Services held at:
St Peter’s, 28 Josephson Street, Swansea and
Gwandalan Community Hall, Cnr Koowong & Noamunga Crescent,
Gwandalan.
St Peter’s Anglican Church, Diocese of Newcastle
SWANSEA In the
beginning
The earliest
account of Church
affairs is from the
year 1856. According
to Miss Louise Boon,
the first Bishop of
Newcastle, William
Tyrrell, came to
Galgabba, known
as Pelican Flat, on
a pastoral visit. He
gave a doll to a li�le
girl who knew her
St Peter’s Church of England in the 1920s. (George Boyd
prayers. This was Miss
Collec�on)
Boon’s grandmother.
The ‘Newcastle Herald’ published this account in 1883:
[The reporter]...has been shown by the Reverend Mr. Walter Tollis the plan for a
new weatherboard Church of England building now being erected at Pelican Flat,
Lake Macquarie Heads. This structure will be a great acquisi�on to the locality. It
is of Gothic design, and will be 40 feet long by 20 feet in width. It is es�mated it
will give comfortable accommoda�on to not less than 130 persons. The plan and
specifica�ons have been kindly prepared by Mr. Brooks and the contractors are
Messrs. Fox and Williams. Mrs. Josephson of Sydney has generously given an acre
of her property as a site.
The Bishop of Newcastle has promised a handsome subscrip�on to help liquidate
the liabili�es that these plucky Lake people have incurred. Several Sydney people,
holders of land in the vicinity of the Lake, have responded very liberally to the call
of the canvassing commi�ee, who are to be con-gratulated on their great zeal in
trying to meet the wants of the Church of England people by erec�ng a suitable
place for holding divine worship, a want that has long been felt. This building is the
first place of public worship erected at this por�on of the Lake, the services have
hitherto been held in the building used as a public school.
The second Bishop of Newcastle, Josiah Pearson, dedicated St Peter’s Church
of England at Pelican Flat on Easter Sunday, 5th April, 1884. Early ministra�ons
The Parish of Swansea Page 2
were performed by The Rev’ds Walter Tollis and R M Walker. The first recorded
weddings were in 1885 when two sisters, Catherine and Maude Taaffe, married
Frank Griffiths and John May respec�vely.
Name Change, 1887
The Aboriginal name for the district was Galgabba. With the establishment of
white se�lement it was called Pelican Flat. “At a public mee�ng held on 7 October
1887 it was unanimously carried that the name of the rising township should be
altered from Pelican Flat to ‘Swansea’. The Post Master-General gave his approval
on 1 November 1887.
Catherine Hill Bay, 1897, Holy Trinity
Church ac�vity
commenced in this
mining community
in 1897 and a
community church
built. Mr Joseph
Speering, the local
pit manager, acted
as local preacher
from 1902 to 1908.
In about 1906 the
chuch was dedicated
to the Holy Trinity.
In the 1920s The Rev’ds Gerard Tucker and Milton Williams ministered in Belmont,
Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay. Services were held in Holy Trinity on a regular basis
when the Missionary District was established in 1957. The �tle of the property was
transferred to the Church Trustees in the 1970s.
Swansea becomes independent
The first incumbent priest was ‘Padre Bill’, The Rev’d W A C Petersen,
commissioned on 1 September 1957 when the Missionary District of Swansea,
including Catherine Hill Bay, was separated from the Parish of Belmont. The first
major task was to move the church from its posi�on on Main Road (Pacific Highway)
to its new loca�on at 28 Josephson Street. Plans for the development for the new
site included the construc�on of a new church and rectory. The cornerstone of the
new church was dedicated by the seventh Bishop of Newcastle, Francis de Wi�
Ba�y, on 28 September 1958, his last func�on before re�ring.
The Parish of Swansea Page 3
On 14 December 1958 the
eighth Bishop of Newcastle, James
Housden, dedicated the new St
Peter’s. The es�mated cost of the
new church was 8,000 Pounds.
In the years that followed
various groups were formed: the
parish Choir in 1958, Sunday School
1959, Mothers’ Union 1958, Ladies
Guild 1958, Girls Friendly Society
1959 and The Church of England
Boys Society in 1961.
The area was declared a
Provisional District in August 1969. The new St Peter’s Church in 1958, looking
rather bare.
Swansea was proclaimed a Parish
on 11 December 1977. The old church became the Parish Hall. It was renovated
in 1978 with installa�on of a kitchen, the exterior was re-clad and outside toilets
constructed.
St Paul’s, Pelican
In 1960 a Sunday School was started at Pelican Flat on the northern side of Lake
Macquarie. This led to the establishment of a congrega�on and the provision of
a monthly service of worship in 1963. A permanent church/hall building beside
the ‘shed’ used for a Sunday School was dedicated on 13 May 1972. On the 15
November 1982 the Parochial Council closed St Paul’s as a centre of worship. The
building was re-located on the church block at Swansea, and with the addi�on of
a new front was opened on 8 May 1983.
At back, the original St Peter’s,
then Hall; and the newer Hall,
formerly St Paul’s at Pelican, with
a new front. [photo 1995)
Above: St Paul’s Pelican on the
move to Swansea.
The Parish of Swansea Page 4
Memorial Garden
The earliest reference to the Memorial
Garden was in February 1974. In the
1975 Parish Report it is recorded that the
Assistant Bishop, Leslie S�bbard, dedicated
the Garden on St Peter’s Day, 29 June
1975. The provision of a Columbarium was
discussed in April 1995 and the construc�on
The Memorial Garden in 1997.
was completed about November, as records
indicate that Sid Cohen was paid $319.00 for the work.
Gwandalan / Summerland Point, 1961
Church ac�vi�es were commenced in the area in 1961. The congrega�on
envisaged the building of a church; a sec�on of approximately 1 hectare was
purchased by the Gwandalan and Summerland Point commi�ee. In the late 1980s,
having accumulated $60,000, the commi�ee commenced nego�a�ons to purchase
a suitable building. The decision to establish the Lakes Anglican Grammar School
halted these plans and the land was returned to the Diocese.
With the establishment of the school the congrega�on was able to worship
regularly in the school chapel of St Francis and St Clare for eleven years, before the
closing of the school.
On the 31 December 2004 the Church Wardens of Gwandalan and Summerland
Point presented a report to the Parish Council of Swansea, �tled, ‘The way we feel’.
It was an expression of the disappointment experienced by the congrega�on that
their plans for the establishment of a worship centre had failed to reach frui�on in
spite of the availability
of finance and an
expanding community.
The Trust established
by the commi�ee
has a balance of over
$100,000, but under
the condi�ons set out
in Diocesan Ordinances
it can be used for no
other purpose than the
construc�on of a church
Chapel of St Francis & St Clare at LAGS. building.
The Parish of Swansea Page 5
Clergy Residence
There is no indica�on from exis�ng records as to the loca�on of the first clergy
house, but the comment is recorded about 1974 that “someone fell through the
floor boards of the old rectory”. A modern new rectory was blessed by the Auxiliary
Bishop, Geoffrey Parker, on 31 July 1977. In 1994 the balance of the proceeds from
the sale of the Pelican land was allocated to the cost of a complete renova�on of
the rectory.
When the residence was
no longer required to house
a resident clergy person
following the resigna�on of
The Rev’d Selwyn Dornan
in 2010, the Parish Council
decided to prepare the house
for rental. The proceeds are
held in a special fund and when
required are allocated to the The Rectory, 2013.
maintenance of the building.
Blessing of the
Rectory, 31st
July 1977. The
Rev’d David
Simpson, behind
him David
Harcus, Bishop
Geoffrey Parker,
Paul Cherry and
Lance Burke.
(Photo D Simpson)
Geoff Jennison and Fr David Simpson with the
bell, ‘King Oscar’, removed from the original
Church to place in the new St Peter’s, where it s�ll
(2017) calls us to worship.
The Parish of Swansea Page 6
Property development
St Peter’s Church
The accompanying photo-
graph shows the new church when
dedicated in 1958. Com-pared to
the illustra�on on the front of this
brief history it becomes obvious
that the structure has undergone
alter-a�ons in its nearly sixty year
life �me.
The first addi�on appears to
St Peter’s in 1958.
be a large white cross installed
in the triangular shaped front
eleva�on, above the entrance.
A photograph taken in 1965
does not show this cross. During
the years 1974-1979 there
are recorded references to re-
arrangement of the sanctuary area,
external maintenance work and
ground developments. While no
record exists, it could be assumed
that the cross was added during
this period, for it is shown in a
photograph in 1980.
St Peter’s Church in 1980.
The interior of St Peter’s Church in 1980.
The Parish of Swansea Page 7
Major altera�ons
In 1995 the Parish Council engaged the architect firm of Valen�ne and Dick of
Newcastle to obtain an indica�on of the cost of re-roofing the church, and lining
the main ceiling area, construc�ng an enclosed porch and replacement of the
wooden side windows. An expenditure of up to $150,000 was set aside with the
architects. The original es�mate was $167,000 but as this was over budget, the
side wooden windows would remain. The project began in February 1996, and
upon comple�on was re-dedicated by the eleventh Bishop of the Diocese, Roger
Her�, on 19 May 1996.
The Joan Rutherford Bequest, 1999
Murial Joan Rutherford bequeathed the residue of her estate to be held upon trust
for the “Anglican Provisional District of St Peter’s Swansea”. The Church Wardens
were, at their discre�on, free to apply the proceeds of the Trust. Probate was
granted and in 1999 the Wardens reported that an amount of $78,000 was available.
The decision was made to install new windows and screens to the church, and to
extend the Parish Hall (previously St Paul’s Church) to include two toilets, a secure
The Parish of Swansea Page 8The Parish
Hall,
Swansea,
in 2001
a�er
changes
made as
a result
of the
Rutherford
Bequest.
storeroom and servery. It was also decided to install a memorial lead light window
in the side chapel.
The Wardens’
Report of 2001 re-
cords that the Hall
extensions were
opened and the
Memorial window
of the Annuncia�on
had been dedicated
by the Regional
Bishop, Graeme
Rutherford.
A second window, of
the Easter Tomb, was also
designed and created by
Deirdre Anderson, and
installed in the right hand
side chapel in April 2003,
and dedicated by Bishop
Roger Her�.
The Parish of Swansea Page 9A Centenary Project: The 1911 Estey Organ from Holy Trinity, Catherine Hill Bay is
believed have come there in the 1950s from a Masonic Lodge at Mayfield. As part
of the Parish’s Centenary celebra�ons, it was brought to St Peter’s at Swansea and
was carefully restored in 1986 by organ builder, Mr A Graham from Sydney, who
reported it to be a splendid example of its period — made in Connec�cut, USA. Re-
polishing of the walnut case was done by Sco� Wilson, Mr Sam Provest and men
of the Parish.
The organ was dedicated at the end of the Centenary Service on 29 June, when
it was played by Mr Graham. Mrs N Sanderson, a former resident of Swansea,
was thanked for her memorial gi� to her son, which met one half of the organ
restora�on costs.
It now (2017) sits in the Organ Lo�, unused, replaced by an Electronic Organ.
The Parish of Swansea Page 10Clergy — Parish of Swansea, 1957-2017
PETERSEN, William A.C. 1/9/1957 to 17/2/1963
JOHNSTONE, Tom (LT) 24/2/1963 to 30/6/1963
ONIONS, John V. 14/7/1963 to 12/9/1965
HAMONET, Noel C. 1/10/1965 to 30/10/1966
WEST, John H. 11/11/1966 to 17/5/1970
ALLAN, Donald F. 12/6/1970 to 20/1/1974 Bill Petersen
SIMPSON, David S. 24/1/1974 to 3/6/1979
HARRIS, C. Fred (L.T) 1/7/1979 to 2/9/1979
VARCOE, C.H. R. 7/9/1979 to 11/3/1984
WILSON, James D 3/8/1984 to 8/1988
HESSEY, Stanley (L.T) 25/8/1988 to 3.11.1988
(also Hon. Gwandalan & Summerland Point to 2011)
BROOKER, John 4/11/1988 to 3/7/1994
HOWARD, Barbara 2/1995 to 30/6/2003
John West
DORNAN Selwyn 21/11/2003 to 14/2/2010
GERARD, Clive (Inten�onal Locum) 2/2010 to 4/2015
FRY, Robyn (Inten�onal Locum) 1/2016 to
Barbara Howard
Consecra�on of St
Peter’s Church, 21
April 1974: A�er
the service, the
Bishop of Newcastle,
The Rt Rev’d Ian
Shevill, moves
down the aisle to
the congrega�on.
Priest-in-Charge,
was The Rev’d David
Simpson.
(From the Newcastle
Herald)
The Parish of Swansea Page 11Parish Officers 1985-2017
Church Wardens:
Adams, Darryl 1993-1994
Burke, Lance 1985-1990
Burke�, Warren 1991-1992, 2017-
Butler, A. Don 1985
Chalmers, R 1990
Delaney, Lyne�e 2001-2004
Gill, Kevin 1991-1995
Godden, Arthur 1991-1992
Gregory, Margaret 1997-2000
Howard, June 2013-
Hincks, Kevin 1987-89, 1993-2001, 05-16
Leitch, Ross 1985-1987
Reay, Morriss 1995-96, 2001-2003
Munton, Margaret 2010
The interior of St Peter’s 2013 Munton, Peter 2005-08, 2011-12
Plumridge, Bill 2003, 2005-13, 2014-
Purcival, Keith 1985-1986
The Parish logo Taylor, Lyn 1989-90, 1996-98, 2004-
Wilson, Warren 1988
Secretaries:
Diver, Vine�e Treasurers:
Hincks, Kevin Blackie, Del
Sweet, Beverley Adams, Darryl
The Tradi�onal symbol for St Peter Wiley, Catherine Goodwin, Brian
is the crossed keys. The origins Honeyse�, Susanne Morriss, Reay
of this lie in the passage from Plumridge, Chris�ne
Morris, Leonard
Ma�hew 16, in the context of Jamieson, Janice
Williamson, Vicki
Simon’s declara�on that Jesus is Hallam, Barbara
the Messiah, Jesus gives him the Tucker, Pam
Smith, Trevor
name ‘Peter’ meaning rock and
[The above informa�on is as accurate as possible,
gives to him the keys, the power obtained from Diocesan Year Books and Parish
to release people from their sins. Records, which are however incomplete.]
The upside cross signifies the
death Peter was to suffer.
This brief history of Swansea Parish is compiled from informa�on and illustra�ons
gleaned from the publica�on ‘The Anglican Parish of Swansea
1884-2014: 130 years of Worship, Witness & Work’ by The Rev’d S R Willey.
Printed by Belmont Copy Centre 2014, revised 1/2015
Published by Stan & Marion Willey
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