Saint Paul’s was the third Church of England built in South Australia after Adelaide’s Holy Trinity North Terrace and St John’s Halifax Street. It was originally built of weatherboards on piles by the water and opened for worship on 9th May 1841. However, on that day, stormy weather raised the water to the floorboards, so they all had to go home in boats. This being said, there was already Protestant Christian worship held in the Customs House sheds at The Port since 1836, as The Reverend CR Howard from Holy Trinity (who arrived with Governor Hindmarsh) alternated with The Reverend J Farrell (from St John’s) to provide a weekly Sunday Service at Port Adelaide – from the very beginning of colonial South Australia.
Ten years later, in 1851, the wooden church was moved back 30 feet to allow for the construction of a new stone/brick church, but in June, a high tide with a blustering storm, washed the old wooden church off its piles, and a good deal smashed. The new church was built on a firmer foundation and opened for worship on 14 March 1852. Fifty years on, weather, salt-damp, cracks and shifting sand had taken their toll, so a third brick church was built: Saint Paul’s in its current stately form, opened for worship on All Saints Day, December 1905. This building is now 118 years old, but there has been “Anglican” worship in the Port for 187 years. What a special part of South Australian History! Light refreshments will be provided on conclusion of a presentation and a walk-around tour.
Presented by St Paul’s Anglican Church Port Adelaide