St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, Surry Hills

St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, officially the St Sophia and Her Three Daughters Greek Orthodox Church, is a heritage-listed Greek Orthodox church at 411a Bourke Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of Surry Hills in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Formerly a Congregational church, the building is also known as the former Bourke Street Congregational Church and School. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]

For other uses, see List of churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom.

St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church
St Sophia and Her Three Daughters Greek Orthodox Church
Bourke Street Congregational Church and School
St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, pictured in 2018
St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church
33°52′55″S 151°12′58″E
Location411a Bourke Street, Surry Hills, City of Sydney, New South Wales
CountryAustralia
DenominationGreek Orthodox
Previous denominationCongregationalism
Websitewww.greekorthodox.org.au
History
StatusChurch
DedicationSaint Sophia
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Years built1880–1980s
Administration
ParishSt Sophia
ArchdioceseAustralia
Clergy
Priest(s)Rev. Agathangelo Masteas
Official nameBourke Street Congregational Church & School (Former)
TypeState heritage (complex / group)
Designated2 April 1999
Reference no.382
TypeChurch
CategoryReligion

History

The present building was designed by William Boles and opened in 1880.[2] The church had existed since 1855, operating out of a portable iron structure transported from England; when the new church was built, the old structure was moved to Stewart St, Paddington.[3]

By 1933, the church was struggling both in congregation size and finances as the area had ceased to be seen as fashionable, and was no longer able to afford a regular minister, with ministers instead provided by the Home Mission Board. The collection plate takings had diminished to "only a few shillings".[3] During the 1930s, free meals were provided to unemployed men in the school hall, with 20,000 meals having been served between 1932 and 1935.[4]

The church closed in the late 1930s. It was later leased by the Greek Orthodox Church, who then purchased it from the Congregational Church in the 1980s.[5] It continues in operation today as the St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church.[6] The original church pipe organ (1888) was transferred to the Galston Uniting Church in the 1980s, as it was no longer required under the new owners.[5] The Galston Congregational Church Pipe Organ is separately listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.[7]

Heritage listing

Bourke Street Congregational Church and School was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Bourke Street Congregational Church & School (Former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H00382. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. "Bourke-street Congregational Church". Evening News (3998). New South Wales, Australia. 14 February 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Fight For Church That Has Made History". The Sun (1574). New South Wales, Australia. 28 May 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "CUT HIS OWN STIPEND". The Daily Telegraph. 5 (25). New South Wales, Australia. 16 March 1935. p. 14. Retrieved 24 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Galston Uniting Church". Organ Music Society of Sydney. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  6. "St Sophia, Taylor Square, NSW". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. "Pipe Organ from Bourke Street Congregational Church (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H00382. Retrieved 1 June 2018.

Bibliography
  • Pollen, F.; Healy, G., eds. (1988). 'Darlinghurst' in The Book of Sydney Suburbs.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Bourke Street Congregational Church & School (Former), entry number 382 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 13 October 2018.

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