Installed on the northern wall of the nave of the former Saint George's Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Alexander James Campbell and Charles Norman Morrison memorial windows erected by the Congregation and Friends to the memory of both gentlemen. Installed in 1909, the windows were made at an earlier date by the Scottish stained glass manufacturers Ballantyne and Son. Arguably the most beautiful windows in the former Saint George's Presbyterian Church, the window depicts a man in a pale green tunic and brilliant red cape sewing seeds in the left-hand main panel. Doves flock about his feet, whilst trees devoid of fruit fill the background. The right-hand main panel features a bearded man in a beautiful purple robe carrying a sheath of wheat over his right shoulder and a basket of fruit in his left hand. Trees bearing fruit appear in the background whilst a scythe, some remnant ears of wheat and red poppies appear at his feet. “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” is quoted at the bottom of the main panel, just over the dedication panels. This comes from Psalm 126.6. Psalm 126 expresses the themes of redemption and joy and gratitude to God. According to Matthew Henry, it was likely written upon the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. In Henry's view, the psalm was written either by Ezra, who led the nation at that time, or by one of the Jewish prophets. The left-hand panel is dedicated to the Reverend Alexander James Campbell, the first minister of Saint George’s Presbyterian Church. The right-hand panel is dedicated to Charles Norman Morrison was principal of Geelong College and a member of Saint George’s Presbyterian Church’s board of management. The quatrefoil of the stained glass window features the Burning Bush.
Alexander James Campbell was born in 1815 in Edinburgh. The son of John Campbell, writer to the signet, of Annfield and Carbrook, and his wife Frances, his grandfather was a banker. Alexander was educated in Edinburgh, proceeding to a law course at the University of Edinburgh. Alexander studied for the Free Church ministry, and he was licensed to preach in 1843. He was the first Free Church minister at Melrose where he was ordained that November. He succeeded in forming a large congregation, which later built a substantial church with a stained-glass window in his honour. He had married Mary Maitland Heriot. She suffered from poor health which made it necessary to winter away from the cold of Scotland. A Melbourne visitor, James Balfour, encouraged Alexander to consider the Victorian mission field in 1858. To aid his wife's health and to fulfil his own missionary calling, he volunteered his services to the Colonial Committee of the Free Church. He was designated to Brighton in Melbourne initially. Arriving in Melbourne in 1859 he found the Presbyterian union newly achieved, and his Brighton charge filled, whereupon he became assistant to the Reverend Andrew Love at St Andrew's Kirk in Geelong. Many influential members of this congregation then lived at the west end of Geelong, and Alexander became minister of Saint George's Presbyterian Church, a break-away congregation which met in the Mechanics' Hall early in July 1860 and began its new building in December. He continued at St George's for twenty-six years. He was a popular minister. After living in retirement at South Yarra for many years Campbell died on 20 October 1909. His wife had predeceased him in 1882; he was survived by four sons and two daughters.
Charles Norman Morrison was born in Geelong in 1866 at Geelong College, the third son of George Morrison, proprietor and principal of the college, and his wife Rebecca. Norman spent his whole life as part of the school: even during his few years of study and teaching in Melbourne it was his family home. He was a good student and a strong athlete and footballer. In 1885 Charles entered Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, majoring in classics and philology. He won a university blue for football and stroked Ormond eights. In 1889-90 he was an assistant master at Brighton Grammar School. He joined the colonial military forces, gaining a commission in 1890. Charles returned to Geelong College in 1891 to be vice-principal, gradually taking over responsibility from his father who died in 1898. He toured Britain and Europe in 1894-95. Known affectionately as 'The Skipper' he enlarged the grounds and buildings of Geelong College. He also adopted the teaching of 'modern' sciences and languages. Geelong College was purchased by the Presbyterian Church in 1908 and governed by a council, with Charles as salaried principal. On 12 November 1909 Charles was killed, attempting to get through a fence, when out shooting at Mount Moriac. He was buried in Geelong western cemetery.
Rising proudly on the rise of a hill, the former Saint George’s Presbyterian Church, which stands on the corner of Latrobe Terrace and Ryrie Street on the outskirts of the Geelong central business district, began its construction in 1860. Designed by architect Nathaniel Billing in Victorian English Gothic style, the original large nave of the church, with vestry and apse were constructed of irregularly coursed basalt with Hawksbury River freestone dressings. The initial build was erected and completed in 1861 by contractors Brown and Gibson. The foundation stone was laid on 12 June 1861. The large and finely constructed church reflects the wealth of many of the church's foundation patrons, which included Francis Ormond and other Western District Squatters. The former Saint George’s Presbyterian Church is a significant and intact work of Nathaniel Billing, who was well known for ecclesiastical architecture. The original church was expanded with the addition of transepts in 1908, and finally a spire and tower in 1936. The tower and spire were donated as a seventy-fifth anniversary gift by wealthy parishioners James McPhillimy and his sister Louise. The McPhillimy family were not only wealthy parisioners, but were also long time worshipers at Saint George’s Persbyterian Church. They began worshiping there in 1886.
The inside of the former Saint George’s Presbyterian Church is quite plain, with white painted walls and three rows of blackwood pews separated by two aisles. The church features examples of its original latticed quarry glass lancet windows with one band of coloured glass, as well as several figurative stained glass windows installed later. This includes two pairs of lancet windows manufactured by Ballantyne and Company of Edinburgh, which are perhaps the church’s most beautiful windows for their wonderful colours and beautiful hand-painted details. There is also two windows by Melbourne stained glass manufacturers Brooks Robinson and Company installed in the 1930s, and a fine heritage listed stained glass window by one of Melbourne’s leading stained glass artists, William Montgomery, which commemorates the fallen of the Great War. The church’s rose window and great western window created by Melbourne stained glass manufacturer Ferguson and Urie are the oldest windows, and like the quarry glass windows, are original.
Saint George's Presbyterian Church was forced to close its doors in 2015 owing to dwindling congregation numbers, and whilst the Presbyterian Church still owns the church and manse, the manse is now rented out and has been used for both commercial and residential purposes. The church itself sits idly, its slowly weathering exterior requiring significant restoration, its garden sinking into neglect and its interior lying beneath a sheet of thick dust.
I am very grateful to the retired Presbyterian Reverend Andrew Bray, caretaker of the church at the time of photographing, for giving me an hour of his time and for letting me photograph the interior and stained glass windows so extensively.
Nathaniel Billing was born in Brightwell, Oxfordshire in 1821. Articled to the prestigious office of Sir Gilbert Scott in London, he later commenced his own architectural practice in Slough under his own name. Nathaniel married his first wife, Henrietta in 1850. Three years later the pair and their family immigrated to Australia. he was appointed to the Colonial Architect's Office in Belfast (now known as Port Fairy), but commenced his own practice there in 1855. In Port Fairy he designed Saint John's Church of England in 1856 and the Bank of Australasia in 1857. That same year, Nathaniel left Port Fairy and moved to Melbourne, where he soon had a thriving practice. In Melbourne, most of his commissions were ecclesiastical. He designed All Saints Church of England on Chapel Street in 1861 which with a seating capacity of 1,500 is the largest Church of England in the southern hemisphere, Saint Margaret's Church of England in Eltham in 1861, alterations to Melville House in Collins Street in 1881, "Steamshall" a Victorian Italianate villa in Kew in 1882, Saint Paul's Cathedral in Sale in 1884, Saint Matthias' Church of England in Richmond in 1885, the Fitzroy Cricket Ground grandstand in 1888, and extensions to Saint George's Church of England in 1889 in conjunction with the architects firm Dalton and Gibbons. Nathaniel's first wife Henrietta died in 1867 after nineteen years of marriage, four sons and five daughters. Nathaniel remarried in 1869, taking Mary Anne Hooke as his wife. They had no children together. Nathaniel's fourth child, William Urban Billing, joined his firm in 1880 and practiced as Billing and Son. They worked together until 1895 when Nathaniel retired. Nathaniel died at his home in Westbury Street East St Kilda in 1910 at the age of 88.
James Ballantyne and Son was an Edinburgh based stained glass manufacturer which existed between 1828 and 1925. The business was founded by man of letters James Ballantine (1808 -1877) and George Allan as Ballantine & Allan. They began making stained glass in the 1830s. In 1843 they won a competition to design windows for the new Houses of Parliament in London, although in the end they only provided some windows for the House of Lords. As a writer predominantly, James Ballantine was the author of a series of books on the history and techniques of stained glass manufacture. Of particular note is “A Treatise on Painted Glass” which was published in 1845. James’ son Alexander Ballantine (1841 - 1906) joined the firm, which was known as Ballantine and Son from about 1860 until 1892, and then Ballantine and Gardiner until 1905, when Herbert Gardiner joined as a partner. From 1905 Alexander Ballantine was joined by his son James Ballantine II (1878 - 1940), by then the firm was known as A. Ballantine and Son. Some work by the firm was signed with the alternative spelling of Ballantyne including the windows supplied to the former Saint Georges Presbyterian Church in Geelong.
