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1921
1926
21 June 1926
Mr. W. Carmichael is at present engaged in preparations for the erection of four lock-up shops at the corner of Church and Mortimer streets, for the Methodist Church authorities, and will later on construct a new two-storey school hall at the rear of the church building. The Rev. S. R. Robbins has shown commendable enterprise in connection with the building campaign, for which he is in no small measure responsible. Mr. Harold Hardwick is the architect2
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1928
26 May 1928
MUDGEE, beautifully situated on the banks of the Cudgegong, lies between Gulgong and Hill End, two of the most famous of the early gold fields of the State. Gulgong is to-day the head of a Circuit and the centre of an increasingly prosperous agricultural district. On the other hand, like many other early fields, Hill End has become a mere ghost of its former self.
To travel the road to Hill End is to catch a vision of the bustling, strangely-clad multitude, that made it one of the busiest of the State's highways in the roaring days of the gold boom.
It was a time of great activity, and even greater expectations, and in these Mudgee shared. It is this spirit, reflected in her buildings, which is partly the explanation of the fact that for over half a century Mudgee has been known as a town of beautiful churches. Indeed, it is questionable whether, even to-day, there is in this State a town that can boast ecclesiastical buildings of equal quality.
The earliest records available in connection with our buildings in Mudgee are the minutes of a meeting of trustees, held in July, 1858. At this meeting, Messrs. Gully, Bax, Orchard, Tarrant, and Allpass were present, with the Rev. W. J. K. Pidding ton in the chair. The chief business of the meeting was a resolution instructing Mr. Henry Tebbutt "to draw the necessary plans and specifications for the minister's residence and the chapel enlargement." At a later meeting, in February, 1859, a tender was accented for the alterations and enlargement of the original chapel, at a cost of £270. The report of the meeting of January, 1860, states "that Andrew McCauley's tender of £875, for the erection of the minister residence, was accepted; that the work be proceeded with immediately." It will be seen that the records do not carry us back to the beginnings of Methodism in Mudgee. There is no indication at what date the chapel referred to in the records was erected, nor whether it was the first building erected by the Methodists. But this chapel still stands. It was that portion of the old Sunday School nearest to and running parallel with Church Street, This building was twice enlarged, once by an addition to its own length and later by the removal of a portion of the western wall, and
the erection of a building similar to the original, thus doubling the accommodation. This building still stands. For over 60 years it served as the Sunday School Hall, and last year was incorporated with the shops, which now occupy a fine frontage at the corner of Mortimer and Church Streets.
The conversion of the old School Hall into shops was part of the building scheme undertaken two years ago. The site upon which our buildings were erected was a Crown grant of two acres, dated 21st February, 1860. It is situated right in the centre of the town, and for some years had presented some thing of a problem to the trustees. The area was so large, it was difficult to keep it in order, and the increasing rates meant added expense. Something had to be done, and finally it was decided to erect shops on the corner site and sell the rest of the Church Street frontage. There were some that doubted, but already the wisdom of the venture is clearly seen. The conversion of the old school into these shops paved the way for the erection of a new School Hall.
This has been built as a two-storied Memorial Hall, at the rear of and attached to the Church. The building, which was designed in keeping with the Church, was erected at a cost of £2,100. It provides ample accommodation for the needs of the school, and all young people's work, for very many years to come. Two new tennis courts have been built at the rear of the Memorial Hall, and to-day Mudgee may well claim to be one of the best-equipped Circuits in country Methodism.
The shops erected on the Church Street frontage add greatly to the appearance of the property, and will become, with the passing of the years, an increasingly valuable asset to our Church.
The Memorial Hall and shops were erected in the superintendency of Rev. S. R. Robbins3
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