St Luke’s Concord began its ministry as a school as well as a place of worship. This was before public education became the role of the state. Today we will discover more about it.
St Luke’s Concord has origins that go back to the beginnings of white settlement. The Concord area was halfway between Sydney Cove and the first farming area at Parramatta. In 1791 a track through the bush joined the two settlements. A Government Stockade was built at this halfway point. It housed convicts who built and maintained the track. In time it became Parramatta Road.
Gradually free settlers and emancipated convicts began a farming community. It was known as Longbottom. The Burwood Parochial School in Wharf Road was the origin of St Luke’s. It opened in 1843. The building was a Parochial School during the week. On Sundays it was a church.
In the early 1850s the Gold Rushes brought new wealth. They also brought a flood of emigrants in search of fortune. The first railway line was built from Sydney to Parramatta. It stopped at Ashfield and Burwood. This pushed settlement up the hill on the southern side of Parramatta Road. Anglican people felt confident enough to have their own church. A public meeting in 1858 complained about the inconvenience of traveling to St Thomas’ at Enfield. A committee was set up to raise funds for a church.
The church was granted one and a half acres in Burton Street. This was not far from the half acre in Wharf Road where the Parochial School stood. St Luke’s people chose plans by the well-known architect Edmund Blacket. The building was completed in 1860. It was consecrated in May 1861. It cost £1495. It was intended to seat 185 people. Edmund Blacket introduced the Gothic Revival style of architecture to Australia. This style was popular in Victorian England. It became accepted as the way a church should look.
This building was produced in three stages. Blacket designed only the first stage. This was a simple Gothic style chapel. This building consisted only of the present central nave. It also included the bell-cote a small south porch and a small chancel. It must have been exciting for the congregation when their new building was consecrated.
A decade later in 1869 the church was so crowded. It was decided to extend. The parishioners decided not to go back to Blacket. They used plans by a parishioner William Coles. He had supervised the building of the first stage. Coles produced a design which involved adding two aisles on either side of the nave. Only half the plan could be afforded. The north aisle the north porch and a north vestry were added. At the rear of the church a singing gallery was added. It had a platform for a harmonium.
Thirteen years later in 1882 the second half of the Coles plan was carried out. The south aisle was added with a new south porch. This was not the present large square one. It was added in 1938 as a memorial to Dame Eadith Walker. She had donated the Hill pipe organ installed in 1884. An organ chamber was added on the southern side of the sanctuary. The Rector’s Vestry on the north side was extended outwards. The back wall of the chancel came down. The Romanesque apse behind the present communion rail was built. Four Gothic arches were created linking the vestries church and chancel.
St Luke’s has always sought to bring the gospel of Christ to the local community. Its Anglican heritage is reflected in Sunday services. They prioritize Bible reading preaching and prayer. The Lord’s Supper is shared each month.
We are thankful for the Wangal people of the Eora nation. This is their traditional land. We recognize these people and their care of the land where St Luke’s now stands. St Luke’s seeks to bring the gospel of Christ to the local community. It is a place where people can come together in faith. It is also a place of historical significance.