The Longueville panels...

It has now been established that the circular window installed in place of the "louvre ventilator"is still in the building (due for restoration later in the project). This is the 5 ft diameter panel purchased for 10 pound from St Andrew's, Longueville, in June 1929.

I have now tracked down "St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Longueville: silver jubilee celebrations 1911-1936", a publication held on microform by the National Library. At this stage I haven't established how to get my hands on said publication short of a visit to Canberra - which I've just done twice in the space of a month and probably wont be doing again any time soon so here's hoping technology is going to pull through for me!

Assuming that this panel was built for this parish, which is fair given that it carries its insignia (St Andrew's cross) we can now pretty safely say the panel is no older than 1911. Possibly almost 100 years old. Not ancient in terms of stained glass, but up there with the significantly aged in Sydney.

The first panels - Northbridge Presbyterian Church 1929

It is very early days in the historical search for truth regarding the origins of the stained glass panels currently under restoration in the soon to be Northbridge Library. (painted panels pictured left & right)

The records of the church council at the time of building the Northbridge Presbyterian Church on Sailors Bay Rd note the purchase of two stained glass panels. On 12th December 1928 permission was granted to purchase a window for the northern elevation from the Longueville Presbyterian church.

Building commenced on 4th May 1929. In June it was decided that rather than continuing with the planned louvre window in the southern elevation that a 5ft diameter circular stained glass panel, also purchased form the Longueville parish would be installed instead. This panel depicted the church insignia - St Andrew's cross and the burning bush. It was purchased for ten pounds having been removed from the Longueville Presbyterian Church where a new panel was being installed in honour of the McLeod's.

At this stage I have not followed up on the McLeod memorial window. I speculate that this may be the same McLeod's that founded the Spastic Centre though at this stage there is absolutely no valid evidence for that assertion. I'm purely sharing a fleeting thought as I blog along this journey of discovery.

Thus far we have absolutely no reason to believe that the panels discussed in these early church council meetings are actually still present.

The Northbridge Presbyterian Church was opened on 29th August 1929 at a total cost of 2,978 pounds including the land cost. If such a project were to cost $1,000,000 today (which is quite a reserved figure) the proportionate cost of one second hand stained glass panel would be $3,357.00.

About this blog...

This is a blog following a research project into the stained glass of Sydney, Australia. To date many people have written extensively on the incredibly historically significant works found in buildings such as The University of Sydney but have treated little else. As well they might really, they are the original works of art in this medium in the country. Whilst I'll likely approach these at some point the panels of great interest to me are the many varied, little acknowledged and pretty much hitherto never studied works in many other public buildings, churches and private residences around Sydney.
The prominent studio's in the UK, Europe and the US kept detailed records of comissions. Some of which can be found in Australia. In fact the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. studio undertook quite a number of commissions for Australian architectural projects. (More than one residing in Newcastle north of Sydney interestingly enough). Sadly though much of the work "about town" remains rather anonymous.
To that end this will be a genuine web log of my research which I anticipate will emerge rather slowly on a whole as this is a personal project undertaken once my "duties" as a wife, mother and business owner are fullfilled. That business is Renaissance Stained Glass, Sydney, so from time to time I get to indulge on "company time" and thus my research begins with the ex-Presbyterian Church, soon to be Northbridge Library for which we are currently restoring the stained glass panels.