Mariners' Church

About

The Mariners' Church is a heritage-listed former church and seamen's mission and now nightclub, bar and restaurant located at 98–100 George Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed in various stages by J. Bibb, H. C. Kent and Kent & Massie and was built from 1856 to 1859. It is also known as Mission to Seamen; Rawson Institute for Seamen & Mariners' Church; Craft Centre. The property is owned by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002. The building was previously a cafe, place of worship and craft centre.

The site is one of the most historic in Australia. The first occupant was Lieutenant Ball of the First Fleet vessel HMS Supply (1759) in 1788, and after the waterfront part of the hospital site to the south was set aside as a Dockyard, Thomas Moore, the Master Boat Builder, built a house where Ball's house and garden had been. The neighbouring land to the north was first owned by William Balmain, but by 1800 had passed to Robert Campbell.

The Bethel Union originated in England, in the Port of London. Its founding was part of the widespread evangelical religious revival of the early 19th century, of which missionary activity among seamen was becoming a part. In 1822, the Bethel Seamen's Union or Bethel Union was established in Sydney. Two earlier sites were granted to the Union, one at Darling Harbour near Erskine Street where a church was erected in 1844, the second at south east Circular Quay where the church operated out of a temporary building for 6 years, before the third site, the former Master Boat Builder's house site at West Circular Quay, was granted in 1856 following representations from the Union for a site in this area, the centre of maritime activity in Sydney.

The Bethel Union's third church was designed by John Bibb, in the Victorian Free Classical style, built of well-executed sandstone ashlar, with a slate roof. Construction continued throughout 1856 & 1857. Then work stopped through lack of funds. During construction, the stonemasons union advised of the reduction of their working hours per day from 12 to 8. This was agreed by the Bethel Union Trustees and thus the site was the first to employ stonemasons on an 8-hour day in Sydney. On 27 February 1859 the Mariners' Church was opened. The building is of high architectural and historical importance, and the original church is a grand space and a rare and precious reminder of an expansive early Victorian preaching auditorium.

Early attendance was low, but after Rev. Thomas Gainsford took office in 1871, attendance soared, and in 1873 more accommodation was provided by the excavation of some 460 cubic metres (16,000 cu ft) of sandstone to create a basement providing a hall for concerts and dining, a smoking room, and a library. In 1888, the basement was enlarged, a smoking room added to the library, and a gymnasium created. Around this time the Bethel Union was in financial difficulties, and eventually, in 1895, the Mariners' Church was leased to the Missions to Seamen, an organisation originating in England in 1835, and starting in Sydney with the work of John Shearston in 1872. In his missionary work for neglected seamen he initially provided church services but was soon providing for their wider needs, including reading rooms and clubs, education and welfare services.

The two organisations combined functions and prospered, The facilities were considered inadequate, and the Governor, Sir Harry Rawson instigated extensions which were carried out in 1910, and the complex was renamed The Rawson Institute for Seamen. The alterations were designed by William Kent in Federation Free Classical style. The closure of Bethel Street and the creation of the Bethel Steps to replace it enabled a larger site. An extra storey was added with four columns to support the beam structure of the upper floor which consisted of a central chapel with compartments on either side. Kent added rooms to the George Street facade which were in the Federation Free Classical style, converting the façade into a three-storey ensemble. The south front rooms curved around the boundary of the Bethel Steps. The activities of the Institute continued to expand and Dame Margaret Davidson, wife of the new Governor, launched an appeal for the further enlargement of 1927-28 called the Dame Margaret Davidson Wing designed by the architects Kent and Massie. In 1931 the Bethel Union Trustees approved an extension of the lease to the end of 1960, and a new dwelling for the Mission Chaplain was built.

In 1971 the Mariners' Church complex was resumed by the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority (SCRA) and the Bethel Union was relocated to Flying Angel House, 11-15 Macquarie Place, opened in 1977. The SCRA then adapted the building for the Craft Council of NSW which operated from 1981 to 1990 when the building was vacated to make way for The Story of Sydney, and the Craft Centre moved to No 88 George Street.

The Story of Sydney opened in January 1991 and closed on 31 January 1992, as it proved not to be a financially viable project.

The Mariners' Church building was being used as an art gallery and cafe, the gallery moved out in 2006. Currently the building is being completely renovated and stonework restored for fitting out as a restaurant and nightclub. Part of these works were excavation into the 1909 extension to fit plant into a basement. This exposed the top courses of a retaining wall and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority archaeologists were called in to excavate. The almost complete remains of Bethel St were uncovered in the new basement. A viewing window was cut into the wall at Bethel Stairs and interpretation of Bethel St and the building is to be installed.

The Mariners Church was originally built in 1854, extended in 1873, 1908–9, 1921 and 1927. The site had previously been that of the boat builders house and garden, part of the Government Boatyard which also encompassed Cadmans Cottage to the south.

The first John Bibb structure was built in Victorian Free Classical style in temple form, resulting in a single large prismatic volume with two projecting wings with a cruciform plan symmetrical about two axes. The elevations have a high piano nobile (main floor) four pediments and carved foliated decoration. The 1909 alterations were designed by Harry Chambers Kent in Federation Free Classical style. The closure of Bethel Street and the creation of the Bethel Steps to replace it enabled a larger site. An extra storey was added with four columns to support the beam structure of the upper floor which consisted of a central chapel with compartments on either side. Kent added rooms to the George Street facade which were in the Federation Free Classical style, converting the facade into a three-storey ensemble. The south front rooms curved around the boundary of the Bethel Steps. In 1927 a new chapel was built in the Inter-War Mediterranean or Romanesque style at ground level and a new balcony was erected on a base of retaining walls and piers of cement rendered load bearing brickwork facing Circular Quay West. In 1931 a stone cottage erected 30 years before on the north-east corner of the site was demolished and a new dwelling for the Mission Chaplain was built, designed by N. W. McPherson, which became part of the Davidson Wing, and was not completed until after World War II. The Circular Quay facade had become asymmetrical and idiosyncratic, and concealed almost all of the original Bibb building. In 1980-81 work undertaken on the building to adapt it for the Craft Council included the demolition of the 1931 Chaplaincy addition and part of the 1927-28 addition. A staircase and office were added, and the ground floor chapel became the Craft Centre, the basement a gallery. The treatment of the three chapels was sympathetic but some adverse work including a new mezzanine in the 1909 chapel were added. In 1990, the work, consisting of some conservation and careful adaptation work, undertaken for the Story of Sydney, was in general benign. The exteriors were improved, and a terrace was added which improved the West Circular Quay facade.

The church was architecturally styled in 1856 in the Victorian Free Classical; in 1909 in the Federation Free Classical; and in 1927 in the Inter-War Mediterranean or Romanesque. The church has three storeys, a galvanised iron roof; and flooring that comprises terracotta tiles, concrete and bituminous felt.

In 2008 a complete refurbishment of the building was undertaken, this included replacement of degraded stonework and excavation under the 1909 extension. This excavation revealed the almost complete remains of Bethel St and included a large retaining wall.

As at 3 May 2001, Archaeological Assessment Condition: Watching brief- mostly disturbed. Assessment Basis: In general it was concluded that although sub-floor deposits had been grossly disturbed by the various post-1854 building phases, the back section of the building, incorporating the Margaret Davidson Wing, contained potentially useful data at the former inter-tidal zone, some 3 metres below the current surface. Investigation: Watching brief

Archaeology: watching brief- partly disturbed. 2008 excavation for liftwell and under the 1910 extension which revealed an almost complete Bethel St

1873; 1909; 1927; 1931; 1940; 1947 (for detailed information see the Conservation Plan & above in description). 2008 complete refurbishment

As at 3 May 2001, Archaeological Assessment Condition: Watching brief- mostly disturbed. Assessment Basis: In general it was concluded that although sub-floor deposits had been grossly disturbed by the various post-1854 building phases, the back section of the building, incorporating the Margaret Davidson Wing, contained potentially useful data at the former inter-tidal zone, some 3 metres below the current surface. Investigation: Watching brief

Archaeology: watching brief- partly disturbed. 2008 excavation for liftwell and under the 1910 extension which revealed an almost complete Bethel St

1873; 1909; 1927; 1931; 1940; 1947 (for detailed information see the Conservation Plan & above in description). 2008 complete refurbishment

As at 30 March 2011, The Mariners' Church and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right.