Community Garden Update
CATHEDRAL NEWSLETTER - 26 September 2023
Friends in Christ, it was a pleasure to show the site and plans for the Cathedral Community Garden to many in-person attenders last Sunday. It was obvious that seeing it 'from the inside' as it were is really helpful to imagining what an excellent outdoor ministry space it could be for the Cathedral and for the community.
For example, you could easily imagine a BarBQ there in the summer shade, and how much easier it will be to welcome people into the Chapter House, as well as improved wheelchair access to the Cathedral proper.
To remind you, the project will provide a community garden that will
adorn one of the citys premier civic and heritage precincts,
provide rare and valuable deep-soil CBD green-space,
be often open to the public,
add valuable outdoor ministry space to the Cathedral ministries, such as Cathedral Kids, ESL and community chaplaincy for the needy,
and be available as an educational space to SACS and Gawura (Indigenous) School as desired.
Completing the Garden will also remove the eye-sore of a building rubble site that has stood unusable behind hoardings next to our beautiful Cathedral for well over two decades.
Let me put all that into a bit of historical context...
1819 - the Cathedral's foundation stone was laid in its original location under Governor Lachlan Macquarie, which turned out to bne unworkable.
1837 - the foundation stone was moved to its new location under Lieutenant Governor Bourke, where our Cathedral stands today.
1839-1842 - drought and financial depression led to cessation of building work no pinnacles, walls unfinished at irregular heights The authors of The Book of St Andrew's Cathedral comment:
It must have been a melancholy and depressing sight to earnest church people to see for years their Cathedral in this unfinished state, day after day passing by without the cheery sound of a mason's chisel or a carpenter's hammer.
1846 - revived interest, Edmund Blacket appointed as replacement architect to complete the Cathedral.
1849 - Bishop Broughton (Australia's first bishop) preached a fundraising sermon at Christ Church St Laurence:
Let us then take measures in the fear of the Lord, and in a spirit of pious anxiety for His people, that the Cathedral may be completed. It is not in any spirit of over-anxiety for the material or outward fabric that I say this to you; nor with any desire to encourage you in thinking that it is, for its own sake, of any value. It is the spiritual building we must chiefly contemplate; the advancement of that which is visible to the eyes of God, and in which He dwells; that is, the Church of His first-born and elect people. It is on behalf of this spiritual building that our exertions are called forth. It is with a view to promote the growth of piety and holiness, order and devotion, and faith and truth, and hope and charity, among ourselves, that we are building...
Near the end of his sermon Broughton suggests the site of the Cathedral will be an...
expanse of space which can be measured is but a symbol of the breadth and length, and depth, and height of that love of Christ which passeth knowledge This is the true aim and object of our labour upon this building, that it may collect and associate those who will stand hereafter as advocates for the faith of the Gospel; that it may enable them to consolidate our aims in support of the truth as it is in Jesus
Early 1850s - social upheavals caused by the gold-rushes led to such a scarcity of labourers that the work became unaffordable.
1853 - Bishop Broughton died.
1855 - a new Bishop, Frederic Barker arrives ... to rain beating on weather-stained walls! This led to appeals, including requests for annual subscriptions or pledges.
At one such fundraising meeting with the Governor and 500-600 people, Bishop Barker said the most attractive way to think of the project was
to regard it as a building sacred to the service of Almighty God, where two or three thousand persons, if need be, may assemble together for common prayer and united praise, where the emigrant, the soldier, the seaman as he lands, the settler from the interior visiting the metropolis with his family, and the poor who desire to do so, may meet their fellow-men before their common Maker, and learn the way of life and salvation through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is the highest end of all undertakings and should never be kept out of view. These means, however beautiful and noble, are but steps to a more glorious and far nobler end.
1868 - The Cathedral was finally opened and consecrated.
I'm not sure we could ever fit two or three thousand into the Cathedral at one time. But even though it took them 31 years from foundation to opening, since then I calculated that it is likely more than 4 million people have attended services in the Cathedral!
Over the period of 31 years until it was consecrated in 1868, I calculate from information in the history books, that they raised something in excess of £20,000. Although calculations to modern equivalent values are difficult, that could be anywhere up to $7 million today!
We are looking for less than 10% of that amount to finish the Garden which was lain unfinished, as an eyesore for almost 25 years since the interior of the Cathedral was restored in the lead up to the year 2000.
Let's go from this...
Photo courtesy Peter Au
To this…
Plans courtesy Dr Jen George of ComCorp
Just like in the 1800s, tomorrow night, donors from in excess of 20 other Sydney parishes, along with members of Anglican School communities and others, are being asked to consider generous and large donations.
Once again, I suggest it would be wrong that we who attend - or who benefit from the Cathedral livestream ministries - do not also make our contributions, even when what we can do, may be modest. Thank you to those who have already given so kindly. Every gift counts.
But may I make this request... If you are thinking about a donation, could you action it now in the next 24 hours!
You can donate via EFT:
Account Name: St Andrews Cathedral Chapter | BSB: 062 028 | Account No.: 1008 0896 | Description: 'garden project'.
You can donate via credit or debit card through our PayPal page - select 'Garden Fundraising' - or point your phone camera at the QR code:
And although the Garden itself is not tax-deductible (despite many efforts), if that is important to you, please contact me directly, and I can talk you through an option.
Karyn and I will certainly add to the initial gift we made to start off the process earlier this year at the AGM.
Remember our motivation could be the same as in the 19th century:
To remove the "melancholy and depressing sight to earnest church people to see for years their Cathedral in this unfinished state",
To "collect and associate those who will stand hereafter as advocates for the faith of the Gospel... of the truth as it is in Jesus”, and
To "promote the growth of piety and holiness, order and devotion, and faith and truth, and hope and charity" among ourselves and others.
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney