The memorial stone for the Armadale Presbyterian Church, designed by architects Sydney Smith & Ogg, was laid on 27 September 1902 by the Moderator of the Assembly, the Rt. Rev. Alexander Hay, MA, DD. The church opened for worship on 8 March 1903, and historiated windows were installed over the next 60 years or more, as donors and funds permitted.
English-trained stained glass artist, Derek Pearse (1928-2007), was commissioned to fill the last light in the five-light transept window with a memorial to the men from the congregation who died in the Second World War. He was often assisted with leadlighting and installation by Treven Barry, however it is not known whether this was so in this case.
The church closed in 1999 and has since been converted into townhouses, however the windows have been relocated to the former Methodist (now Uniting) Church in Kooyong Road, where they have been fitted to existing window openings with the addition of extra glass borders but with few other alterations.
References & Acknowledgements
Age, 17 September 2011; Armadale Presbyterian Review, Vol. II, No.2, April 1903.
With thanks to Rev. Peter Beale and Graeme Harris at Armadale Uniting Church.
