Subject

Royal Australian Navy badge

Text

n/a

Inscription

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Description & History

In June 1950 the Reverend CHD Pilkington placed an order for six 'plain' windows for the nave and porch of St. John's Church, Lang Lang from Brooks, Robinson & Co., Melbourne. The windows were unveiled and dedicated by Bishop Blackwood on 8 October 1950. Each window was made up of quarries with an appropriate emblem inserted in the upper central space of the light. The porch window had a cross and three of the nave windows held the AIF badge, Navy crest and the badge of the RAAF. The other lights held the Dove of Peace, the Crown and Palm a symbol of Victory and Peace, and Crown and Cross, Victory over Death. Originally the windows were lancet-shaped but they were modified when installed in the new church at Lang Lang, designed by the diocesan architect, Louis R Williams and opened in 1959.

The Navy window has a plaque from Grace Evans and family who gave a window 'In thankfulness for His safekeeping of sons and brothers'. Her husband, George Evans was a 30 year old farm labourer when he enlisted at Toowoomba in Queensland on 19 June 1917. He was married to Grace Constance Evans and they had one child. Private Evans sailed with reinforcements for the Machine Gun Battalion on HMAT Indarra, disembarking at Suez on 27 December 1917. During 1918 he spentthe first monthsin England and thenhe was in France from June. After his return to Australia he was discharged on 30 September 1919 and later George took up a block of land in Soldier's Road, Lang Lang. He died on 15 January 1931 and his widow accepted his war medals in 1934.

References & Acknowledgements

NAA: B2455, Evans G; D. Eric Kent and Bette M. Kent, Beams of Light: 125 years of the Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, Lang Lang, 1999, p.99.

With thanks to Tim Gibson, Honorary Archivist, Anglican Diocese of Gippsland, Vic. and Lyn Wealands, parishioner and Secretary, Lang Lang Historical Society.