First Church Service in Denmark
"Dr Riley, Bishop of Perth, preached at Denmark River"
This one line in the Albany Advertiser of 28th July1886 appears to record the first Church of England* service in Denmark.
[*: The Church of England in Australia became the Anglican Church of Australia in 1981.]
Early Days
The company town of Denmark was established in 1895 by Millars Karri and Jarrah
Forests Limited, as part of the hardwood timber industry in
the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Families living in the new town suggested that a school and a building
for church services were essential if married couples with children were to
remain to form a stable work force.
The Rev Howell Griffiths was appointed Rector of the Albany Parish in early
1898. Soon afterwards he reported that he was conducting Church of England
services at Denmark every three weeks, besides visiting the school and the sick,
both in the town and the surrounding bush. He hired the public hall for six
months and arranged for Mr Alban Marshall to conduct services as a Lay Reader.
The Mission Church
Designed by Perth architect Percy Harrison in early 1899, the church was completed by
voluntary labour on its present site, donated by Millars. Structural timber was
provided by the company at a discount price. The church is framed in the local hardwood, karri, and clad externally
with karri weatherboards. Internal walls and ceiling linings are in Baltic pine.
Match-boarding and the floors are of sawn and hand adzed hardwood boards.
The interior features an unusual Gothic arch in the sanctuary.
The detailing and use of Baltic pine are said to reflect the
influence of Norwegian mill workers.
The original plans incorporated an organ loft and a bell tower, but these were
never built. On the last Sunday of October 1899 Bishop
Riley dedicated the completed building and congratulated the people of
the town on "the splendid little church they had built". Dr Colin Gray
and Mr Robert Price were the first church wardens. It was known as
"The Mission Church".
Railway Wheel Rim Bell
The church was closed in 1904 when the
saw mill shut down and people moved from the town. In 1909
it re-opened and in 1914 the local church committee decided
that it was time the church bear the name of a patron saint,
rather than remain known as "The Mission Church". Bishop
Goldsmith chose St Leonard.The original church bell mysteriously
disappeared early in the church's
history, (possibly quite legally acquired by another church between 1904 and
1909). It was imaginatively replaced by a railway wheel rim, probably left over
from Millars rolling stock.
This bell, hung from a
railway sleeper frame, remains to this day.
St Leonard about 1914
About this time the porch, which had been located at the eastern, (Strickland
Street), end of the building was re-located to the western end, as access up the
front stairs for coffins and processions had proven difficult. At this time the
arch, sanctuary and ancillary rooms were re-located to the eastern end. The early 1920s saw a large influx of new people who took up land
holdings under the Group Settlement Scheme, which opened up large areas west of
Denmark. The Rector was expected to serve all of these new centres. Horse
transport gave way to the first parish car, which was needed to visit 18
centres, extending as far west as North Walpole.
During the ministry of Rev George Kingston, (1954 to 1956), St Leonard's Church Hall
in Denmark and St George's Hall in Walpole were built (see
history of St George's).
A Church Hall at Kentdale was purchased while the Rev FJ Kell was
Rector, (1962 to 1963).
Memorial Garden
In 1990 a Memorial Garden was constructed adjacent to the church porch, between the church and the hall. This contains the ashes of past parishioners. A Memorial Book at the rear of the church records the names of those whose ashes have been placed in the garden.
Restoration
In 1991 St Leonard's Church building was entered in the Register of
the National Estate as a building to be preserved for its historical and
architectural significance. With financial assistance from
the Australian and West Australian Heritage Commissions and support from
parishioners and the Shire of Denmark, St Leonard's has now been fully
restored. Many coats of paint were scraped and burnt from the exterior,
which now features Federation-style purple/brown, with trimmings in
stone and deep green. All rotted timber has been replaced
and unsightly water stains on the interior pine panelling has been
removed. Voluntary labour and the skills of local tradesmen have been
responsible for ensuring that the church is ready to serve as a house of
worship for many years to come.
Centenary Wall Hanging
As
a part of the church's Centenary Celebrations in 1999 a large wall
hanging was crafted by parishioners. This was unveiled by the Bishop of
Bunbury on Sunday 31st October 1999, and now hangs as a
permanent reminder of the church's first 100 years.
A description of the Centenary Wall Hanging is on another page of this
website.
The Centenary Celebrations also included the burying of a time capsule,
to be recovered upon the church's 200th anniversary in 2099.