St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, officially the St Sophia and Her Three Daughters Greek Orthodox Church, is a heritage-listed Greek Orthodox church at 411a Bourke Street in the inner city

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

suburb of in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Formerly a

Congregational church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

, the building is also known as the former Bourke Street Congregational Church and School. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History

The present building was designed by William Boles and opened in 1880. The church had existed since 1855, operating out of a portable iron structure transported from England; when the new church was built, the old structure was moved to Stewart St, Paddington. By 1933, the church was struggling both in congregation size and finances as the area had ceased to be seen as fashionable, and was no longer able to afford a regular minister, with ministers instead provided by the Home Mission Board. The collection plate takings had diminished to "only a few shillings". During the 1930s, free meals were provided to unemployed men in the school hall, with 20,000 meals having been served between 1932 and 1935. The church closed in the late 1930s. It was later leased by the Greek Orthodox Church, who then purchased it from the Congregational Church in the 1980s. It continues in operation today as the St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church. The original church pipe organ (1888) was transferred to the Galston Uniting Church in the 1980s, as it was no longer required under the new owners. The Galston Congregational Church Pipe Organ is separately listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.

Heritage listing

Bourke Street Congregational Church and School was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

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Attribution

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