St John's College, Morpeth, known colloquially as the "Poor Man's College, Armidale", was opened in Armidale in 1898 as a theological college to train
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
to serve in the
Church of England in Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia, originally known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania, is a Christian church in Australia and an autonomous church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In 2016, responding to a peer-reviewed study ...
Arthur Green
Arthur Green (, born March 21, 1941) is an American scholar of Jewish mysticism and Neo-Hasidic theologian. He was a founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston. He describes himself as an American Jew ...
. It was part-funded by the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organisation (registered charity no. 234518).
It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Pa ...
. At the time the college was established, the only other theological colleges were
Moore College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney holds ''ex officio'' the presidency of t ...
in Sydney, which was evangelical, and
Trinity College, Melbourne
Trinity College is the oldest residential college of the University of Melbourne, the first university in the colony of Victoria, Australia. The college was opened in 1872 on a site granted to the Church of England by the government of Victor ...
, which only admitted university graduates. Green deliberately intended it to be a 'poor man's college'.
The college building was designed by the Australian ecclesiastical architect
John Horbury Hunt
John Horbury Hunt (1838 – 30 December 1904), often referred to as Horbury Hunt, was a Canadian-born Australian architect who worked in Sydney and rural New South Wales from 1863.
Life and career
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of ...
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
and
Armidale
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands reg ...
.) The bishop was the first warden and did all the lecturing; there were just five students. The college was dedicated in 1899 by
Saumarez Smith
William Saumarez Smith (known as Saumarez;
K. J. Cable,Smith, William Saumarez (1836 - 1909), ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 11, MUP, 1988, pp 675-677.
14 January 1836 – 18 April 1909) was an Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Au ...
, Archbishop of Sydney. Three further wardens followed in short succession, adding new buildings. The visionary churchman
Ernest Burgmann
Ernest Henry Burgmann (9 May 1885 – 14 March 1967) was an Australian Anglican bishop and social activist.
In 1918 Burgmann was appointed Warden of St John's College, Armidale. In 1926 he moved the college to Morpeth, where it remained un ...
was appointed Warden in 1918, which was to be transformative for the college. On the invitation of Reginald Stephen, Bishop of Newcastle, in 1925 Burgmann moved the college to Morpeth. The Armidale college buildings now form part of the
New England Girls' School
New England Girls' School (NEGS) is an independent Anglican school. Located in Armidale, Northern NSW, NEGS provides an educational experience for both boys and girls in Junior School and a tailored learning environment for young women in Senio ...
. A stained glass window that had gone with the college to Morpeth was returned to NEGS in 2012.
Morpeth
In 1821, Lt Edward Close was granted 2,600 acres of land at Morpeth by
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; ; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Gove ...
. Close built a house, Closebourne House. In 1849 he sold Closebourne House to the Bishop of Newcastle, who renamed it Bishopscourt and built a replacement house next to it which he called Morpeth House. After 1869, Morpeth House went through various occupations and ownerships, before being acquired in 1925 as the site for the relocated college. Additional buildings were designed by the ecclesiastical architect Louis Williams.
The college bell came from
Raymond Terrace
Raymond Terrace, locally known as "Raymo” or "The Terrace", is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle on the Pacific Highway, Australia, Pacific Highway. Establi ...
, and was the ship's bell on the Paddle Steamer ''Ceres'', which had been wrecked on her maiden voyage in 1836. In 1942 and 1943 the college exchanged premises with the Newcastle Church of England Girls' Grammar School in order to put the girls beyond the possible reach of Japanese bombardment of Newcastle.
Chapel
The chapel was originally within Morpeth House; in 1941 a simple chapel was built, with colonial stone from a derelict building in Morpeth.
At first, the chapel had a French harmonium. In 1965 a
Norman and Beard
Norman and Beard were a pipe organ manufacturer based in Norwich from 1887 to 1916.
History
The origins of the company are from a business founded in Diss in 1870 by Ernest William Norman (1851–1927). In 1876 he moved to Norwich where he wen ...
pipe organ was installed. It was acquired from the Congregational Church in Maitland. In 1981 it was removed and in 1984 installed in a private residence in
Singleton
Singleton may refer to:
Sciences, technology Mathematics
* Singleton (mathematics), a set with exactly one element
* Singleton field, used in conformal field theory Computing
* Singleton pattern, a design pattern that allows only one instance ...
. Its replacement was a 1982 organ by Fr John Hamer-Howarth. Much of the organ is assembled from older instruments: the Open Diapason is by Palmer; the Bourdon from Croydon; the Stopped Diapason by Robson; and the Block Flute, the principal and the Fifteenth from the Methodist Chapel in Sutton-on-Soar, Northamptonshire. The main chest is from the Methodist Church in
Homebush
Homebush is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield.
The name o ...
. The casework is Fr Hamer-Howarth's own work.
Closure
The college closed in 2006. During the
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a royal commission announced in November 2012 and established in 2013 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to inquire into and repo ...
, the college was the subject of adverse comment in respect of clerical sexual abuse.
Theological education for the Diocese of Newcastle is now provided by Trinity College, Melbourne.
The college and its grounds are now a
retirement village
A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves. Assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization opp ...
, managed by
Lendlease
Lendlease is an Australian multinational construction and real estate company, headquartered in Barangaroo, Sydney, New South Wales.
History Founding
The company was established as Lendlease by Dick Dusseldorp in 1958 to provide finance fo ...
. The former Morpeth House is now the social centre, and the former chapel is a multi-use hall.
College prayers
At the time of the college's
jubilee
A jubilee is often used to refer to the celebration of a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term comes from the Hebrew Bible (see, "Old Testament"), initially concerning ...
in 1948 the collect was in the following form:
'
By the time the college closed there was a new form of collect.
'
Wardens and principals
The college was initially led by a warden; the title was changed to 'principal' in the 1980s.
Wardens
*
Arthur Vincent Green
Arthur Vincent Green (12 May 1857 – 24 September 1944) was an Anglican bishop in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who founded two theological colleges.
Life
Green was born in Albury, Surrey on 12 May 1857. His parents were Eliza (born Du ...
, 1899-1900. Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, 1894-1900; Bishop of Ballarat, 1901-15.
*Edward Aquila Radcliff, 1901-06
*Arthur Henry Garnsey, 1907-16. Warden,
St. Paul's College, Sydney
St Paul's College (commonly known as Paul's) is an Anglican residential college within the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1856, it is Australia's oldest university college. Its alumni, referred to as "Old Paulines", includ ...
, 1916-44.
*John Forster, 1916-18
* Ernest Henry Burgmann, 1918-34. Bishop of Goulburn (renamed Canberra & Goulburn in 1950), 1934-60. Founder and first Warden of St Mark's Library, Canberra (now
St Mark's National Theological Centre
St Mark's National Theological Centre is a theological college in Australia. It is owned and operated by the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
History
Ernest Burgmann, Bishop of Goulburn from 1934 and then the renamed Canberra & Goulbu ...
Dean of Hobart
The Cathedral Church of St David is the Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican cathedral Church (building), church located in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The cathedral is the mother-church for the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania, Diocese of Tasman ...
, 1984-92.
*Ann Elizabeth Proctor McElligott, 1995-2002. Dean of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2002-07.
*Don Saines (acting), 2002-04
*David Willsher and Jennifer Willsher, 2004-06
Notable alumni
Armidale
*
Fortescue Ash
Fortescue Leo Ash (1882–1956) was the fourth Anglican Bishop of Rockhampton in Australia from 1928 until 1946.
Ash was born in Singleton, New South Wales on 26 August 1882 educated at St. Paul's College, Sydney. He trained for ordination a ...
William Ashley-Brown
William Ashley-Brown (22 February 1887 – 2 September 1970) was an Australian Anglican priest in the 20th century.
He was born on 22 February 1887 and educated at St John's College, Armidale, New South Wales and the Australian College of Theo ...
Dean of Gibraltar
The Dean of Gibraltar is the head (''primus inter pares'' – first among equals) and chair of the chapter of canons, the ruling body of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese in Europe and ...
Dean of Adelaide
St Peter's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Adelaide and Metropolitan of the Province of South Australia. The cathedral, a significant Adelaide landmark, is situ ...
, 1957-66
Morpeth
*
David Bowden
Raymond David Bowden (31 July 193729 July 2004) was an Australian Anglican bishop, the eighth Bishop of Bendigo from 1995 to 2002.
Bowden was born in England, educated at Newcastle Boys' High School, trained for ordination at St John's College ...
Peter Carnley
Peter Frederick Carnley (born 17 October 1937) is a retired Australian Anglican bishop and author. He was the Archbishop of Perth from 1981 to 2005 and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia from 2000 until May 2005. He ordained the fir ...
Alf Clint
William Alfred Clint (8 January 1906 – 21 April 1980) was an Australian priest in the Church of England in Australia (as the Anglican Church of Australia was then called). He established a number of Aboriginal co-operatives on behalf of the ...
Church Army
The Church Army is an evangelistic organisation and mission community founded in 1882 in association with the Church of England and now operating internationally in many parts of the Anglican Communion.
History
The Church Army was founded in ...
Dean of Brisbane
St John's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland, Australia. It is dedicated to St John the Evangelist. The cathedral is situated in Ann Street, ...
Donald Kirk
Donald Kirk is a veteran correspondent and author on conflict and crisis from Southeast Asia to the Middle East to Northeast Asia. Kirk has covered wars from Vietnam to Iraq, focusing on political, diplomatic, economic and social as well as mi ...
Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
The Cathedral Church of Christ the King, also called Christ Church Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral in Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, New South Wales. It is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle (Australia), Diocese ...
, 1984-2008. Deposed from holy orders for sexual misconduct, 2012.
*
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn Mosby is a fictional character and the protagonist in the American sitcom '' How I Met Your Mother'', portrayed by Josh Radnor. He serves as the show's narrator from the future, voiced by Bob Saget, as he tells his children ...
. Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of North Queensland, 1997-2000.
* Robert Porter. Archdeacon of Ballarat, 1957-70; Bishop of The Murray, 1970-89.
*
Sam Ramsden
Samuel Raymond Ramsden (10 October 1913 – 1 July 1986) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Biography
Ramsden was born at Carlton, New South Wales, the son of Percy Charles Ramsden and his wife Kezia (née Clark). He was edu ...
. Member of the
Legislative Assembly of Queensland
The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...
Assistant Bishop of Newcastle
The Bishop of Berwick is an episcopal title used by the suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Newcastle in the Province of York, England.
Donald Shearman
Donald Norman Shearman (6 February 1926–2019) was an Australian Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of Rockhampton from 1963 to 1971 and Bishop of Grafton from 1973 to 1985. In 2004, a church tribunal found Shearman guilty of misconduct f ...
Australian Board of Missions
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Aus ...
John Vockler
John Charles Vockler FODC (22 July 19246 February 2014) was an Australian bishop and Franciscan friar. He was originally a bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia but later become the primate of the Anglican Catholic Church, a Continuing Angl ...
(Brother John-Charles FODC). Archdeacon of the Eyre Peninsula, Vicar-General and Coadjutor Bishop of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, 1959-62;
Bishop of Polynesia
The Diocese of Polynesia, or the Tikanga Pasefika serves Anglicans in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, within the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese's first bishop was consecrated in 1908. The diocese's cat ...
Assistant Bishop of Southwark
The Bishop of Southwark ( ) is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Southwark, Diocese of Southwark in the Province of Canterbury.Assistant Bishop of Quincy; Bishop of New Orleans (
Anglican Catholic Church
The Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), also known as the Anglican Catholic Church (Original Province), is a body of Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, which is separate from the Anglican Communion. This denomination is separate from ...