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The
foundation stone for St Stephen's Church was laid
on 24th August 1847. Initially the church building
was used by both the Methodists and the Church of
England and was managed by a trust. The brick
building became known as the Red Chapel.
The
church building was enlarged in 1896 and the
foundation stone for the hall was laid in 1916. The
hall was extended in 1961 and since then has been
much in demand for both parish and community
activities.
The
memorial entrance gates and arch were built in 1956
and in 1970 the west end of the church was extended
and a new porch added. The red brick boundary wall
was also constructed on either side of the entrance
gates during these modifications.
St
Stephen's Church has a number of stained glass
windows and memorial plaques. Perhaps the most
striking of these is the 'Wisdom
Window' designed by Mervyn Napier Waller.
(Waller trained under artist Frederick McCubbin, enlisted
in the AIF and saw active service in France during
World War 1. He returned home as a war casualty
after sustaining the loss of an arm in battle.)
In
1990 the Great War Honour Board was relocated from
the hall and installed within the church.
In 2001 a Memorial Garden was established as a recognised site associated with St Stephen's Church for the placement of ashes, details of which are kept in the Memorial Garden Register.
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