St John the Baptist Church, Reid
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St John the Baptist Church in Reid, is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia. It is also the oldest building in the area of Canberra city. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue.
St John's is an Anglican church, and is oriented East-West, with the nave to the west and the main entrance (with choir loft and organ above) to the east. The foundation stone was laid in 1841, with the church being consecrated on 12 March 1845 by William Grant Broughton, the first and only Bishop of Australia. St John's picturesque churchyard contains Canberra's original cemetery and was also the location of Canberra's first school, which now operates as the Schoolhouse Museum. The first burial in St John's churchyard occurred in 1844. The mortal remains of many pioneers of the Canberra district have been interred there since. They include the church's long-serving 19th-Century rector, the Rev Pierce Galliard Smith, and Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes, who occupied Yarralumla homestead from 1859 until his death 14 years later. Gibbes was reputed to be the illegitimate son of a Royal Duke. Coincidentally, lying close to Gibbes' grave is the final resting place of another person with a link to the British throne, albeit one greatly separated in time and circumstance from that of the Colonel. That person is Viscount Dunrossil, a former Governor-General of Australia, who died in office in 1961. Also interred in the churchyard are members of the Guise, Shumack, and Campbell families, among others too numerous to name here. This information is drawn from the definitive guide to all known burials at the site, namely: St John's Churchyard Canberra by Jean Salisbury, published in 2000 by the Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc. St Christopher Battye is also buried there.
A detailed history of the church itself, Firm Still You Stand, by A.H. Body, was published in 1986 by the St John's Parish Council. According to this book, the building was constructed in three stages:
- The original church by Robert Campbell (1841-45)
- Nave extension by George Campbell
- Chancel by John Campbell (1872-73)
In addition, the original church tower that was erected in 1845 was removed in 1864, and one designed by Edmund Blacket put in its place in 1865-1870. The spire was added in 1878.
The church bells were donated by Governor-General William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle and mark his term of office (1961-65).
A practice hall for the Canberra Boys' Choir is also housed within the church complex..
The church hall has a mural painting at its southern end, depicting people and events from the life of the church and the region. Rendered in a simplistic style, the mural depicts subjects as diverse as: a theodolite, a microscope, an Australian aborigine man, Bogong moths, Merino sheep, liturgical symbols, the Guides Australia logo and a girl in the uniform, a Boy Scout, Old Parliament House, Canberra, early ministers of the church and settlers including Robert Campbell and his nearby house "Duntroon" (also shown) that is now part of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
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