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St John the Evangelist, Richmond
Australia |
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CHURCH ESSAY
We strongly recommend that you read our essay on St John the Evangelist's Church before undertaking a tour of the building. It can be downloaded HERE. For a general background on Pugin as a designer and his relationship with Robert William Willson, the first Bishop of Hobart Town, their shared vision and the nature of the designs, we recommend you read the introductory material in the Pugin Trail page for St Patrick's, Colebrook, HERE. OPENING TIMES St John's Church is normally open every day of the year between 8am and 5pm. |
When we describe the buildings constructed from Pugin's Tasmanian church designs we sometimes refer to them as 'two and a half churches'. The reason for this is because of the three designs he prepared for Willson only two were fully used, being for St Paul's, Oatlands, and St Patrick's, Colebrook. In the case of St John the Evangelist's, Richmond, a modest church already existed, dating from 1836-7 and designed by the Bath architect Henry Edmund Goodridge. In 1858 this little single-cell structure became the nave of an expanded building with chancel, sacristy and steeple. The additions were derived from the third of Pugin's designs, hence the reference to 'half' a Pugin church.
