Congregational Church Light Square

Fast Facts

Place type:	Building
Address:	1A Moore Street
Town or Locality:	Gawler

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Congregational Church (opened 1861) & original Congregational Chapel (opened 1851)

Click here to view more photos and articles relating to Congregational Chapel (built 1851) & the Congregational Church (built 1861). Further photos of this church can be seen in the Flickr portfolio of photographer ‘aqilareen’ (album "Churches - Sth Aust- Ga").

Click here to view historical information from the 1998 Danvers Heritage Survey regarding this location.

In August 1850 the land was purchased for this church and the original Congregational Chapel was opened on Christmas Day 1851.

The larger Congregational Church (on the Moore Street side of the original Chapel) was built in 1861. The tower was added in 1901 as part of the church's Jubilee celebrations (50 years since the original Chapel opened). The bell was installed in 1921 as a memorial to those who died whilst serving in WWI.

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***Editing of the following section is in progress - check back later***

Congregational Ministers

The following list of Gawler Congregational Church Ministers has been compiled from multiple sources . From 1904 when the Sandy Creek Congregational Church was established, the Gawler Congregational ministers also served at Sandy Creek.

Rev Edward Aggett (Dec 1851 – Oct 1852)

First minister appointed to Congregational Church, he resigned Oct 1852 – the rush to the Victorian goldfields left few men in Gawler and the problem arose of how to provide the minister’s income, he ended up moving to Victoria!

Rev John Milbourne Lewis (10 Apr 1853 – 1855)

Came to the church from Lyndoch Valley, after serving at Gawler for just over two years he was ill for a period of three months, before dying on 29 Sep 1855, aged just 34 years. At his request, his remains were transported 7 miles from Gawler Town, so they could be interred at the Gawler River Methodist Cemetery, which was connected with the Wesleyan Chapel. [link to photo by Barney]

It was not until 53 years later that his grave, which had not been marked, was surrounded with an iron railing and a memorial was unveiled by his daughter in the presence of church members and other descendants. The memorial is inscribed “Erected by Friends in Memory of the Rev. J. M. Lewis, Minister of the Congregational Church, Gawler. 1853-1855. He being dead yet speaketh."

(The Chronicle 22 May 1909) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88301024

Rev F W Cox & Rev Leonard Robjohns (1912) “Three Quarters of a Century: in which is incorporated the Jubilee Record of Congregationalism in South Australia & Story of the last Twenty-five Years”, Vardon & Sons Ltd, Adelaide, South Australia.

Rev John Leonard, B.A. (Sept 1856 – Dec 1860)

During his time as Congregational minister he resided at ‘Hylands House’, which was owned by Walter Duffield a staunch supporter of the Congregational Church. Whilst at Hylands, the house was enlarged significantly from a four room cottage to a grand eight room home (contemporary address 22b Cowan Street, see History of the site and buildings of the ZION WORSHIP Centre in the Gawler Church Hill State Heritage Area by Robert J. Fielke). Rev Leonard established a Grammar School as well as carrying out ministerial duties – although stepping down from role of minister at the end of 1860, in 1863 he was still in the area, running “Bentley School” in Gawler Hills. [see Bentley Farm]

(South Australian Weekly Chronicle 4 Jul 1863) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90262332.

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/albums/72177720323319498/with/54278551836/] – Bentley needs to be linked to our page & properly credit Playford + link to Rev

Bentley Farm. Playford's Past, accessed 14/08/2026, https://playfordspast.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/342

Rev G G Howden (22 Oct 1861 – 31 Aug 1863)

Arrived direct from England, then removed to Sydney. It was during his ministry in 1861 that the new Congregational Church building was opened.

[12 months without minister]

Rev C J Evans (Sep 1864 – Mar 1871)

Arrived from England, having previously studied in New York. It was during his tenure in 1866 that the Congregational Church Manse was built (contemporary address 19 Cowan Street), so he was the first of many Congregational Church ministers to reside there. At the end of his tenure he returned to England – his furniture and homewares were auctioned at the manse.

Gawler Times 24 Mar 1871 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245000429

Rev John Clunie McMichael (13 Apr 1871 – 30 June1876)[Portrait]

Arrived from Ballarat, then removed to England for a prolonged visit. At the end of his tenure his possessions were also auctioned from the manse.

·       The Mercury 28 Jun 1876)[Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/30235354756

Rev Mervyn Moss Whitton (2 Aug 1876 – Sep 1879)

Arrived from Victoria. After leaving the church, he was controversially appointed as the Gawler Institute Librarian and Secretary; he resigned after only a few months, departing for Adelaide. By 1887 he was incumbent of South Yorke Peninsula, when his wife ‘Bessie’ Elizabeth Anne Whitton (37) who had been an invalid for some years passed away at Edithburgh Parsonage, her remains were conveyed by steamer for burial at St George’s Cemetery Gawler (Plot E 36).

(Bunyip 27 Aug 1880) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/99826378

(Gawler Standard 23 Oct 1880) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245314518

(South Australian Register 10 Oct 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46832614

Rev John Henry Lewis (Sept 1880 – 28 Dec 1881)[Portrait]

Originally from England, he arrived from ministering in New Zealand but was “in delicate health, and it was feared from the first that his time for work on earth was destined to be short.”

Rev F W Cox & Rev Leonard Robjohns (1912) “Three Quarters of a Century: in which is incorporated the Jubilee Record of Congregationalism in South Australia & Story of the last Twenty-five Years”, Vardon & Sons Ltd, Adelaide, South Australia.

He resigned on 28 Dec 1881 and died 2 Jan 1882, aged 32 – the second young Rev Lewis from Gawler’s Congregational Church to pass away after a short tenure. He was buried at Willaston Cemetery and the church had an iron railing and memorial erected, it is inscribed “In Memoriam Revd J. H. Lewis Pastor Congregational Church Gawler, Died 2 Jany 1882. Aged 32. Erected in token of loving esteem by his congregation, in whose hearts he still lives. A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ.” (plot 57 C 4).

Rev Walter Henry Jones (Aug 1882 – Oct 1901)

Longest serving Congregational Church minister – nearly 20 years – see Jones Rev Walter

Rev A M Austin, B.A. (Jan 1903 – Dec 1905)

South Australian born, he came to Gawler from Sydney – he inaugurated work at Sandy Creek, where there was a considerable settlement with no church. (1912 book) Foundation stone for Sandy Creek church was laid by his wife Mrs Austin B.A., on 21 Sep 1904 and the first service held 23 Nov 1904. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/7344865360 **link close up photo of foundation stone to this photo

Rev Frederic Warner (Nov 1906 – Dec 1912) Foundation stone for Sandy Creek Church vestry was laid by his wife Mrs Warner, on 17 July 1907. (Bunyip 26 Jul 1907) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97599119

Rev Percival Watson (Aug 1912 – Oct 1914)

Rev L W Fay (1915 – Nov 1918)

Rev Hopkin Llewelyn Willett Bevan, M.A. (May 1919 – Dec 1933)

Born in England, he was the son of a minister and he undertook study and work abroad. He came to Gawler in 1919 and as well as his ministerial role he became Chair of Gawler Primary School (1919 -c1923) and chaplain for the Freemasons and scouts. Rev Bevan died on 28 Dec 1933, in a North Adelaide private hospital after an illness of several weeks, aged 62, and was buried at West Terrace Cemetery. For more details see his obituary (The News 28 Dec 1933). His only child was son, Medhurst Llewelyn Willett Bevan. [***link it***]

(The News 28 Dec 1933) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128477466

Rev F G Harvey, M.A., B.D. (Jun 1934– May 1937)

(Bunyip 8 Jun 1934) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96653211

Rev Henry V T Wood (Oct 1937– Sept 1940)

(Bunyip 15 Oct 1937) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96689977

Rev W J Williams (Dec 1940 – Jan 1943)

Pastor T Wellington (1943 – Mar 1946)

Rev J McKinna (1946 – May 1954)

Rev A Clifford Jones (Jul 1955 – June 1956)

Rev H V Woolley (Jul 1956 – Dec 1956)

Rev J R Digance, B.A. (Jun 1957 – Feb 1959)

Rev A R Mitchell (Mar 1959 – unknown)

References

Congregational Church - Light Square - Harvest Festival - 1895

Congregational Church & Congregational Chapel - c1895 (Sepia)

Light Square - former Congregational Church - 2012

Memories of Congregational Church Light Square

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