Blue Mountains History Journal Issue 2

Blue Mountains History Journal 2; 2011
OVER A CENTURY OF WORSHIP AT MEDLOW BATH
Clair Isbister (deceased), Robert F. King 1 & Peter C. Rickwood 2
1
283 Hat Hill Road, Blackheath, NSW 2785
2
BEES, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052
p.rickwood@unsw.edu.au
Abstract
Religious observance in Medlow commenced at least as early as September 1894 when Church of
England services were held in a cave on W.H. Hargrave’s land just below the present Hydro Majestic
Hotel. Services were held there, and also in private homes, until St. Luke’s Church was opened in 1902
and that continued to be the venue for the Anglican congregation until closure was enforced at the end
of 2004. Roman Catholic worshippers met, sporadically, in the local hall, originally the Post &
Telegraph Office then named Flanagan’s Hall and later, from November 1912, Rice’s Hall and they
bought it in 1952 and held services therein until 1967. This paper deals with the history of these venues
as used for religious observance.
Key Words: St. Luke’s, Medlow, Cave Church, Anglican, Post Office, Catholic, Blue Mountains
Introduction
Whilst the Hydro Majestic Hotel is certainly the most prominent building in Medlow Bath, across the
railway line at 40a Railway Parade, midway between Sheila and Somerset Streets, is a much smaller
historic building that from 1902 until 2004 was St. Luke’s Anglican Church (Figures 1 & 2). From its
inception it was part of the Church of England district of Blackheath which eventually became a six
church parish centred on St. Aidan’s at Blackheath (1884); the other congregations being at Hampton
(St. Thomas’s, 1897 - Braga 1997, p.4) and Hartley (St. John the Evangelist, 1859) and Mount Victoria
(St. Peter’s, 1875) and Mount Wilson (St. George’s, 1915) – Woodland (1999, p.8). Blackheath Parish
is regarded as being strongly ecumenical and since 1969 has come under the Western Region of the
Anglican Diocese of Sydney which is based at Parramatta.
St. Aidan’s Church in Blackheath provided the clergy for worshippers at St. Luke’s which, being 5.3
km (c.3.3 miles) to the south in the adjoining village of Medlow Bath, was regarded by the Church of
England as a border community. Being, for many years, the only venue for religious observance in
Medlow Bath it was attended by members of other faiths and was locally known as a community church.
As such it was supported by Mark Foy, a prominent Catholic who nonetheless saw fit to support
community activities of various sorts.
A (photo – N. & E. Kirkland - 1990s)
(BMHS photo 3875)
Figure 1. Exterior of St. Luke’s Church 1990s
B (photo – Jack et al. 2000)
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