From the Archives…Celebrating Milestones
This year there are some significant anniversaries to mark in the life of the Uniting Church in Australia which will be celebrated over the weekend of 31 May and 1 June 2025.
On Sunday 1 June, the church will celebrate 195th anniversary of the first Methodist service which took place under a jarrah tree in what is now the Hay Street pedestrian mall. The service took place on 6 June 1830 conducted by Joseph Hardey. The tree is long gone, but a plaque still stands in the mall footway as recognition of this moment (pictured). Services took place out in the open for another four years before a chapel was built and opened on 22 June 1834.
From the Uniting Church in the City archives are two items of particular interest relating to this event. One is a block of wood, taken from the original Jarrah tree – note the notation on the wood incorrectly names the service as ‘Anglican’, and the year ‘1829’, but the understanding is that it’s referring to the Methodist service. The other is a painting by Ernest Philpot which is an impression of the first Methodist service painted for the Centenary of the Wesley Church in April 1970. The artist donated the painting to the Perth Central Methodist Mission.
To celebrate this milestone, on Sunday 1 June the Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Charissa Suli will attend and take part in the 10.00am communion service at the Wesley Uniting Church in the City, with Uniting Church WA Moderator Rev Dr Ian Tozer preaching.
In the afternoon of the same day there will be a Celebration Service for the wider Uniting Church community to attend with Rev Charissa Suli preaching and a celebratory reception to follow.
The other milestones being recognised over this weekend are the 185th anniversary of the inauguration of the South Perth Methodist Church (1840) and the 100th anniversary of South Perth Uniting Church building on Angelo Street (1925). Rev Charissa Suli will attend and take part in celebrations with South Perth Uniting Church and community as they recognise 185 years of ‘Keeping the Faith’ on Saturday 31 May.
In the early days, the minister at Perth Wesley Church rowed across the Swan River to conduct services at the South Perth Methodist Church. Keep an eye out for details of these celebrations to see if any of the clergy involved will be reenacting this tradition.
With our President attending, this should be a grand weekend celebrating the heritage of the Uniting Church while looking forward to the future.
Story by Wendy Hendry, first published in the April 2025 Revive magazine.
