St John the Baptist Church is an Australian Anglican church in the Canberra suburb of Reid in the Australian Capital Territory. The church is located at the corner of Anzac Parade and Constitution Avenue, adjacent to the Parliamentary Triangle, and is the oldest surviving public building within Canberra's inner city and the oldest church in the Australian Capital Territory. It has been described as a "sanctuary in the city", remaining a small English village-style church even as Australia's capital grew around it. Over time, it became a focal point for Australia's governors-general, politicians, public servants and military leaders, and has hosted royalty on numerous occasions.
The church remains an active place of worship and a Canberra landmark, although it has now been surrounded by offices and residential buildings. The bells of St John's, cast from the same foundry as the National Carillon, are audible from Lake Burley Griffin. St John's Care, a local charity, emergency relief and community organisation affiliated with Anglicare, is based in the church precinct, as is the parish's musical group, the St John's Choir. An annual community fair has been held in the church grounds since the 1930s, with participation from local schools, bands and arts organisations. In March 2020, the church celebrated its 175th anniversary since its consecration in 1845.
Construction
St John's is oriented east–west, with the nave to the east and the main entrance (with choir loft and organ above) to the west. The site was chosen by Robert Campbell in 1840, with the support of William Grant Broughton, the first Bishop of Australia. Campbell was a generous supporter of the then Church of England in Australia, despite being Presbyterian. He also wanted a place for the local community to congregate and was willing to donate his own land to this cause. Bishop Broughton's ambition went further: he sought to establish the Church of England as "the national church, established in law, charged with the care of all subjects of the Crown, apostolic in its doctrine and government". St John's was a product of these efforts. The foundation stone was laid in on 11 May 1841 by the Revd Edward Smith, Rector of Queanbeyan, and the church was consecrated on 12 March 1845 by Bishop Broughton.
The building was constructed over a period of several years and was completed in three stages in the Victorian Free Medieval and Victorian Gothic Revival styles: The original church erected by Robert Campbell (1841–45) Nave extension by George Campbell Chancel by John Campbell (1872–73)
The church's sandstone walls were quarried from the base of Black Mountain and Quarry Hill (located in the suburb of Yarralumla).
The original church tower was erected in 1845 but developed a lean, was deemed unsafe and was dismantled in 1864. The present tower was designed by Edmund Blacket and erected during the period 1865–1870. Sandstone for the tower's window mouldings was hauled by bullock from the Camden-Bargo district, a distance of . The spire was completed in 1877, making the church on a hill a prominent countryside landmark. The tall trees, many planted by long-serving Rector of Canberra Revd Pierce Galliard Smith, formed another landmark.
The church and associated schoolhouse museum were added to the (now defunct) Australian Register of the National Estate on 21 October 1980. The church, churchyard and Schoolhouse Museum are now listed by the ACT Heritage Council, which notes, in particular, that the east and west lychgates at St John's are a rare example of this type of structure in Australia.
Interior
Memorial plaques to parishioners cover the interior of the nave, from earlier pastoral families to eminent Australians after Australia's federation. Prominent memorials include those for Sir Robert Garran, Sir Littleton Groom, H. V. Evatt, Sir William McKell, Major General Sir William Bridges and General Sir Brudenell White. Extensive use of stained glass is evident in the chancel, the nave and within the tower. The chancel's east window was added between 1872 and 1874, and depicts biblical scenes related to Saint John the Baptist, after whom the church is dedicated. The east window was designed by William Macleod and made by the Sydney firm of John Falconer. It is one of the earliest Australian stained glass windows and was a prize-winning window at the Sydney Exhibition in 1973 before its installation at the church.