This page includes images from the Mortlock Collection, State Library of South Australia* and the parish photo archive.
Clicking on each State Library image will link you to their complete entry for that image.
The visitor to St Mary Magdalene's today is probably unaware how much not only the streetscape of Moore Street has changed but also the interior of the church during its 120 year history. The church has gone through many phases - not all of them adequately documented. It has also been the recipient of major donations of church fabric commencing with the initial building itself, originally known as "St John's in the wilderness" in Halifax Street. Much later, with the closing down of both St Paul's Pulteney Street and St Mark's Maylands, furniture, including a reredos and pews, plus an electronic organ significantly changed the appearance of the interior of the church. Presumably other churches also became recipients of discarded items of church fabric. Any information on this will be gratefully received - please .
St Mary Magdalene's was originally a mission church of St John's, Halifax Street, also known as "St John's in the wilderness". The building erected in Moore Street was that of the original St John's church, which was taken apart, brick by brick, when the existing building became structurally unsound and inadequate for the needs of the growing St John's congregation. The building materials were transported to Moore Street and reconstructed. The dedication of the (second-hand) Moore Street church building took place in 1886. The exterior walls were primarily constructed of red brick, very possibly including many of the bricks made By Dr Benjamin Archer Kent in his new colonial career as a brickmaker. Unfortunately the firing of the bricks could not be achieved at a high enough temperature and the bricks were not to the standard he wished to achieve. Around the time that St John's was built, Dr Kent ceased his brickmaking business. From the timing, it seems quite likely that he became a major benefactor of the church, supplying the bricks at a time when Adelaide was struggling financially and building materials were in limited supply. Dr Kent also became one of the first church wardens of St John's, which may have been an acknowledgment of his role of benefactor. Many of the bricks have had to be replaced since then, but there are still many, presumably originals, which are crumbling to a red ochre-coloured dust.
In 1902 the Interior of St Mary Magdalene's looked like this:
SLSA: B50042 - St Mary Magdalene's 1902
Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia
Click on the image to access this image at the State Library of South Australia
SLSA:B50043 - St Mary Magdalene's 1902The words "The Lord is my Shepherd" can be seen arching over the east windows, which at that time framed the "Good Shepherd" window. The window, as far as we know, was removed, and replaced with plain glass at some time before the present windows were installed in about 1949. The current whereabouts of the original window is not known, but it is assumed that it was used in another church. The organ is clearly visible at the right of the sanctuary, in the same position as the one at St John's, Halifax Street is today.
1912 was a big year for Moore Street. The cottage located on the south side of the church was demolished in May 1912 and the resulting cleared space was filled by the St Peter's College Mission by November 1912. The foundation stone was laid on July 20th 1912.
The picture to the left was donated to the parish by a former parishioner, along with a copy of the post-demolition view (above). Although both are inscribed on the back, there is no indication of the actual date of the photograph, but they seem to be from the same source. It is therefore possible that this is what the interior looked like in about 1912.
While the cottages to the north of the church remained untouched, the Reliable Motor Hire and Engineering Co can be seen in this view from 1924.
In 1929 the cottage on the left of the picture made way for the present Royalty Theatre, on the corner of Moore and Angas Streets. The Angas Street facade of this building still bears the original name of 'The Australia'.
In 1953 the Reliable Motor Hire building had been replaced
by the Angas Engineering Co building, which still exists today.
The picture to the left is from the parish archive and appears to emanate from the same source as the preceding picture. As the present east window can be identified, this probably dates from the 1950s. A change in churchmanship is also evident with the 6 large candlesticks on the altar and the Sacred Heart and Mary Magdalene shrines flanking the sanctuary.
In the 1970s the interior was radically changed to one of extreme simplicity:
During the 1970s the organ, was located on the south wall at the rear of the church. In the mid-1980s, it was moved to the south-west wall at the rear of the church until it was replaced in 1989 by the electronic organ donated by St Mark's Maylands, when that church closed down. Pews from St Mark's replaced the original pews after the floor was sanded back and polished. The aqua-cloured axminster was replaced by a much more plush blue carpet in the main traffic areas. A fresh paint job completed the refurbishment and gave the interior a real lift.
As the sanctuary of St Mary Magdalene's was pretty much a furniture-free zone in the early 1980s, the reredos from St Paul's, Pulteney Street, was donated to enhance the worship and to frame the altar, which was returned to the east wall for the English Missal-based rite. (St Paul's was deconsecrated in 1982.)
SLSA: B40566/8 - Sanctuary at St Paul's, Pulteney Street, 1982
Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia
Click on the image to access this image at the State Library of South Australia
St Paul's Pulteney Street reredos in the sanctuary at St Mary Magdalene's
Image from the parish archive
To accommodate the new style of liturgy, a nave altar was purchased (largely through donations from parishioners) and consecretated by Archbishop Ian George. A matching Paschal Candlestick was also made and dedicated in memory of Kevin Dougherty, a faithful worker and worshipper at St Mary Magdalene's.
Nave altar
(Click the image for a larger version)
Image: J. Hooke, 2006
In late 2003 the Chapel of the Holy Innocents was next to receive a facelift. The curtain on the east wall behind the altar was removed and the red carpet taken up. After being sanded back and polished, the jarrah floorboards show their rich burgundy tones, particularly when the sun shines on them through the small west window. The altar was also given a facelift so the frontals could be dispensed with and show the simple beauty of its craftsmanship.
The eight "Coad Banners" were donated to the parish in 2003. Originally commissioned for the Synod of 2003, Archbishop Ian George nominated St Mary Magdalene's as the recipient and custodian of these (essentially unfinished) paintings. While not universally popular with the whole parish, they lend a splash of vibrant colour that adds a three-dimensional appearance to the walls and lessens the impact of the drab green glass of the windows.
Image: J. Hooke, 2006
* All images from the Mortlock Collection, State Library of South Australia are used with permission.