Chalmers Church, Adelaide
| Scots Church | |
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| Coordinates: 34°55′18″S 138°36′19″E / 34.92162°S 138.6052°E | |
| Location | North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Uniting Church in Australia |
| Previous denomination | Presbyterian |
| Website | www |
Scots Church is a stone Uniting Church building on the southwest corner of North Terrace and Pulteney Street in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It was one of the early churches built in the new city in 1850. It was built as the "Chalmers Free Church of Scotland".
A prominent group of immigrants to South Australia (which was only settled by Europeans from 1836) supported the Free Church of Scotland movement. This group called Reverend John Gardner from Scotland, and established "Chalmers Free Church", named after Rev. Thomas Chalmers, the first moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in 1843. Gardner arrived in the colony in March 1850. He immediately initiated buying the land on the corner of North Terrace and Pulteney Street from (then Mr.) John Morphett, appointed English & Brown as architects and builders and laid the foundation stone on 3 September 1850. He held the first service in the new building on 6 July 1851.
The cost of land and building was £2,572 against the estimate of £1,800 despite cost-saving measures which included substituting a shingle roof for slate tiles. The loan to the church, of £1,000 at 12½ p.c. interest, was guaranteed by trustees Capt. William Elder, George Young, George Elder, jun., Charles Matthew and Henry Chapman. The 120 feet (37 m) spire was added in 1858 at an additional cost of £200 and a bell, brought out from England, was donated by (later Sir) Thomas Elder.
The Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of South Australia was formed 9 May 1854.
The Free Presbyterian Church, United Presbyterian Church and the Church of Scotland merged in 1865 to form one Presbyterian Church of South Australia, although a section of the Free Presbyterians led by Rev James Benny of Morphett Vale did not join the union. When the states federated in 1901, the main Presbyterian denomination in each state federated, so Chalmers Church became part of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
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