St. George's Church, Penang

St. George's Church புனித ஜார்ஜ் தேவாலயத்தில்
St. George's Church, Penang
5°25′11.0″N 100°20′20.8″E / 5.419722°N 100.339111°E / 5.419722; 100.339111
Location	George Town, Penang
Country	Malaysia
Denomination	Anglican
History
Founded	1818
Consecrated	1819
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	National Heritage Register
Designated	1996
Architect(s)	William Petrie, Robert N. Smith
Architectural type	Neo-Classical and Georgian Palladian
Groundbreaking	1816
Completed	1818
Construction cost	60,000 Spanish dollars
Administration
Archdeaconry	Upper North Archdeaconry
Diocese	Diocese of West Malaysia
Province	Province of South East Asia
District	Penang
Clergy
Archbishop	Most Reverend Ng Moon Hing
Vicar(s)	Rt Rev Charles Samuel, Assistant Bishop of West Malaysia

St. George's Church (Tamil : புனித ஜார்ஜ் தேவாலயத்தில்,Puṉita jārj Tēvālayattil) is a 19th-century Anglican church in the city of George Town, Penang in Malaysia. It is the oldest purpose built Anglican church in South East Asia and is within the jurisdiction of the Upper North Archedeaconry of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.

After the British East India Company took possession of the island of Penang in 1786, the spiritual care of the colonists was effected by Church of England chaplains attached to the EIC. Early religious services were held at the chapel of Fort Cornwallis and later at the Court House located opposite the present church building.

Proposals for the building of a permanent church were submitted as early as 1810 but was only acted upon after the passing of the East India Company Act 1813 (Charter Act) whereby the EIC received a 20-year extension of its charter. Approval was obtained in 1815 to build the church based on the architectural plans drawn up by Major Thomas Anburey but the church was eventually built on the plans drawn up by the Governor of Prince of Wales Island (as Penang was known then), William Petrie, and modified by Lieutenant Robert N. Smith of the Madras Engineers. Smith was a colleague of Colonel , the chief architect of St. George's Cathedral in Madras, and the architecture of St. George's Church is believed to be based on the cathedral itself.

Amongst those consulted on the building of the church was the Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings, the Colonial Chaplain of Prince of Wales Island. Hutchings would later be instrumental in setting up the Penang Free School. The building was completed in 1818 while Hutchings was still away in Bengal and church services were officiated by a Rev. Henderson. The church was consecrated on 11 May 1819 by the Bishop of Calcutta, Thomas Fanshawe Middleton.