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Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church 121st Anniversary Service
A service was held at 3pm Sunday 28 February 2010 to mark the 121st Anniversary of the opening of the Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church.
The service was conducted by The Reverand Peter Dunstan, with a brief history provided by Session Clerk Malcolm Beverage and Donald McDonald, the patron of the National Trust restoration appeal read Psalm 121. The music was provided by Organist Elder Ralph Lane and The Song Company directed by Roland Peelman.
Malcolm Beveridge provided a brief history of the Church. The Reverend Peter Dunstan wove the story of the building and maintenance of the church into his Sermon.
The flowers in the church and refreshments, in the hall afterwards, were provided by Margaret Beveridge, and her team of ladies - Heather, Emma, Hilma and Alice.
Those who attended the service included Gwen and Edmond, whose Grandparents were married in the Hunter Baillie and lived in Annandale. Their grandfathers also played Cricket and Rugby for the Annandale Teams.
Gwen's grandmother came from Scotland, with her family at the age of 12. She married, and settled in Annandale. Her grandfather ran a successful Coopery at the corner of John and Marion st Lilyfield. He built the family a larger home in Haberfield, but Gwen's grandmother was so attached to the Hunter Baillie community, she didn't want to move away so the family stayed in Annandale.
Over the years the Stuart family has donated chairs and windows and four generations of Stuarts have chosen the church for their funeral services
Annandale's only "Test" player was Robert Stuart who toured with the 1911-12 Kangaroos...www.rl1908.com
Ed's grandparents were married in this church. His grandfather Robert Muir "worked as a Boilermaker in the railways (I think in the Eveleigh workshops although not certain of this) often on the now famed C 38 engines. He used to speak of bagging out the boiler with wet bags so as to gain access to block off a leaking tube. He new many of the engine drivers among whom was one Ben Chifley."
Ed also recalls a story of his grandfather playing Rugby Union for Annandale against "the All Blacks".
A club based in the inner-city suburb of Sydney, Annandale (1910-20) played an important role in the development of the New South Wales Rugby League...www.nma.gov.au
In 1910, Annandale rugby union footballers had demanded the NSWRL allow them to form their own rugby league club, and refused to join with the already powerful Glebe...www.rl1908.com
Prominent Sydney Business man and two time Lord Mayor of Sydney – Allen Taylor married in the Hall, in 1886, as the church was still under construction. The Church was constructed under the close scrutiny of Mrs Hunter Baille – reportedly from her home in York St, Sydney, from where she could watch construction. Mrs Hunter Baillie was very particular about the height of the steeple and perhaps she knew something.
During 1912, Allen Taylor and other aldermen, supported conservative Lord Mayor George Clarke's attempt to rescind a 1908 resolution and increase the maximum height of buildings from 150 to 200 feet. - page 41 the Accidental City