Diocese of Perth Archives
Parish of Kelmscott
Parish of Kelmscott
Naomi Lam, Diocesan Archivist
One of the collections we are working on now is the Kelmscott parish. The collection includes minute books, publications and registers of births and marriages which document the history of the parish and the district. It was deposited to Archives in 2019.
The first church in Kelmscott was built in 1871 and consecrated by Bishop Hale in 1874 (Doncaster). Services were initially conducted by clergy stationed at Guildford prior to Victoria Park taking on the responsibility (Doncaster).
The Parochial District of Kelmscott Armadale was formed in 1902 with Revd H H J Norwood appointed the Acting Rector.
The Revd G Digby Wilson was the first Rector appointed and confirmed at meeting of parishioners on 24 March 1903 (Kelmscott Minutes 1902-19). He was also rector at Victoria Park during this time. In 1905 The Revd W W Gregson was appointed and ministered until August 1906. The Annual Report for 1907 states that the Rector held services in Kelmscott, Roleystone, Armadale, Gosnells, Mundijong, Jarrahdale, No 6 Mill and Serpentine, with services expected to start in Bedfordale and Jandakot (Kelmscott Minutes 1902-19).
The early minute books document some of the hardships in the early years in both building the church at Armadale and in the vast distances required to be covered by the Rector. The establishment of Sunday Schools was highlighted as one of the early successes of the district with numerous schools opening within the district (Kelmscott Minutes 1902-19).
The collection also includes a minute book (1898-1906) for St Paul’s Jarrahdale. At a vestry meeting on
4 April 1902, it was moved and seconded that the vestry form an amalgamation with Armadale and Kelmscott with a service to be conducted at Jarrahdale every third Sunday (Jarrahdale Minutes 1898-1906). This continued until 1908 when Mundijong, Jarrahdale, Serpentine was reported in the annual report as ‘severed from the parish’ (Kelmscott Minutes 1902-19). This was not a permanent separation with the Rector for Kelmscott Armadale performing services at Jarrahdale between 1909-15 and again from 1938 (Doncaster).
The district continued until 1958 when Kelmscott and Armadale were separated with The Revd D R Allton the first Rector stationed in Kelmscott (Doncaster).
