St Andrews Church in Walcha is the oldest building standing in the town and the oldest church in the Armidale Anglican Diocese, and it is in desperate need of salvation.
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The building is in a state of disrepair and has not been used since the 1990s; however, a group of residents want to change this and bring the building back to life.
They have begun to raise $50,000 to put towards work to save the building and its historic stained glass windows.
Each week I will tell the story behind a window.
This window is on the southern side of the Old Stone Church.
Lily was the daughter of Frederick Boyne Briggs and Eliza Maddox (nee Scott).
Her parents were married in Sydney in 1858 and lived in the Macleay River area where her other eight siblings were born. Lily was born in Walcha and died on 4th May 1874 aged 18 weeks and one day of dysentery. Lily was buried the next day in an unmarked grave in the Church of England Cemetery somewhere near the front. The service was conducted by Rev. C. G. Robinson and witnesses were A. Wauch and F. Elliott
How sad to lose a child so young!
This window is a perpetual memory to her.
Within the central focus of these mostly decorative windows are depicted the head and shoulders of St Peter on the left and St Andrew on the right. The diagonal lattice with an ivy motif makes a lovely, light and simple but effective design. The painting is sensitively executed and the faces are well depicted.
This may be a Lyon, Cottier & Co window. John Lamb Lyon and Daniel Cottier set up business in Pitt Street, Sydney in 1873. Over the years Lyon received many awards for his distinctive stained glass. He made stained glass windows for many churches including St Saviour's Cathedral, Goulburn.
The blue shoulder piece will probably need to be replaced but otherwise the windows require minimal remediation.
Donations to the "Friends of the Old Stone Church" can be made to BSB 932000 Account 100284339
