The Chronicles of Early Melbourne/Volume 1/Chapter 14
CHAPTER XIV.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS: THEIR FOUNDATION AND FIRST CELEBRATIONS—
(Continued).
SYNOPSIS: —Arrival of Rev. Mr. Wakefield. —Foundation of Collins Street Chapel. —First Place of Worship Erected. —Visit of Mr. Hopkins. —The First Trustees. —The Rev. Mr. Docker's Present. —Rev. Alexander Morison. —Fancy Fair in 1847. —First Ordination, 1848. —Church Population. THE BAPTISTS —Arrival of Messrs. Crook and Reeves. —First Church Services under Canvas. —Mr. Peter Virtue. —The First Baptisms. —Their Modus Operandi. —The Sacramental "Dip." —Mrs. Crook the First Postulant. —John Joseph Mouritz, First Minister. —Cows and Theology. —Doctored Milk. —Untamed Milchers. —Arrival of Rev. John Ham. —Death of Rev. Mr. Mouritz. —The First Ordained Minister. —Population of the First Baptist Chapel. —Visit of the Rev. Dr. Lang. —Rev. Mr. Ham's Mission for Aboriginal Children. —Second Baptist Congregation. —The Rev. Mr. Scott's Arrival. —Baptist Statistics. —THE JEWS —First Arrivals. —The First Baby Jew and Jewess. —Mr. and Mrs. Henry Isaacs. —The First Medical Attendant. —Dr. Arthur O'Mullane. —Mr. Edward Hart his First Patient. —Miss Davis First Jewess Deceased. —A Cemetery with One Corpse. —Arrival of Rev. Mr. Rintel. — First Circumcision. —"Kosher Meat" at a Premium. —Importation of Passover Cake. —The First Jew Town Councillor. —The "Rowsh-Harshono" of 1840. —The First Full Minyon. —Mr. Asher Hymen Hart. —Yom-Kipur Services. —First Synagogue Site. —Address to the Chief Rabbi Dr. Adler. —Founding the First Synagogue. —The Rev. Moses Rintel First Melbourne Rabbi. —Establishment of the Mickva Yisrael. PRIMITIVE METHODISTS —Mr. J. M. Bryant, Pastor. —Chapels at Melbourne and Brighton. CHURCH OF THE TABERNACLE —Rev.John Allen. —Fitzroy Chapel. —First Services. —John Wroe and the "Beardies." —The Future of Melbourne Prophesied. WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION —Arrival of Rev. Joseph Townend. —First Services. GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH —Influx of German Immigrants. —Arrival of the Rev. Mr. Rupprecht. —First Services. —Mrs. Zahn Supports a Proposition. —Chairman's Prohibition of the Lady's Speech. —Chairman's Ruling Defied. —Mr. Rupprecht's Explanation. —First Baptisms. —Failure of Attempt to Establish German Church. —Erection of First German Church.
The Independents.
THE Bull and Mouth Hotel is one of the best-known localities in Bourke Street, but before either "the Bull" or his " Mouth" was known in Melbourne, there was erected within a fewr yards of the present hostelry, a wooden mansion, in which Mr. John Gardiner (an ancient more than once referred to in these pages), resided. Here, upon its master, there called on the 22nd May, 1838, the Rev. Mr. Waterfield, an Independent minister, and he was made welcome. He had not been long out from England, and visited Hobartown en route to Australia. In this house Mr. Waterfield sojourned for some time, commenced the services of his church there, and a respectable congregation was soon found. "Johnny Fawkner," a sturdy Independent in religion, as in other things, was then busily engaged in having a temple of Bacchus erected at the corner of Collins and Market Streets, soon had it finished,and being desirous of providing for the spiritual, as well as spirituous comforts of his co-religionists, placed the large room of the "Public" at the use of Mr. Waterfield and his followers. It was accepted, and on every Sabbath afternoon about one hundred Independents assembled there for public worship. In the course of the year, efforts were made to provide a permanent chapel, and at a public meeting a Building Committee was nominated, consisting of the Rev. Mr. Waterfield, Messrs. J. P. Fawkner, E. M. Sayers, Henry Kettle, and John Aberline. It was announced that £181 had been collected in Melbourne, £115 in Hobartown, and £130 in Sydney. A temporary chapel was erected in July, and on 3rd September, 1839, the foundation of the permanent edifice was laid by Mr. Henry Hopkins, of Hobartown, on the very suitable site in Collins Street, east of the present commodious and costly Independent Chapel. It was opened for Divine service on the 1st January, 1841, being the first permanent place of worship erected and finished in Port Phillip. There were the unusual number of three sermons at as many services, the Rev. Mr. Waterfield preaching at 11 a.m., Rev. Mr. Forbes (Presbyterian), at 3 p.m., and Rev. Mr. Orton (Wesleyan), at 6 p.m.
Amongst the great early benefactors of Congregationalists (a synonymous designation, by which the Independents are sometimes indicated) in Port Phillip, was Mr. Hopkins, who, visiting the settlement in 1837, on returning to Van Diemen's Land, represented to the Congregational Missionary Society in England the opportunity presented by the embryo colony, and was thereby instrumental in having Mr. Waterfield sent out from home. The first trustees of the Independent Chapel were the Rev. W . Waterfield, Messrs. J. P. Fawkner, J. R. Murphy, E. M. Sayers, and R. Bourne (of Sydney).
The Independents were not a numerous body, and there is not much to record of them. They steadfastly adhered to their chapel, and in September, 1842, the Rev. Mr. Docker, the owner of a large slice of Richmond, presented them with a chapel site there, on which, ere the year closed, they had a small temporary building put up. About the same period a seraphine had been added to the Collins Street chapel, but it did not work very smoothly, and for this reason, and because the majority of the congregation entertained a strong conscientious objection to instrumental music, its use was discontinued. In 1843 the Rev. Mr. Waterfield was transferred to Van Diemen's Land, and his place in Melbourne taken by the Rev. Alexander Morison, sent over by the Van Diemen's Land Home Missionary Society, who continued in the pastorate of the parent church for several years. The manner in which he discharged his ministerial functions gave general satisfaction; and, as a special recognition of his highly appreciated services, on Christmas Day of 1845 he was entertained at a soirée, and Mr. Coltheard, on behalf of the congregation, presented him with a beautifully worked purse containing eighty-two sovereigns. At a public meeting held in January, 1846, Mr. George Annand, as treasurer, submitted his statement of accounts, and the congregational "budget" disclosed a most satisfactory state of affairs. The success of the Wesleyan bazaars, no doubt, instigated the Independents to resort to the same popular device for gathering in a bank-note harvest, and accordingly they set to work at a Fancy Fair towards the end of 1847. It was held at the Mechanics' Institute, and ran over two days, the 14th and the 15th December, and though they had not the benefit of "Big Marsden's" tact and skill, they must have managed things wonderfully well, for the first day's takings netted £150, and the second £60. As a pecuniary result this beat the Wesleyans hollow.
On the 18th January, 1848, the first Ordination took place, when the ceremony attracted a numerous attendance, and several of the ministers of other persuasions assisted. The proceedings were commenced by the Rev. Mr. Hewlett giving out a hymn, after which he read from Romans x., and 1 Epistle Timothy. The Rev. Mr. Morison preached a very appropriate sermon on the objects and nature of the Christian ministry, taking for his text 2 Corinthians, v. chapter, 18 verse. It was then announced that Mr. M'Gillivray, for some time a Catechist at the Pyrenees, was a candidate for ordination. He was accordingly interrogated by the Rev. Mr. Jarrett, and gave satisfactory replies. The Rev. Mr. Sweetman recited the Ordination prayer, the candidate kneeling, after which the imposition of hands was effected by the minister placing his hand on the head of the postulant. The charge was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Ramsay, and the benediction by the Rev. Mr. Hewlett closed the proceedings.
The Rev. Mr. Morison, in January, 1849, received a second presentation consisting of a purse of £50; and shortly after the Rev. B. Cuzens arrived, to take charge of a church then in course of establishment at Geelong. The Rev. T. O'Dell made his appearance in June, 1850, and land in West Lonsdale Street having been purchased, a temporary chapel put up there, and Mr. O'Dell placed in charge. Subsequently a neat Gothic building was erected thereon. The O'Dell chapel was opened in due form on the 1st July, 1851, when the handsome sum of £60 resulted from the collection.
The Independents in 1881 had 49 registered ministers, and 107 chapels or places of worship, where 18,000 attendants could be accommodated. The average attendances were 9360, and the annual services might be stated approximately at 10,000. In 1886-7 the foregoing items stood as follow, according to Mr. Hayter:— Registered ministers, 54; churches and other buildings used for public worship, 76—accommodating 17,400 worshippers; number of services, 14,000; average attendance, 9000; total population, 22,727.
The Baptists.
Of all the religious denominations connected with the primitive days of the colony, less is publicly known of the Baptists than any other, and I have seen little or nothing in print about them prior to 1842, yet the circumstances connected with their early services and ceremonies possess such rare interest, as renders them well worthy of collation, though the process, as in the present instance, is one of extreme trouble. In the year 1838 there were only a very few Baptists in Melbourne, and this handful was soon supplemented by the arrival of Messrs. Samuel Crook and Robert Reeves, with their families, from Sydney. A congregation was then formed, and as there was no room in town available to them, they decided on holding their first service on an unused area of land in Collins Street, where the Argus office is now built. This half-acre allotment was purchased by Mr. Thomas Napier, at a Government land sale, for £129 4s. He was an old colonist, and resided for many years at Rosebank, Essendon; and he kindly permitted the Baptists to use the place temporarily for religious purposes. There was then in Melbourne a well-known storekeeping firm, trading as Miller and Virtue, which lent a large tent, and thus was the first Divine service of the Baptists offered, under the conductorship of Messrs. James Wilson, and the Mr. (Peter) Virtue aforesaid. This same Peter Virtue made efforts to scatter the rays of what he believed to be the true light on the benighted darkness of the present day. His misdirected enthusiasm at wharf-gatherings brought him somewhat prominently before the public a few years ago. Such an old colonial missionary has a strong claim to exceptional indulgence, and though many may disapprove of the mode in which he chose to expound his religious principles, they were entitled to a certain degree of respect, no matter hOw eccentric or erroneous may have been the course which his advanced age and strong convictions incited him to pursue.
Adult baptism by immersion is one of the recognised rites of the Baptists, and in modern times it is the practice for Baptist congregations, when means and circumstances permit, to have a species of leviathan bath, or, as it is named, a "baptistry," erected in the churches where the immersions take place; but at the period I am writing about, there were no such convenient appliances, and so when an immersion was necessary, it was effected in the sea-water at the beach, below Emerald Hill, and near the present Albert Park railway station. All this country was then a dense scrub of ti-tree and undergrowth, and there was little difficulty in constructing two arbours some distance apart, which, secured by canvas screens, formed convenient retiring rooms for the ladies and gentlemen participating in, or witnessing the ceremony. In reference to these open-air baptismal bathings, some misconception exists amongst many persons outside the pale of the Baptist denomination, in correction of which, it may be stated, that such public observances were always conducted in a solemn orthodox fashion. The persons to be immersed, and the immerser, took changes of clothing with them to the beach. They emerged from the retiring room or bower, the postulant with a long loose black gown over his or her clothes, and the operator also gowned. They then walked into the salt water two or three yards, when the operator, laying light and reverent hands upon the postulant, forced him, or her, gradually backwards until covered by the water, drew the individual up again, and thus the sacramental "dip" was consummated. The retiring-room was again resorted to, to substitute dry for wet clothing, and the ceremony was over. The first baptism by immersion took place in 1839, and the first person so religiously treated in the Colony was Mrs. Crook, the wife of the party of that name before mentioned. The operator was Mr. Robert Reeves, shipmate of the Crooks, from Sydney. I believe I am correct in stating that the celebration of this ordinance is not necessarily a " Ministerial" work, although it is generally performed by a Minister. On the second occasion there were three candidates, two ladies and a gentleman — Mrs. Mouritz, wife of the Rev. J. J. Mouritz, Miss Hart, afterwards married to Mr. Robert Ker, so long in business in Melbourne as a house and land agent; and a Mr. Hollaway, a cordwainer of the time.
The officiating celebrant in the last instance was thefirstBaptist minister in the colony, of whom a short sketch will not be out of place, especially as he was for many years a well-known citizen. John Joseph Mouritz was a native of the Irish town of Dundalk, and when a young man, for some family reason, enlisted in the 24th Regiment, and served for several years in India. On his return to England he was purchased out but being religiously inclined joined the Wesleyan connection, and subsequently the Baptists. He belonged to that section known as the Scotch Baptists, one of the chief peculiarities of which is to have no regular ordained minister—each male member being required to exercise what is technically termed "his gifts." Mr. Mouritz had received a liberal education, and being possessed of considerable ability, he soon became a regular preacher, and was favourably known as such. He married, and in course of time arrived in Sydney, where he preached to the Baptist denomination. In July, 1840, he came on to Melbourne, and officiated as a Baptist minister in a furniture show-room in a large two-storied building belonging to Mr. S. Crook, which stood off the streetway on the land next to the Town Hall, now the site of the Victoria Coffee Palace. The first "Independent" service was held on the site of the present Bull and Mouth Hotel, and not far from where a wooden theatre, the first in Melbourne, was about to be erected, and hence, it may be said, sprang also the first regular Baptist congregation. The minister was, however without any fixed stipend, or other emolument, and as the best of men cannot maintain himself and a family upon spiritual aliment alone, it was needful that he should resort to some certain means of support. He purchased a slice of the Bowerman Estate, then taking in a good deal of Newtown (Fitzroy) in the vicinity of Gertrude Street, and putting twenty cows upon it, started a luxury often not less acceptable than prayer, pure "undoctored" milk, unbaptized by immersion either in fresh or salt water. But distilling evangelical milk from the Gospel was more congenial to him than extracting it from horned cattle, and the new venture terminated in a failure. In fact the cows procured were wild cattle, so untameable that they scorned the restraint of either bail or leg rope, and, to the little more than novice in dairy-farming they were simply unmanageable. After resorting ineffectually to several pacifying expedients, Mr. Mouritz was advised to compel his milchers that would not be milked to "take the veil," and he accordingly procured a number of empty mat-made sugar sacks known as "sougie bags," and, at much risk to life and limb, each cow was hooded with one of them when the milking time came. This only made bad worse—the cattle irritated before, were now actually maddened, and they plunged and kicked out in the stockyard in a way that soon cleared it of all but themselves. One day, after the "veiling process" had been with difficulty accomplished, the cows, considering that the nonsensical farce had gone far enough, rushed the fence, bore everything before them, fled blindfolded into the bush, and neither they nor the abducted "sougie bags" were ever heard of after. The farm, and the stocking of it, cost Mr. Mouritz £400, and he was only too willing to sell his interest in the runaways for a £5 note. He built a house on portion of the ground, and resumed his preaching there. Furthermore, to avoid the inconvenience of a journey to the beach for immersion purposes, he had a baptistry (the first in the colony) put up in his garden, the use of which he gave freely to the denomination.
Towards the end of 1841 an effort was made to unite the members of the congregation more closely, and bring them together in a more central locality, for Fitzroy was then considered quite a long and wearisome walk from Melbourne. It was so far successful that Mr. Mouritz discontinued the services on the Bowerman Estate, and the Baptists obtained from the Rev. James Forbes, the Presbyterian minister, as a temporary chapel, the use of a wooden shed or building situated off Little Collins Street, rearward of the Scots' Church. Here Messrs. Mouritz, Lush, Dwyer, Wilson, and others officiated, until the arrival of the Rev. John Ham in December, 1842, shortly after which event Mr. Mouritz withdrew from the general body and resumed the services in Fitzroy, where he continued preaching and engaged in the other offices of religion until his death in 1868.
The First Ordained Baptist Minister,
Was Mr. Ham, who came from Birmingham, en route to Sydney, but, touching at Melbourne, was induced by representations made to him to go no further. Mr. W . H . Mortimer, recently deceased, had a good deal to do in the securing of Mr. Ham's valuable services, and though an Independent himself, Mr. Mortimer's energy and liberality on behalf of the early Baptists were as remarkable as creditable to him.
The Rev. Mr. Ham conducted services in the Mechanics' Institute, and with such success that he determined on remaining in Melbourne. A church was formed on the 20th July, 1843, and zealous efforts made to procure sufficient money to warrant an application to the Government for a grant of land upon which to erect a suitable place of worship. This was accomplished, and though there was no difficulty in obtaining the church site, there was much perplexity in finally determining where it was to be. Of the landlots eligible for the purpose there were only three available, viz.: —(1) the half-acre allotment in Collins Street, where the National Bank now stands; (2) the site of the present Baptist Church; and (3) some half-acre lots near the intersection of Collins, Spring, and Little Collins Streets, now known as Dr. James' Corner. The first was considered altogether unsuitable because of thefloods,and the third because it was too far in the bush! for in 1843 there were hardly any houses further east than the Independent Church, which was quite in the country, and a long way out of town! The second, therefore, was unwillingly applied for, and its acceptance was taken with a gulp, for to receive assistance from the State was contrary to all the traditions of the denomination. However, it was their poverty, not their will consented.
By November, 1844, they had £300 in hand, portion of it coming from contributions by persons belonging to other religious persuasions, and the next step was to expedite the commencement of the new building as much as possible.
Foundation of the Baptist Church.
The first stone was laid on the 21st May, 1845, when there was an attendance of about 300 persons, including several ministers of other denominations. The day being beautifully fine, was hailed as an auspicious omen by the Rev. John Saunders, who had come from Sydney to be present. The rev. gentleman, in opening the proceedings, thus referred to the circumstance—"Truly with such a brilliant sky above us, 'the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.' To this Great Being let us on the present occasion address a Hymn of Praise." Then was sung the 117th Psalm—
"From all that dwell below the skies
Let the Creator's praise arise," &c.
The Rev. A. Morison next offered Solomon's declaratory prayer, 1 Kings viii. 22-61; and the Rev. W. Schofield invoked the Divine blessing on the undertaking.
The Rev. J. Saunders delivered an exceedingly appropriate address, after which was exhibited a brass plate, on which was engraved, by Mr. Thomas Ham (a son of the pastor, and one of the first engravers in Melbourne), the following inscription:—
THIS FOUNDATION STONE
Of the
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
In Australia Felix,
Was laid on the 21st May, A.D., 1845,
By the Rev. John Saunders, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Sydney.
| Rev. John Ham, Pastor. | ||
| John Lush |  |
Deacons. |
| Robert Kerr |  |
|
| John Gill, Esq., Architect. |
This was the briefest composition of the kind ever buried under the feet of any of the old "holy places" in the city, and stands out in simple contrast to most of the "inscriptions" which have figured in some of the preceding religious notices. The inscribed plate was then placed in its cavity, and enclosed by the lowering of the upper stone, after which the architect displayed a plan of the proposed building, and read off its dimensions, viz, 50 feet by 33 feet. The Rev. J. Saunders offered a short prayer, and concluded with a benediction. Several donations were handed in, and the evening was signalized by a grand tea-party at the Mechanics' Institute. Though not quite finished,the church was opened on the 28th December of the same year.
The Rev. Dr. Lang, being on a visit from Sydney in January, 1846, he preached on the 25th to a numerous audience, and the result was a liberal contribution to the Building Fund.
The Rev. Mr. Ham continued in pastoral charge until the end of 1847, when the delicate state of his health obliged him to try the milder influence of the climate of Sydney, where he succeeded the Rev. John Saunders in the ministry, vacated also through ill-health. Whilst in Melbourne, Mr. Ham succeeded in establishing a mission for aboriginal children at the confluence of the Merri Creek and the Yarra, close by the Studley Park Falls. Here buildings were erected, and some youngsters of both sexes, from the Yarra and other tribes, found shelter, and were religiously and secularly educated. The boys were also instructed in gardening, and the girls in needlework. The mission was ultimately abandoned in consequence of the proximity of a white population, and the evil influences so communicated. The parents of the children also kept hanging about the place, and as the striplings grew up, occasionally induced them to desert the establishment, and relapse into the wild and barbarous condition, from which attempts had been made to reclaim them. Though the Rev. Mr. Ham left Melbourne for Sydney, in the course of time several of his sons, after attaining to man's estate, cast their future lot in Melbourne. Two of them now constitute the well-known firm of auctioneers, Messrs. C. J. and T. Ham, of Swanston Street. The "C. J." who first saw Melbourne with his father, when an interesting five-year-old urchin, is the same gentleman who so efficiently and popularly filled the important and honourable office of Mayor of Melbourne, in the year of Grace, A. D., 1882.
For two or three years no organised effort was made to secure ministerial assistance for the denomination. The Rev. W . P. Scott arrived in the province, and he, Mr. John Lush, and other lay preachers officiated in Collins Street Chapel, whilst Mr. Mouritz continued his services in Fitzroy.
On the 20th October, 1850, a second Baptist Church was opened in the Mechanics' Institute, by the Rev. Mr. Scott. It was based on what was known as the Communion Principle. There used to be two Sabbath services, viz, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Mr. Lush was a very acceptable preacher, and as such was attached to the Collins Street Chapel for several years, and by degrees Baptist Churches were founded at Prahran, Kew, Brighton, Geelong, and other places.
In 1881 there were 47 registered Baptist ministers in Victoria, with 77 houses of worship, capable of accommodating 13,400 persons, and usually attended by 7325—the approximate annual services numbering 8238. Mr. Hayter's Statistics for 1886-7 are as follow: —Registered ministers, 47; churches and other buildings used for public worship, 95 —affording accommodation for 13,850 worshippers; number of services, 8777 —the average attendance being 8672; total population, 23,314.
The Jews.
The first Jewish arrival in Port Phillip was Mr. Solomon, soon after the Batman-cum-Fawkner occupation. Coming from Launceston he settled down on the banks of the Saltwater River, where a crossing-place, "Solomon's Ford," was named after him. The first Jewish shopkeepers in Melbourne were Messrs. D. and S. Benjamin, Harris and Marks, Moses Lazarus, and Isaac Lazarus Lincoln. The last-named went, in a few years after, with his family, to California, and, in returning to the colony, all were drowned save the eldest son. The first baby Jew born in Victoria was a son of Mr. S. Benjamin, and the first Jewess, the daughter of Mr. Michael Cashmore. The first medical attendant upon the Jews was Dr. Arthur O'Mullane, a physician of much skill, and an affability that made him a special favourite; and Mr. Edward Hart was his first patient. The first Jewess deceased was Miss Davis, whose father kept the Royal Exchange Hotel, Collins Street, on the site of the present Bank of New South Wales; she was buried at a small Jewish Cemetery at Merri Creek—the only corpse interred there, for the place was soon abandoned in consequence of its being in the heart of a stone quarry. Until the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Rintel, the first Rabbi in 1849, no person was duly qualified to administer the ceremony of circumcision; and the first recipient of the rite was the son of Mr. A. H . Hart. During the ministry of Rabbi Rintel in the colony, he officiated individually at the rite of circumcision twelve hundred and fifty times. Likewise, there was no such thing as "Kosher Meat" eaten by the Port Phillip Jews until the Rev. Mr. Rintel appeared, for there was no person authorised to prepare it. They had Passover cake, but even this needful had to be imported from Sydney. Mr. Michael Cashmore was the first Jew elected to the Town Council of Melbourne. He presented the settlement with ten children in his time, and was a hale and hearty citizen to the time of his death.
For the following historical sketch I am indebted to an honored member of the Jewish Faith, and one of the most respected of our citizens:—
"Far away from the centres of Judaism in the Old World, and removed by leagues of land and sea, by change of climate, thought and habit, from the 'Home' the flame of Judaism yet burns brightly in Australia. As in ancient days the Jewish exiles carried fire from their altars to the strange land whither they went forth to dwell, so do the Jews of the present day, whithersoever they wander, carry with them the fire of Judaism, to burn on the new altars which they raise in their wanderings. Yes, even in this 'Ultima Thule' this remote region, where the Jew must turn Westward rather than Eastward if he would look towards Jerusalem—where Passover occurs in the Autumn, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the Spring of the year—still, longing eyes are lifted towards the 'Holy Home,' and pious hearts beat for the Restoration.
First Jewish Worship in 1839.
"The commencement of the celebration of the Rites and Ordinances of the Jewish Faith in Melbourne, was a singularly modest one, and dates far back in the annals of the Colony. Even as the Israelites of old in the wilderness had to content themselves with a Tabernacle as their place of worship, so their descendants in this far Southern land, erected their tent in the, then, almost wilderness, for the worship of the Most High, in accordance with their ancient usages and traditions.
"Divine Service was held for the first time in Melbourne on the Festival of the year 5600 (A.D. 1839). The Jewish residents then in Melbourne were not sufficient in number to form a Minyon.
"On the New Year Festivals of 1840, Divine Service with a full Minyon was held for the first time in Port Phillip, Messrs., Edward and Isaac Hart having arrived a few days before the New Year, they completed the number (10) of male adults required for that purpose. Mr. Edward Hart rendered valuable aid in the performance of the services. During the year 1841 the late Mr. A. H. Hart arrived. This gentleman must be regarded as the pioneer who cleared the way and acclimatised, so to speak, the practices and ordinances of the Jewish religion in this Colony. He not only gave time and means in aid of the congregation, but also acted for many years in the capacity of Honorary Lay Reader, and performed the functions of a Minister until the services of a duly authorized and properly qualified Rabbi could be secured. The New Year and Yom-Kipur services in 1841 were held at the newly built (but unoccupied) Port Phillip Hotel, Flinders Street. The number of attendants was from twenty to twenty-five. Mr. A. H. Hart was on that occasion assisted by his brother, Mr. Edward Hart, and Mr. Lewis Nathan, the latter gentleman being on a visit to this Colony from Hobart, Tasmania.
"At a general meeting held on Sunday the 29th day of 'Tiveth,' 5604 a.m. (21st January, A.D. 1844) it was unanimously resolved:— That this congregation be designated—'The Holy Congregation of a Remnant of Israel.'
"The laws as prepared by the Committee were read seriatim, and after some verbal amendments, unanimously approved of.
Sunday, 28th January, 5604 a.m., 1844.
"At a general meeting held this day, at the residence of Mr. A. H. Hart, the foregoing laws as amended were read and unanimously confirmed.
Officers and Committee.— Mr. A. H . Hart, President; Mr. S. Benjamin, Treasurer.
Committee.— Messrs. John Hart, I. L. Lincoln, Edward Hart, John Levy.
Hon. Secretary.— Mr. M. Cashmore.
"From the foregoing it will be seen that the first regularly constituted congregation of Jews for public worship, in Melbourne, was founded in the year 1844, and that the first President of that congregation was the late Mr. A. H. Hart.
"In 1844 a valuable and central piece of land, situated in Bourke Street West, was procured from the Government, mainly through the exertions ofthe zealous and indefatigable Mr. A. H. Hart. In 1847 an unpretentious but suitable brick building was erected thereon. This was the first structure erected for public Jewish worship in this Colony.
"Soon after the discovery of gold in Victoria, the influx to the Jewish population became so great that it led to the necessity of raising funds to build a Synagogue commensurate with the requirements ofthe times. This was speedily accomplished, though the cost of doing so was about £12,000, Mr. David Benjamin (now residing in London) heading the list of contributors with £1000, his brother, the late Mr. M. Benjamin, following with £500. "In 1842 Mr. A. H. Hart obtained from the Government a grant of land in the Old Cemetery for Jewish interments, and, sad to say, the first participant of the melancholy privilege of being buried in that consecrated ground, was Mr. Lewis Hart, a brother of the gentleman whose career of usefulness has been faintly indicated, and 'who died suddenly after a few months' residence in the Colony. In this case the last duties and services to the departed were rendered by Mr. A. H. Hart himself. A tombstone erected to the memory of the deceased bears thefirstHebrew inscription, which was written by the hand of the bereaved brother.
"The Melbourne Jewish Philanthropic Society, which has been of vast benefit to the needy of the Jewish Faith, was founded by the late Mr. A. H. Hart, in 1849. "They (the Jews) possess six synagogues which are governed independently of each other, two being in Melbourne —one in the west, and the other in the east of the city. There is also one at St. Kilda, one at Ballarat, one at Sandhurst, and one at Geelong.
"Mr. A. H. Hart and Mr. David Benjamin left this colony for England in 1854; the former died there in 1870; the latter continues to labour for (and contributes from his purse liberally to all matters appertaining to) the social, moral, and intellectual advancement of his co-religionists. Many other Jews have also acted nobly and supported the cause of their religion in the Metropolis of the South, such as the late Hon. Edward Cohen, M.L.A, Mr. Nathaniel Levi, Mr. Henry Harris, and others."
The Chief Rabbi.
In January, 1846, a beautifully prepared address was transmitted by the Jews of Port Phillip to the Rev. Dr. Adler, the Chief Rabbi of the United Congregation of Jews in the British Empire. It was written by Mr. A. H. Hart, President of the Synagogue, transcribed on vellum by Mr. Craig, and embellished by the pen of Mr. Joseph Pitman. In the succeeding November a reply was received, couched in grateful and complimentary language, and thus concluding:— "May the Almighty favour you with all His temporal blessings, and may His holy law find a home in your distant isle, and His precepts be duly venerated and followed amongst you. Such are the fervent wishes of, Mr. President and gentlemen, your faithful servant N. Adler, Dr., Chief Rabbi, London, 7th day of Tamuz, 5606 A.M."
Founding the First Synagogue.
At eight a.m., on the 25th August, 1847, was laid the first stone of the first Synagogue in Melbourne.
The ceremony was performed in the presence of nearly all the Jews in Melbourne, and a sprinkling of the other residents.
The President took his stand at one end of the stone, the Honorary Reader opposite, and the Honorary Secretary on one side, with a Scroll.
The ceremony commenced by the Reader reciting a prayer, and then reading the Scroll, which bore an inscription in Hebrew, of which the following is a translation:—
By favour of Almighty God, the Foundation Stone of this Building, to be denominated,
"House of Prayer of the Holy Congregation of Remnant of Israel,"
Being the first in the district of Port Phillip dedicated to the worship of the MOST HIGH,
Agreeably to the Laws of Moses and Israel,
Was laid by Solomon Benjamin, President, on Wednesday, August 25th, 5607 (1847),
In presence of the Members of the above Congregation,
In the Eleventh year of the reign of Queen Victoria the First;
Sir Chrles Augustus Fitzroy, Knight, Governor of N e w South Wales;
Charles Joseph Latrobe, Superintendent of Port Phillip;
Charles Laing, Architect; James Webb, Builder; Asher Hymen Hart, Past President, Hon. Reader.
Trustees:- Asher Hymen Hart, Michael Cashmore, and Solomon Benjamin.
The Scroll, deposited in a bottle, was duly placed in the stone, which was then adjusted by the President with a plumb, level, and square, the mortar spread with a silver trowel, and the upper stone fixed in its proper position, when corn, wine, and oil were distributed, and the following prayer pronounced by the Hon. Reader:—
"Almighty Architect of the Universe, who didst, ere the creation of man, lay the foundation of the earth, stretching out the heavens like a curtain, and placing the beams of Thy chambers in the waters. Thou art clothed with glory and majesty: Thou alone art the Author of all good gifts. Vouchsafe Thy blessing on this work in which we are now engaged in honour of Thy holy name. Bless it, O Lord! as Thou didst bless the work of Solomon, the great King of Israel. Grant that the structure which we hope to see here spring up may promote the welfare of Thy people. May Thy bounties make us happy, and endow us with gratefulness, so that we may be ever eager to meet each other in this minor sanctuary, there to offer, from the fulness of our hearts, thankfulness to Thee. May this structure prove to us the happy effects of brotherly love. May it teach us to embrace the pure doctrines of our Holy faith, as a means whereby we may learn to be happy. May it teach us to practice charity in its purest sense, which inculcates 'Love thy neighbour as thyself,' whereby we may live in the bonds of harmony and peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord, to bless our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, Adelaide, the Queen Dowager, Prince Albert, Albert, Prince of Wales, and all the Royal family. Let Thy wisdom be their guide, Thy Providence their protection, and Thine everlasting kingdom their final portion. Vouchsafe also to bless His Excellency the Governor of this territory, and all the locally constituted authorities. Let justice, truth, and righteousness flourish in their days, and in ours, and may peace and plenty abound in this land. Grant, O Lord, that our faith may ever rest on Thy promises, that we may live happy and contented to the fulness of time, when it shall please Thee to restore us once more to that land which Thou didst promise to our forefathers, that at last we may form part of Thy glorious and eternal Temple above. Amen."
The Hon. Reader next gave forth this invocation:— "May the bounteous hand of Providence ever supply this Province with abundance of corn, wine, and oil, and all the other necessaries of life. May He, whose mighty hand encompasseth eternity, be the Guardian and Protector of this House of Prayer, dedicated to the worship of His Holy name. May He long preserve it from peril and decay. Amen."
The President followed with a brief address; the ceremonial was concluded, and after a hearty hurrah the company departed.
Previous to the termination of the proceedings, the sum of £2 10s. was collected, and handed over to the workmen (a most unusual appropriation), and in the evening the "Children of Israel" celebrated the event by dining together at the Shakespeare (now the Union Club) Hotel, in Collins Street.
The building was opened for service on the 17th March, 1848.
The First Rabbi.
The Rev. Moses Rintel, the first Rabbi in the colony, was born in Edinburgh in 1824. His father (the Rev Myer Rintel), had acquired a high reputation as a Hebrew and Talmudical scholar. The son received a diploma from Chief Rabbi, Dr. S. Herschel, and as a duly authorised Jewish Minister, went to Sydney in 1844, and not only founded, but became Principal of the Sydney Hebrew Academy. In 1849 he accepted "a call" from Melbourne, where he afterwards officiated for some years, and was mainly instrumental in establishing the Mickva Yisrael Synagogue in East Melbourne, and was appointed to its pastorate. Few public mwn were better known in the city during his time than the "Rabbi Rintel", as he was called, and he died regretted about seven years ago.
On the 3rd September, 1849, the second anniversary of the foundation of the Synagogue was signalised by a grand dinner at the late Rainbow Hotel, corner of Swanston and Little Collins Streets. The symposium was not an exclusively Jewish affair, for a few select Gentiles were admitted to partake of the carnal viands. Quite a jovial evening was spent, and it was difficult to decide as to the superiority of the speeches or the potations, for both were of the "first brands." The conventional toasts were duly pledged, and the following were received with "nine times nine" and all the honours:— "The Melbourne Synagogue," "The Rev. Dr. Adler," "The Congregations of the Sister Colonies," "The Rev. M. Rintel and the Jewish Clergy," and "Sir Moses Montefiore."
The Executive of New South Wales having refused an application from the Jews of Port Phillip for a grant of £500 out of the State Aid for Religion Fund, so much indignation was felt in consequence, that a public meeting was held on the 25th August, 1850, to protest against what, as colonists, they believed to be unfair treatment. Resolutions were passed expressive of sorrow and disappointment at the action of the Government, and sanctioning the presentation of a petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and an address to the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London, soliciting their influence with the Colonial Office. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. M. Rintel, Messrs. A. H. Hart, M. Cashmore, S. Benjamin, and others.
In 1881 the Jewish population of Victoria were some 5000, with five registered ministers, six synagogues or places of worship, offering accommodation for 1784 attendants, 489 of whom did averagely attend, and their approximate annual services were 1274.
In the Statistics for 1886-7 the numbers are thus given by Mr. Hayter:— Population, 4953;[1] registered ministers, 8; Synagogues and other buildings used for public worship, 7—affording accommodation for 2370 worshippers; number of services, 1350; average attendance, 617.
Primitive Methodists.
A congregation of this section of the Christian Church was formed in 1849, and by much perseverance a sufficient sum was collected wherewith to purchase a small piece of land in Latrobe Street, and proceed with the erection of a chapel and school-house, the estimated cost being £600. The foundation stone was laid on the 17th December. The pastor, or, as he was styled, local preacher, was MrJ. M . Bryant, and steps were taken for the building of a chapel at Brighton. The Melbourne structure, a compact brick building, was speedily run up, and so was the chapel at Brighton, for they were both opened for service early in the following year. The first anniversary meeting of the congregation was held in the Latrobe Street Chapel, on the 23rd March, 1851, when it was announced that there was cash in hand amounting to £112 15s. 4d. The place at Brighton was opened on the 20th April, when the subscriptions and collections were reported at £84 13s. 2d., and there were friendly promises of £66. The occasion was marked by the presentation to Mr. Bryant "by a number of official and unofficial friends" of a "blessed Bible and Concordance, as a small testimony of their sincerity, and as a public demonstration of their gratitude for his labours."
Church of the Tabernacle.
In 1850, the Rev. John Allen got together a small congregation under the above designation, and they erected a small chapel in Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy. On the 8th May they held their first service, and in September excited some interest, as they were joined by John Wroe, the founder of a sect known as "Beardies." Wroe himself exhibited, for that beardless time, what was considered a frightfully disfiguring hirsute crop, which fell in plentiful coils from his face down over his breast. He passed himself off as a "bearded" prophet, but his foretellings were not as realistic as his hair. He pretended he had confidential communings with a Holy Spirit, who deputed him to declare that the future of Melbourne would be of the brightest description, only that the early coming of the Millennium would spoil everything.
Wesleyan Methodist Association.
Early in 1851, the Rev. Joseph Townend arrived from England as a Missionary from the Wesleyan Association, and after beating up about forty followers commenced services in a room in George Street, Fitzroy. A small chapel was afterwards built there, but there commenced such a discord between the Minister and the Trustees, that their squabblings were only settled by the intervention of some of the legal tribunals. The Rev. Mr. Townend persevered, and though beset by many difficulties and discouragements, his mission in a few years was not unproductive of good.
German Lutheran Church.
During the years 1849 and 1850, there was an influx of Immigrants from Germany, mostly Lutherans, and as they had no ordained minister with them, they used to attend the English services at the Independent Chapel in Collins Street. The Rev. A. Morison having given them the use of the Independent School-room, the place of a minister was for a time supplied by a Mr. Wanke, a layman. The Rev. Mr. Rupprecht at length arrived, and he held services at 3 p.m. on Sundays, at the Independent Chapel for some time, with a congregation numbering about 60 persons. This was an unsatisfactory state of things, for though Mr. Rupprecht preached, he had no direct authority from his following to do so; and a meeting of Germans was held on the afternoon of Sunday, the 13th April, 1851, to adopt measures necessary for a regular appointment. The business was at once proceeded with by Mr. Wanke proposing, and Mr. Thiele seconding a resolution nominating the Rev. Mr. Rupprecht as Minister of the Evangelisch Lutherische Church of Melbourne, taking as a basis the confession of Augsburg with the Symbolic Books and Luther's Great and Little Catechisms. It was stated that a clergyman had been for some time expected, but they had waited patiently for over twelve months, and could wait no longer. Mrs. Zahn, from Collingwood, expressed a wish to speak in support of the proposition, but the Chairman (Mr. Markert) ruled that he did not consider himself justified in permitting a lady to talk; but the lady tossing her head jauntily, defied the ruling, and persisted in warmly advocating the immediate installation of a minister. Mr. Weidt wished the appointment to be only temporary, whereupon Mr. Rupprecht entered into a brief explanation. After visiting for seven years the gymnasium at Breslau, and its University for three years, he took Orders in 1845. He made a trip to the Australian Colonies twelve months before, and intended returning to Germany. But he was willing to officiate as minister in Melbourne till the arrival of the expected clergyman, and even longer if they desired. The resolution was adopted, and an engagement with the minister signed by all present. On the fifth day after (Good Friday) there was a German service at the Independent Church, at which the new minister officiated. This occasion was rendered eventful by the baptism of the two first Australian German children in the colony. At a subsequent meeting of the congregation the following appointments were made :—Wardens Kirchenvorsteher to act conjointly with the Rev. Mr. Rupprecht, G. Thiele, N. Lange, G. Wanke, August Wernicke, Moritz Helm, H. Runge, Trangott Vorwerg, Ernst Altman, Hempel, sen., Fred. Eulest, Secretary, and August Jentsch, Collector. On Easter Sunday (20th) there was another effective service, and both minister and congregation seemed well satisfied with each other. The attempts so made to establish a German Church failed through the paucity of followers, as also did another effort tried two years after by the Rev. A. Kappler. The gold discoveries, however, quickly brightened up the prospect, and the German population being swelled from South Australia and elsewhere, the Rev. M. Goethe succeeded in forming congregations towards the beginning of 1853, at Melbourne and Germantown, outside Geelong. The first German Church on the Eastern Hill was erected at the commencement of 1854.
Note. —Wandering amongst the ecclesiastical waifs of the colony, I picked up two "Fraternities," of which there is little or no other mention than the fact of their once existence. As their objects, judging from my knowledge of the religious belief of several of the projectors, were not confined to working for the spiritual salvation of any particular sect, they are appended here as more suitable than attaching them specially to any of the preceding denominations:—
Auxiliary Bible Society of Australia Felix (Established 14th July, 1840).
Patron —His Honor Charles Joseph Latrobe, Esq.; President —William Lonsdale, Esq.; Vice Presidents —Rev. James Clow and Edward Jones Brewster, Esq.; Committee of Management —Messrs. John Gardiner, William Locke, A. Beale, J. B. Were, John Patterson, R. N., William Kerr, Robert Reeves, D. E. Wilkie, M. D., J. H. Patterson, J. O. Denny, J. J. Peers, and William Witton, with all Ministers, Members of the Society; Committee at Geelong —Rev. Andrew Love, and Messrs. Alexander Thomson, and Jonathan Gierke, M. D.; Treasurer —John Dunbar, Esq.; Secretaries —Rev. William Waterfield and Rev. James Forbes, A.M.; Depositary —Rev. William Waterfield.
Port Phillip Theological Society. (Established, 1841.)
President —Rev. James Forbes, A.M.; Committee of Management —Messrs. Robert Campbell, Skene Craig, Archibald Cunninghame, James Oliphant Denny, James Drummond , John Dunbar, James Graham, Matthew Stewart Holmes, William Kerr, Rev. Andrew Love, David Patrick, M. D., John Hunter Patterson, and Alexander Thomson; Treasurer—Thomas Elder Boyd, Esq.; Secretary—David Ogilvy, Esq, W.S.
- ↑ About one half of these are resident in Melbourne and suburbs.