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St Michael & All Angels - a history |
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| The following message from The Vicar General forms the introduction to the book: | |||
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"St Michael and All Angels Victoria Street, Hall ACT The History of a Village Church" by Neil Manton
"In the early days of what is now an impressive National Capital City, small groups of pioneer settlers were making their homes in the countryside around the centre now called Canberra and, despite the relatively difficult problems of transport and communication, their religious needs were met by 'the bush parson' who rode out on horseback or by carriage on one or more Sundays each month. |
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As these small centres grew, even modestly, there came local pressure for the building of a Church as a centre of worship, rather than the local hall or the parlour of one of the more affluent settlers. And so it was in the Village of Hall, just on the boundary of the Capital Territory, that people gathered together in the 1930s to worship in the local hall, known as Kinleyside's (late in 1938 Rochford's) Hall in the main street of the village. |
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 Foundation Stone laid in 1941 |
In the recently located Register of Services, it is recorded that a service, Epiphany 1, was held on the 12th January 1930 at 3.00pm; regrettably the number of worshippers was not recorded but the collection amounted to one pound, ten shillings and threepence. It is not clear whether this was in fact the first Anglican service ever held in the village, but it is a starting point for the history of what is now the Church of St Michael and All Angels and by the end of that first year the records show that 76 worshippers had attended services and had contributed nineteen pounds, seven shillings and fourpence to the collection plate. |  Dedication to pioneers of Hall Village |
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The small band of faithful continued to worship in the village hall but in 1941 laid the Foundation Stone at the site of the present Church in Victoria Street. This modest but important book records the struggle to build the Church and to maintain the Christian presence in this part of the District, along with the Catholic and Uniting Churches. It was our great pleasure in 1998 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Church of St Michael and All Angels for the holding of services, when the first draft of the History was presented. This book is at once the celebration of the unquenchable spirit of the pioneer seeking to maintain his or her religious faith and of the place of this house of worship in the Village and District it serves. We pray that this spirit will continue to burn in the hearts of the parishioners, of visitors to the Church and the residents of the Village of Hall and District." |
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Service of Re-dedication
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Re-dedication of St Michael's Bell The bell, which was cast in 1854, originally hung in St John's Reid. It was donated by the Diocese to St Michael's in 1965 and erected in memory of Colin and Elma Moore. In 2005 restoration work was done by Murrumbateman conservator, Gillian Mitchell, and on St Michael and All Angels Day the Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, The Rt Rev'd George Browning blessed the bell and committed it to continued service. In an example of the spirit of the local community and commitment to the history of the village, Hall Rotary Club and Hall Volunteer Rural Fire and Emergency Services Brigade generously gave their time and support in demounting the bell, repainting the stand and remounting the restored bell. Sanctuary Banner The banner was designed by Jodi Golding (a friend of the parish) in response to our desire to have something that captured a sense of who we are as a Christian community in the Australian context. We share our place in Hall with a magpie family who join us for morning tea and often enrich us with their warbling songs. Our banner depicts a magpie as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The magpie joins a circular, dynamic movement of gum leaves, representing the gathering of a community that is filled with life. Each leaf is different and yet each has its place in the dance of our life together. The side panels of the banner change with the seasons of the church calendar - green for ordinary times, purple for Advent and Lent, red for Pentecost and gold for Christmas and Easter. In this way the banner helps draw our attention to the changing seasons and our ongoing journey with God and each other. The banner was made by two of our parishioners, Doreen Grey and Dimity Manton.
Confirmation with Bishop Allan Ewing |
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