St Nicholas Anglican Heritage Church Australind 1840s

Saint Nicholas Anglican Church (1840s) is a State Heritage Listed pioneer church made of Jarrah and measuring only 3.8 × 6.7m. It claims the distinction of being the smallest church in Western Australia.

Not long after settlers first arrived in the district, it was constructed opposite the Prince of Wales Hotel, now known as Henton Cottage.

At that time, the road between was known as Paris Street and formed part of a grandiose plan to establish the English-style city of Australind. (Hint: View the plan at the Stone Seat Memorial)

The first known resident of the cottage was William Narroway, who arrived in 1844 and was employed by John Allnutt.

The building’s walls were made from local Jarrah planks. Though hard to imagine, they partitioned this tiny cottage into two rooms, one of which had a fireplace, and that a family lived in it for many years. At first, the roof was thatched with rushes from along the estuary, before later being replaced by corrugated iron.

In the 1850s, the Allnutt family converted it into an independent – now known as Congregational – chapel. Up to then, John Allnutt had held services in his home.

The Church was licensed and consecrated on 22nd December 1915 and renamed as St Nicholas Church after the 4th century Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, the patron saint of Seafarers and children.