150th Anniversary of the Church of St MichaelPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the 150th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Church of St Michael in September 1848.

St Michael`s Church Mitcham.
On Saturday last, the foundation-stone of this Church was laid by Lady Young. His Excellency the Governor, his Honor the Judge, the Colonial Secretary, and several other of the Government officials, with their ladies, were present, and the assemblage numbered altogether about one hundred and fifty. His Lordship the Bishop of Adelaide, read the Service for the occasion, which included several appropriate exhortations, and affecting supplications, for the blessings of the Almighty on the work—undertaken in his name. The deep pathos and solemnity, which characterised the singing of the 117th Psalm, struck our attention as peculiarly affecting.

After the first part of the service was finished, William Bartley, Esq., read, and hermetically sealed in a bottle, the following inscription, written on parchment: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Amen. The Foundation-Stone of this Church, to be dedicated to the worship of the True Jehovahs, in consecration that the Church Established in Great Britain and Ireland to be called "The Church of Saint Michael" was laid by Dame Augusta, wife of Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, Governor of South Australia, on Saturday the 30th day of September being in the First Year of his administration, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Eight and on the Second Year of the Consecration of Augustus by permission Lord Bishop of Adelaide.

The bottle being deposited in the cavity prepared for the purpose, several coins were thrown in with it, and Lady Young, obviously impressed with the solemnity of the work in which she was engaged, took the trowel and spread some mortar over the deposited memorials. After the service was over, his Excellency stepped forward on the stone just laid, and stated that he felt unwilling to let the assembly part without expressing his sincere pleasure in seeing Lady Young take so active a part in such an undertaking. For his own part, he would not only urge his own colonists to encourage such proceedings but he should be always anxious to lend, individually every assistance in this manner.

His Lordship made a few brief observations on the singular manner in which the Almighty had blessed this country with plenty. He hoped that their present undertaking would prove a centre of union, and an agreement of associations, that would lead to the realms of eternal bliss. His Lordship concluded with the following impressive supplication " May the Lord bless this work, to us and to our children."  All present, a large number of whom were ladies, seemed highly interested with the ceremony. 
Adelaide Times (SA ), 2 October 1848.

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