Sir John Lancelot StirlingPrint Page

The bell tower of the church commemorates Sir John Lancelot Stirling who died in 1932. 

On the 29th October 1950, the memorial tower was completed by the addition of a bell given in memory of Lady Stirling who was a devout and regular worshipper of the church for over fifty years. Lady Stirling died in 1949. 

John Lancelot Stirling was born on 5 November 1849 at Strathalbyn. He went up to Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., LL.B., 1871), where he won a blue for athletics. In 1870 and 1872 he won the amateur hurdles championship of England. At 23 he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple. He returned to South Australia in 1876, and with his brother bred merino sheep; he also bred Ayrshire cattle and horses on the family properties.

He was a member of the House of Assembly for Mount Barker in 1881-87 and Gumeracha in 1888-90, and in 1891-1932 was a member for the Southern Districts in the Legislative Council and was president in 1901-32. Though an unexceptional speaker he was respected for his ability. He was appointed K.C.M.G. in 1909.

Stirling was director of the Beltana and Mutooroo Pastoral companies, the Australian Mutual Provident Society, the Wallaroo and Moonta Mining and Smelting Co. and the Alliance Insurance Co. He introduced polo to South Australia and captained a team that twice defeated Victoria. He was the steward of several racing clubs, and was once master of the Adelaide hounds. A member of the University of Adelaide Council, he was also president of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Pastoralists' Association of South Australia, and the Zoological and Acclimatization Society. 

STRATHALBYN, March 19.
The Bishop of Adelaide (Dr. Thomas) this afternoon dedicated the tower which has been added Christ Church as a memorial to Sir Lancelot Stirling, who, with his family, worshipped there for many years. There was a large crowd, representative of both the city and country, at the ceremony. A combined choir from all the churches in the town led the singing and representatives from the churches in the parish were present. Members of both Houses of Parliament, the mayor (Mr. J. W. Elliott), and members of the town and district councils, attended. The tower was designed by Mr. Kenneth Milne who is a nephew of Sir Lancelot and Lady Stirling. Surmounting the walls of the original porch to tne centre of the front of the church, it rises 50 feet. It has a battle-mented top, with louvres on four sides for a 15 feet belfry at the top, the interior of the open tower below being lighted by four deep Gothic windows and four smaller leadlight ones. Neat Manchurian oak panelling at the basement joins the interior and exterior doors. The painting and dressings agree in tone with the original church, the buttresses of which have been recemented and colored to harmonise with the new structure.

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