Reverend John Burdett WittenoomPrint Page 
The marble plaque commemorates the first Colonial Chaplain, the Reverend John Burdett Wittenoom (1788 - 1855).
Reverend Wittenoom was an Anglican clergyman who was appointed by the British Government to be the Colonial Chaplain for the Swan River Colony from 1829. He served from when he arrived in 1830 until he died in 1855. For many years he was the only minister of any denomination in the colony and in time, the size of his flock grew from a few hundred to many thousand.
He opened a small grammar school in Perth between 1847 and 1855, and was the Chairman of the Education Committee. He was a Freemason in the St. John Lodge and a JP. After he died, his widow served as the Mistress of the Perth Girls' School between 1856 and 1858.
A neat marble tablet in memory of the late Colonial Chaplain Rev. J. B. WITTENOOM has been recently placed over the vestry-door in St George's Church. It bears the following inscription, written by Mr Mackie:— "To the Memory of the Reverend John Burdett Wittenoom, M.A., who, for a quarter of a century, discharged the sacred functions of Chaplain to this Territory, and officiated as Minister of this Church from its erection to his decease, and under whose Ministry, amidst the struggles and privations of an infant Colony, a scion of the Church of England was planted in a remote wilderness; this Tablet has been erected by members of the flock, of which he was so long the respected Pastor. Died: 23rd January, 1855, aged 66."
Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth), 23 September 1857.
Location
| Address: | 38 St Georges Terrace, St George`s Cathedral, North Wall, Perth, 6000 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.955775 Long: 115.861472 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | September 1857 |
|---|
To the memory of the John Burdett Wittenoom, M. A.
Who, for a quarter of a century, discharged the sacred functions of Chaplain to this Territory and officiated as Minister of this Church, from its erection to his decease and under whose Ministry, amidst the struggles and privations of an infant colony, a scion to the Church of England was planted in a remote wilderness.
This tablet has been erected by members of the flock of which he was so long the respected Pastor.
Died 23rd January, 1855, aged 66 years.
