Australia Chapel
What is it?
Captain
Arthur Phillip landed in Australia in January 1788 at a site he
named
as Sydney in honour of Lord Sydney, and he was officially appointed
Governor-in-Chief of New South Wales on 7 February 1788.
When he retired he lived in Bathampton and Bath, where he died in 1814.
It was not until the year 1897 that any real interest in his
achievement started, and the discovery of his grave in the church led
to a more worthy memorial. The Phillip Memorial in the South Aisle was
constructed in 1974, and what had been the Allen Chapel was restored
and rededicated as the Australia Chapel. [
Bathampton
Church
website]
Where is it in Bath?
The Australia Chapel is in St Nicholas Church, Bathampton, about two
miles from the City of Bath. Immediately inside the main door is the
Phillip Memorial, with
Admiral Phillip's
tombstone set in the floor in front of it:
To the upper right is this information sign:
The text reads
"Australia Chapel
If anyone is praying in the Church please be as quiet as possible.
The floor is of Australian Wombeyan Marble.
The memorial screen is made of Australian Blackbean wood.
The windows carry the Crests of the Federal Government and the six
Australian States.
The Kneelers were given by Tasmania.
The High Commissioner for Australia performs an annual wreath laying
ceremony on a day as close as possible to 11 October, the birthday of
Admiral Phillip."
General view of the Australia Chapel:
The left hand window contains three Crests: the Federal Government
(left) and two States - New South Wales (top right) and South Australia
(1936 version - bottom right).
The right hand window contains four
more State Crests: Victoria (top left), Queensland (top right), Western
Australia (bottom left) and Tasmania (bottom right)
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