Anglican Imperialism and the Gothic Style in Australia

Abstract

From the middle of the nineteenth century, the Church of England renewed its missionary objectives for the colonies and aspired to demonstrate its credentials to be a national Church for the empire. This essay considers the ways in which ‘imperial Anglicanism’ was reflected in the deployment of the Gothic style for church architecture. It is argued that enthusiasts for the Gothic style in Australia included both Anglicans and Catholics, but was especially favoured by those of English descent. In contrast, Gothic was associated by a number of Irish Catholics with English cultural hegemony whereas Nonconformists generally favoured the Classical style. In this way denominational adherence became reflected in architectural fashion. It is suggested that resistance to Gothic was more muted in the colonies than in Britain, so that by the end of the nineteenth century almost all denominations were building churches and chapels in some form of Gothic. Vernacular adaptations of Gothic to the Australian vernacular were slow to emerge. The Gothic style can therefore be regarded as a benign vehicle for English religious imperialism in the Australian colonies.