photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Alan K | all galleries >> Western Australia >> 2024 Day 03: Perth, Western Australia. (Sat 01 Jun 24) > 240601_065318_1447 Not What It Appears. Not Anymore, Anyway (Sat 01 Jun 24)
previous | next
01-Jun-2024 AKMC

240601_065318_1447 Not What It Appears. Not Anymore, Anyway (Sat 01 Jun 24)

Quest Apartments, 176 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth, Western Aust view map

This appears to be a church. It's not any more, but it was.

The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) originated with a man named Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). Apparently his main gripe with Christianity was that too much of it was practised with a view to avoiding Hell, and gaining material rewards in this world through what we would now call virtue signalling. He believed that Scripture needed to be "internalised", though I'm not entirely clear on, and have neither the time nor the inclination to explore, the theology relating to this.

The New Church has never had a huge following. As of the year 2000, its global following would barely push into 5 figures.

For a brief time it did have enough of a following in Western Australia to establish a church building; obviously, this church building. It was designed by an architect named Richard Spanney (birth name Rudolph Richard Spangenberg, 1884 (Adelaide) to 1948 (Perth)). His name may not be legendary amongst architects, but he designed at least 2 other churches in Perth as well as homes for some of the wealthier members of society.

The church was designed in the interwar Gothic style and was constructed from 1937 to 1941. It uses laterite stone (a type which is rich in iron and aluminium) from Darlington on the eastern border of Perth.

The membership of the church grew during the 1950s through to the 1970s, but by 2000 the building was too large for the remaining congregation. It was sold in 2002, after briefly being used by the Indonesian Baptist Church.

It's obviously not a church now. It is a Quest tourist apartment facility, as you may be able to see from the sign. Isn't it a little small for that? It would be, but that is just the reception area. The hall and outbuildings at the back of the church were demolished. In their place, a 19 story building containing the serviced apartments was constructed. You can see the building behind what used to be the church.


other sizes: small medium large original auto
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment