Church of the small but influential 19th Century Adelaide Unitarians from 1857 demolished in Wakefield Street in 1973
The Unitarian Church building in Wakefield Street, Adelaide city, and its first long-term minister John Crawford Woods. Because they rejected the doctrine of the trinity, Unitarians were generally regarded as outside the borders of Christian orthodoxy.
Church image courtesy State Library of South Australia
The Wakefield Street, Adelaide city, church for the Unitarians – a 19th Century social force in the city that was much stronger than elsewhere in Australia – was demolished in 1973.
Unitarianism, a small religious body committed to a liberal religious faith without dogma or creeds, has its roots in the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation and the 18th Century Enlightenment. Because they rejected the doctrine of the trinity, Unitarians were generally regarded as outside the borders of Christian orthodoxy.
John Crawford (J.C.) Woods, was the first minister of the Adelaide Unitarian Christian Church, serving from 1855 to 1889. His first service was at "Hazelwood", the eastern Adelaide estate of the Francis Clark’s family; the second at the home of Edward Martin on Osmond Terrace, Norwood. From October 14,1855, well-attended services were in a room attached to Green’s Exchange in King William Street, Adelaide city.
The church was a success from the start, attracting many prominent figures, including Catherine Helen Spence, who joined in 1856 and preached there occasionally. With the decision to build a church, part of Adelaide city Section 302 on Wakefield Street was made available to the church by Dr William Everard for a modest sum and the church building cornerstone was laid on December 23, 1856.
Woods took the first services on the morning and evening of Sunday July 5, 1857 to a large assembly. Although much smaller than other church congregations, Unitarians had influence with members including prominent politicians and business leaders such as Edward Morgan, Henry Ayers and Alfred Muller Simpson. Others, like John Howard Clark and Robert Kay, were active in the cause of popular education. Other noted early supporters of the church were Dr Charles Davies of North Adelaide, Henry Higginson of North Adelaide, William Kay of Norwood, Dr William Everard, William Sanderson, Vernon Herford and James Allen.
The church prospered, largely due to Woods' oratory and thoughtful sermons. Woods officiated at many weddings in the Wakefield Street church extending beyond Unitarians to secular Jews such as members of the Solomon family and as the only place for marriages between Catholics and Protestants. A branch church for Unitarians was founded in 1865 at Shady Grove, near Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.
In the 20th Century, the fortunes of the congregation fluctuated, largely depending on the resident minister. The Unitarian Christian Church building in Wakefield Street was sold to the South Australian Public Service Association in 1971. It was demolished in 1973 and replaced with a government building known as the Wakefield House, a 20-storey building in brutalist style completed in 1980. The Unitarian congregation moved to a modern meeting house at suburban Norwood.
While other denominations liberalised their theology, Unitarians moved in a still more radical direction. They were less likely than previously to see themselves as liberal Christians, emphasising instead the importance of free inquiry, tolerance of religious differences and individual spiritual exploration, drawing on the insights of all religions. The Adelaide church removed “Christian” from its name in 1977. The 2011 census showed about 400 Unitarian adherents in South Australia.
