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134 Church. It was judged proper to have a building s'olely appropriated to religious services Among the subscriptions, was the noble sum of fifty pounds from Mr. Batman. A little wooden place was then con structed near the present church, which, though ostensibly for the Church of England, was open for the afternoon to the occasional mi nistry of other denominations. The following is the description of the church in July, 1838 :—“ A small square building, with an old ship’s bell suspended from a most defamatory gallows like structure, fulfilled the duty of Church or Chapel to the various religious denominations.” Mr. Hailes mentions that the convicts of the settlement, who must, according to law, attend worship, were stationed on one side; and in an opposite corner, screened by a curtain, were those important aux iliaries,—the singers. When the reader is informed that certain soldiers as well as convicts were obliged to be present, and that the total number accommodated in the room was only 90, he may form a mental estimation of the large influx of free worshippers in a place then mustering many hundreds of people. The devoted Quaker Mis sionaries, Messrs. J. Backhouse and G. W. Walker paid a religious visit to Port Phillip, in November, 1837, and were olfered the use of this first place of worship. They record, “ Our Gracious Master was pleased to grant a more powerful sense of his presence than we had ventured to hope for.” They preached also at the Aboriginal Station of Mr. Langhorne’s, and at the residence of Mr. John Gardiner. A Sabbath school was organized in very early times ; the present Mayor of Melbourne, Mr. Smith, was one of the first teachers, and a constant attendant at the primitive prayer meetings. As early as July 30th, 1838, a meeting was called to consider the means of procuring a church and a clergyman. It was resolved to raise £200, with a hope of procuring aid from Government. Messrs. Welsh, Rucker and Fawkner were to receive subscriptions. In November, 1838, tenders were called for repairs. So little was their zeal that these repairs were not completed till the end of February, and merely consisted of a cedar pulpit, and eight cedar pews for the gentry, constructed by Mr. Napier. No attempt at enlargement was made to accommodate many willing to attend. In April, 1839, a great advance was made, for Messrs. Rucker and Welsh were elected Churchwardens. The first clergyman of the Church of England was the Rev. John pond Grylls, of Dublin and Cambridge, who was sent down from Sydney
