Lambton Churches

This page is a work in progress, with the aim of compiling a comprehensive list of churches throughout the history of Lambton. This task is somewhat complicated by the plethora of different churches with similar sounding names, churches that are known by different names, and the various mergers of churches over time.  Determining when churches ceased is also problematic, as they tended to peter out slowly, rather than having a definite end date that is reported in the newspapers.

As with my list of Lambton hotels, I am using the boundary of Lambton Council to determine which churches to include.

In the map below, I am using the following colour coding:

  • Green – church meeting still running at present
  • Light green – church no longer meeting, but the building still exists
  • Red – neither church meeting or building exist today

Welsh Baptist Church

The Welsh Baptist Chapel in Lambton was formally opened on Sunday 8 March 1868. It was located on Lot 6 Section H of Lambton Township (99 Elder St). Initially the land was not bought by the church, however construction of the church building on the land owned by the Scottish Australian Mining Company was allowed by the mine manager, Thomas Croudace, who was invited to the formal opening. In 1874, the town plan of Lambton on page 4 of Vol-Fol 182-134 shows a solitary unsold block of land where the chapel was located.

Plan from page 4 Vol-Fol 182-134, showing a solitary block (bordered in red) unsold in the main section of Elder Street in 1874.

Shortly after the Reverend Isaac Williams was appointed pastor of the Lambton Welsh The Welsh Baptist Church in June 1879, the newspaper reported that …

“The members of the Welsh Baptist Church, E1der-street have decided to erect a new church building. Since the Rev. Isaac Williams became pastor the congregations have increased so much that the present building has become too small.”

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 18 August 1879.

The following month an advertisement appeared calling for tenders for the pulling down of the old church building and erecting a new church building.

Tenders called for erection of new building for the Lambton Welsh Baptist Church. Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 9 September 1879.

Construction of the new building was nearing completion in December 1879. At this time the church also decided to obtain ownership of the land, and the block was purchased on 12 December 1879 by “John Johns and William Maddock, miners, and Isaac Williams, Welsh Baptist Minister, all of Lambton.”

Certificate or Title, Vol-Fol 481-44
Property transfer on Vol-Fol 182-134, dated 12 December 1879
1890s Water Board map showing Baptist Church in Elder Street, Lambton.
1890s map overlaid onto Google Earth image.

It is unclear when the Welsh Baptist Church in Lambton ceased. Mentions in Trove seem to peter out in the early 1890s, with the last mention of the church in June 1893. The block of land between Elder and Kendall streets was divided in half in 1891, with the south half being purchased by Rev John Jones. According to Vol-Fol 1010-105, the northern half fronting Elder St, where the church building was located, was sold to Joseph Pease, tailor in December 1902. In October 1919 the land was purchased by William Rendle, tobacconist, and then passed to Jack Rendle, hairdresser, in July 1941. The site is now occupied by the Lambton Nextra newsagents.

99-101 Elder St Lambton in April 2021.

Lay Methodist

The Lay Methodist church was located at 13 Kendall St, as shown in this 1890s Water Board map.

Lay Methodist Church in Kendall St Lambton.

Christadelphian Church

Newcastle Library’s Hunter Photobank has a photo of a wedding party in front of the Christadelphian Hall. The photo is also appears on page 91 of the publication, “The Story of Lambton”. The hall was originally one of the buildings erected by the Lambton Mechanics’ Institute near 72 Howe St. After the Mechanic’s Institute erected a fine new brick building on Elder St in 1894, they leased the old weatherboard hall to the Christadelphians.

Christadelphian Hall, Lambton, 28 September 1896. Photo by Ralph Snowball. Hunter Photobank.
1890s Water Board map showing location of Christadelphian Church in Howe St, Lambton.
1890s map overlaid onto Google Earth image.

Surprisingly, this building still exists – but not at its original position on Howe St! In August 1903, the Mechanics’ Institute, with the aid of a bullock team, moved the weatherboard to behind their new brick building in Elder St, where it still sits today.

The “Institute Hall”, the old weatherboard building formerly used by the Christadelphians was relocated from Howe St to Elder St in August 1903.

Newspaper Articles

Article Date Event DateNotes
14 Mar 1868
8 Mar 1868
Opening of the New Welsh Baptist Chapel.
21 Apr 1951Closure of New Lambton Lay Methodist church in Rugby-road. Mention that there used to be a Lay Methodist Church in Lambton.
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3 thoughts on “Lambton Churches

  1. I have some information on the Methodist Church (probably Primitive Methodist) which was near my great aunt’s house (130 Elder Street, Lambton) in the 1950s. As I recall, it was just a few doors away from the house. The only picture I can find on line of any church nearby is at 136 Elder Street which looks nothing like it. However, that was probably the right site. If you would like more information, please contact me.

  2. Hi Lachlan,
    I am reading The Story of Lambton and in it there is a photo of the Christadelphian Church. Are you able to let me have the address please as there is none given in the book.
    Many thanks,
    Katrina

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