About the Parish
Clergy
Church Location
Parish Directory
Parish Diary
Baptisms Weddings & Funerals
History
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St Paul's, in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Burwood, is a parish of the Diocese of Sydney within the Anglican Church of Australia. As a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, we recognise the historical role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as its nominal head.

Worship at St Paul's follows the form and traditions of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church within the Anglican Communion. It is a form of worship practised by Anglicans in most Australian and overseas dioceses, and one that has been passed from one generation to the next at St Paul's.

This form of worship, sometimes referred to as "High Church", is based on traditions established during the 2000 year history of Christianity. It is centred on the sacraments, particularly the Holy Eucharist, while stressing the importance of Holy Scripture, preaching the good news of the Gospels, prayer and personal devotion.

As the service Our Lord Jesus himself gave us and commanded us to continue, the Holy Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday to provide us with spiritual nourishment and deepen our faith so we are able to serve God and commit our talents to furthering His Kingdom. Therefore, we do everything to ensure the liturgy is conducted with dignity, reverence and love, and is relevant to the Sunday of the liturgical calendar.

At St Paul's our worship is supported by a fine choir, excellent organists, dedicated laypeople who participate as servers, Eucharistic assistants, readers and intercessors, and a team of experienced bellringers who call our parishioners to worship. Our Christian beliefs are also demonstrated each year through the cycle of the Church's seasons and festivals honouring Christ's life, death and resurrection, as well as commemoration of the Saints.

Our clergy take great care with the conduct of baptisms, marriages and funerals and are always available for spiritual counselling and advice, as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

A wide variety of people have made St Paul's their spiritual home, where we come together to worship God, give thanks for our salvation in Christ and share in Christian fellowship. They include parishioners who live locally, as well as others who, attracted by the traditional liturgy, glorious church music and welcoming spirit, travel quite long distances to worship here.

We hope that all who join us at St Paul's will find peace, beauty, spiritual comfort, wonder and inspiration. May each of us know the joy and blessing of worshipping and serving the risen Christ. 

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Rector
Reverend Dr James Collins

Fr James was inducted as the Ninth Rector of St Paul's on 9 February 2011. The Parish welcomes him and his wife, Helen, with all wishes for a richly blessed ministry in the community of Burwood. Fr James may be contacted via the Church Office.

Reverend Father John Hawkins

Assisting Priest
Reverend Jim Pettigrew Th L

For more information about our clergy, please see our new page here.

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Saint Paul's Anglican Parish Church
205 - 207 Burwood Road, Burwood

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Assisting Priests: 

Father John Hawkins 

Father Jim Pettigrew Th L

9747 4327
Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm
office@stpaulsburwood.anglican.asn.au

Church Wardens Emeritus:

Barry Brandy 9744 9696
Keith Lane 9807 3307

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St Paul's is known as a beautiful, joyous, peaceful and dignified church with a welcoming spirit.

If you would like to arrange a baptism, wedding or funeral at St Paul's, please contact our Rector, Fr James at the Church Office on 9747 4327.

For more information on weddings click here

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On this page you can read about the history of the parish of St Paul's.

Saint Paul the Apostle
Origins of the St Paul's parish
The Church Building
Recent Restoration Works
The William Davidson Organ

Our patron saint, Saint Paul the Apostle, was together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries. According to the Acts of the Apostles his conversion took place as he was travelling the road to Damascus.

Fourteen epistles in the New Testament are traditionally attributed to Paul. Saint Paul's influence on Christian thinking has probably been more significant than any other New Testament author.

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For almost 140 years, the Parish Church of St Paul's, Burwood has been a place of committed Anglican worship and ministry, housed within one of the architectural landmarks of Sydney's inner west.

The Parish of St Paul's, Burwood was originally part of the Parish of St Thomas', Enfield. St Thomas' was consecrated in 1849 and had been the place of worship for Burwood Anglicans since that time. By 1871, however, parishioners of St Thomas' had decided to form a building committee in order to construct a church specifically for the Burwood area. The Rector of St Thomas', the Reverend Richard Young, together with a committee of Burwood laymen, commissioned the renowned church architect Edmund Blacket to design and build the church that was to be dedicated and known as St Paul's Church, Burwood.

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The church building of St Paul's is a superb example of the work of Edmund Blacket. Dedicated priests and parishioners have cared for the church down the years such that its beauty remains undiminished.

The Foundation Stone of St Paul's was laid on 29 July 1871. The first section of the church to be completed was the Nave, which was opened for worship in April 1872. Ten years passed before the chancel and transepts were brought to completion and opened on 1 July 1882. In 1883, a small choir vestry was added, which was later enlarged in 1904.

In 1883 Edmund Blacket died, his burial taking place in the churchyard of St Stephen's Anglican Church in Newtown. Like St Paul's, Blacket had built St Stephen's in 1871.

The structure of St Paul's was completed in 1924 with the addition of the tower, designed by Ernest Lindsay Thompson, the tower base having been in place since the 1880s. The tower remains the home of a peal of eight bells that were dedicated on 3 April 1960. Thompson also designed the stone fence along Burwood Road, constructed one year after the tower in 1925. The columbarium wall was built after World War II.

The fabric of St Paul's is Sydney sandstone, rendered into a decorated Gothic style building. The church is cruciform in shape, aligned east west, and stands on the highest point in Burwood. Its windows sport a variety of tracery and provide the framing for a spectacular array of beautiful stained glass. The tower stands out as a landmark of the Burwood district, and the building as a whole is very much part of Burwood's heritage.

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In more recent times it became necessary to undertake repair and restoration works upon the fabric of St Paul's. Heritage grants, as well as the generosity of parishioners and friends of the parish, have meant that all these works have been carried out with great success.
 
First, the William Davidson organ (see below for more information) required extensive refurbishment, both mechanical and cosmetic, in order to recapture its full potential as an instrument and a work of art. The organ was successfully recommissioned in early 2006 and is once again in almost daily use, for worship, practice and performance. 

In 2007, the tower too required extensive repairs, both to its sandstone capping and to its wood louvres, which had fallen victim to the attentions of flocks of native birds. Though no small undertaking, the sandstone features were removed, reinforced and replaced, and the wood louvres substituted with metal, though still in keeping with the style of the building. 

In 2009, work was undertaken in connection with the most recent Heritage grant, with the restoration of stone work on the East Windows and other stained glass conservation works.

With such works behind and some still to come, St Paul's continues to stand as a tribute both to the vision of Burwood's pioneers and the enduring commitment of its priests and parishioners, both past and present. In spite of the vicissitudes of two World Wars, the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s, and the challenges of the present, still today St Paul's functions as a place of faithful and joyful Anglican worship.

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Click here to read about our magnificent William Davidson organ.

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