St George Church
Penang Beautiful Heritage Landmarks

History of Farquhar Street: At eighteenth century road, Farquhar Street was known as as Penang Road as appeared in the early George Town map of Lieutenant Governor George Leith.

St George Church Penang – The Grand Dame of South-East Asia Anglican Church

·       The popularity of Christendom's St. George is far-reaching and  touching the religious as well as the secular. Churches named after him are found in many parts of the world,including the historic city of George Town, Penang .St.George has also served as a fountain of inspiration to writers, artists and musicians. The most famous depiction of St George church was his battle with a ferocious dragon.

From its early days

·       The church was built in 1816 with the help of The East India Company.

·       The inspiration behind the formation of St George church was credited to  Reverend Robert Sparke Hutchings, a well known educationist and Robert Smith, an engineer and landscape artist.

·       Rev. Hutchings contributions towards the development of Penang  from an educational perspective are significant.

·        He founded the Penang Free School and wrote what were  considered the first books on Malay grammar.

·       Building commenced at a cost of about 60,000 Spanish dollars( it is quite a huge sum in those days)

Ministry

·       Former British Governor of Penang Colonel John Alexander Bannerman’s daughter later married at the church that was constructed during her father’s term. Janet Bannerman’s marriage to Governor W.E. Philips Esq on June, 1818, was the first marriage ceremony for St. George’s

·       Under the guidance of Rev. Hutchings, the church grew in popularity first among the members of the British colonialists and then among the locals.

·       Church services at the St George church were resumed after the fall of the Japanese Empire.

·       Today,services in English are held twice every Sunday,8.30am and 10.30am.

 The church's architecture

·        Captain Robert N. Smith of Madras Engineers was design the Georgian Palladium architecture of the church.

·        His work consisting of an impressive series of oil-painted  landscapes of Penang are now permanent exhibits at the Penang State Museum.

·        He illustrated the church in a hybrid architectural style described as
'Georgian Palladium'-  combination of:

-'Georgian', a style of architecture characteristic of Kings George I and IV    (1714-1830)

-'Palladium', named after the Grecian-styled architectural works of a Roman named Palladius

·        Without a doubt the huge Grecian columns lined outside the front entrance are the most striking feature of the church’s architecture.

·       The brick structure has a solid plastered stone base. When the occupants realised that the original Madras-style flat roof was unsuitable for the climate in Penang, a gable shaped roof was built in its place.

These days, mass is still conducted here every Sunday morning. Non-Christian couples who have fallen in love with the historical church often arrange for their wedding photographs to be taken in the compound while many Christians take great pride in exchanging their vows in a church that epitomkises eternity.