Memorial Chapel | The King's School
By Peter Xia
About Our Chapel
The King's Memorial Chapel is a beautiful chapel in Gowan Brae, the King's School. The students and staff of the school are all encouraged to come to the chapel every Sunday and go to important events that the school celebrate every year. The Memorial Chapel consists of sandstone bricks and is covered with a wooden roof. It has spectacular colour windows, symbolising the values of the school and remembering old boys that have passed away in war with knights and soldiers.
History of The King's School's Chapel
On October 21, 1887, on the former campus on Parramatta's O'Connell Street, the King's School's Memorial Chapel's foundation stone was set. A school chapel had long been a goal of the headmaster at the time. After receiving numerous donations from those who support the chapel's construction, work finally began on the chapel.
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On February 6th, 1889, the Consecration of the Chapel was held. Many boys and their parents attended the King's School chapel's opening ceremony. The Chapel was much smaller than it is now, around half the size, and the end of the chapel was closed off by a wooden wall. In 1908, the Chapel's wooden wall was removed and an extension was added. Following the expansion, the Chapel began to look like the structure we see today.
On the 10th of June, 1922, the WWI Memorial was finished. It was constructed to commemorate and honour the boys who died while fighting in World War 1. Numerous Old Boys joined the ANZAC army and fought hard and fearlessly in the war. Sadly, many died and their families were shattered.
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As a result, the names of those boys were carved onto the walls of the Chapel. The King's Headmaster at the time was motivated by the courage of his boys, so he resigned and joined the war as an artillery officer, where he fought with his students in the war.
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In the late 1940s and the 1950s, a famous sculptor, Daphne Mayo, built the WWII Memorials for the King's Boys who died fighting for their country. The knight statue we see today was created to symbolise their bravery. The Memorial is situated on the left side of the Chapel walkway and the names of the Boys who died were carved there.
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On the 23rd of April, 1972, the Chapel, alongside the school was moved to the place where it stands today, in Parramatta, Western Sydney. The Chapel is currently next to the White Oval. An interesting fact about the Chapel would be that the chapel was moved stone by stone to its current location, however, one piece of brick was not used after the transportation.
Significant Features of the Kings Chapel
Windows
All of the windows were donated by families, friends and community members. 3 of them were donated by the Milson family to commemorate the death of their son. They are a Christian family and believe that their son will resurrect with Jesus at the end of time. Many of the windows have knights as symbols of bravery.
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WWII Memorial
A sculptor named Daphne Mayo designed the knight statue in front of the names of boys carved into the block. There is also a small mouse within the carvings, symbolising the "mouse" of the church and telling people to be quiet and listen carefully in the church.
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Baptism Font
The Baptism Font was donated by the Bettington family as one of their sons drowned in the river, and they felt that it would be a good idea for them to donate a baptismal font.
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Communion Table
The communion table is where people gather in harmony to celebrate what God has done for them, sending his one and only son to the world, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
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Lectern
The lectern is the shape of an eagle. This represents our thoughts and prayers rising up towards God. We are proud to have this inspiring and meaningful symbol of faith in our chapel.
Info on the Memorial Chapel and the King's School
Why a Chapel?
Most Chapels are places where Christians come together to commemorate the excellency of our God and thank him for what he has done for us. The King’s School's Memorial Chapel is a place of harmony between Christians and non-Christians where they learn about the Christian Doctrines and understand the concept of Christianity with the help of Christian staff and students.
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Chapel Services:
Chapel Services include weekly praying to God on Sundays and yearly events, for example, would be of memorials and Christian Holidays. Services can also occur when weddings of old boys happen. In Chapel Services, many people come together to learn something or to attend something important for the school or for the world from a Christian viewpoint.
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Significant Events and Special Services:
Memorial Day services, weddings for old boys and teachers, and unique events are all celebrated at the chapel. Boys are invited to the chapel at any time and sometimes, compulsory attendance for significant events may also happen.
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Community Use:
Members of the King’s community can ask for the use of the Chapel for something that they believe is important for the school or for the world. They may request wedding services or other personal use such as the sharing their thoughts on what God has done in their life. Many weddings were held at the school by Reverend Edwards, who hosts events for the community.
The Importance of Christianity at The King's School
Christianity is one of the most essential assets to Western Society, and The King’s School wants to preserve this tradition. The King’s School is one of the oldest schools in Australia, and most of its headmasters were reverends and Christian teachers. Our school teaches its students in a Christian way of education, where Chapel attendance and Biblical Studies are mandatory and essential parts of the school’s curriculum. The Christian Community of the King’s School is made up of Christians and non-Christians who respect and value Christian values.
What is Christianity & What is the gospel?
What is Christianity?
The King's School is a Christian Community - a school that provides its students with education on Christianity and encourages students to be more involved in the Christian Community. However, the big question is: What is Christianity and why does it matter so much?
Christians believe that there is one God, who is three in one, the father, the son and the holy spirit. Christians believe in the gospel, which is the belief that Jesus is the son of God and he died to relieve the sins of the world so that if you believe in him, you shall not die and have eternal life. The Bible tells us this in the Gospel of John, 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christians also believe and study the Bible, they believe that it is the word of God and that all of the scriptures are from God.
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What is the Gospel?
The King's School utilises all seven values found in the Bible. The seven values are: Responsibility, Respect, Honesty, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence and Gratitude. These values are found throughout the Bible, and they are the foundation of the school's Christian heritage. The meaning of 'Ora et Labora' is also significant to the daily lives of the King's Students. The term 'Ora et Labora' means in Latin “pray and work.” This is one of the most important mottos in the King’s School. The school encourages its students to pray and work hard every day. Praying can increase spiritual "health" and help students to become closer to God in the Christian tradition. The school strongly encourages its students to try their best academically and in co-curricular activities as one of the school’s values is Responsibility - to be responsible for everything you do. The gospel is found in many places in the King's School, including the Biblical Studies Classes, the CRU club and the weekly Chapel Services.
