No. 1526 - Cuckoo - St Aidan's Anglican Church (1921)

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Cuckoo is a small isolated settlement on the northern side of Mount Maurice about 10 kilometres west of Scottsdale. It was a timber harvesting area and in the early part of the 20th century two sawmills operated in the area. The settlement once had a public hall, a school and an Anglican church.

Anglican and Methodist services were initially held in the public hall which was built in 1915. In 1921 an Anglican church was built at Cuckoo. In October the North-Eastern Advertiser reported the ceremonially laying of the church’s foundation stone by Bishop Robert Hay:

“The new church at Cuckoo, to be called St. Aidans, is already well advanced, thanks to the energies of working bees and donation of timber from Messrs J. A. Gofton & Co. and Mr J. Gofton Senr. Mr Thos. Easterbrook rendered valuable service, in conjunction with Mr Chas Taylor, in laying the brick foundation of the building in readiness for the ceremony on Saturday.

The ceremony, which commenced at 8 o'clock, was attended by the representatives of the church at Cuckoo, and a nice number from Scottsdale. Afternoon tea was provided by the ladies, and a cake stall was responsible for an additional sum of money to that contributed by the visiting and local church people.

The service was opened, with the singing of the hymn 'The Church’s One Foundation’ and after the stone had been “well and truly laid” the children processed past, and each little mite made a contribution towards the erection of the House of God. The adult church people followed, and the sum of £7 was contributed. The Bishop made a stirring appeal for interest in the welfare and progress of the new edifice. He congratulated them all on their successful effort and impressed them with the value of their church as a witness and a means of fellowship….”.

There is no record of when the church was completed or of its official opening. Being a simple timber structure it is likely that it was in use before the end of 1921.

Regular Anglican services were held at Cuckoo until 1926 when the news about the church inexplicably ends. There is no information as to what became of the building after this date. The Methodist community remained active at Cuckoo until the 1940s and continued to worship in the public hall.

The North-East Advertiser, October 1921



Sources:

North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 15 August 1919, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 25 October 1921, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 9 June 1922, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 12 September 1924, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 9 January 1925, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 9 November, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 8 October 1926, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 21 August 1942, page 2




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