ST WERBURGH’S CHAPEL

“Architecture is the biggest unwritten document of history”

Frank Gehry

The St Werburgh’s Chapel was consecrated on 21 June 1874 and it is located 9 km south-west of Mt. Barker in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. The built is a very unique example of a church designed in the Victorian Rustic Gothic style,  and a fine example of this style. The Chapel is very rare as the only church of cob construction in Western Australia and a rare surviving example of a cob building in this State, and provides a bench mark site for the efficacy of this material over time. It is one of very few surviving churches in Western Australia, originally built on private property by the landowner, and the only such place where church and cemetery continue to be in use. This place is a particularly picturesque element in the landscape and demonstrates the self sufficient lifestyles of the early settlers of the state and the importance of their spiritual practices. St Werburgh’s Chapel and cemetery contribute to the Mount Barker community's sense of place, especially those who are Anglican, and it is a well known tourist attraction.