St John’s Church (1841–1848) is recognised as the earliest extant consecrated church in Western Australia. Its architectural style is described as Old Colonial Gothick Picturesque, a style expressed through:
540 mm‑thick local stone walls quarried from Mount Clarence and Mount Melville
Medium‑pitched gabled roofs originally clad in sheoak shingles
A battlemented stone tower and porch added in 1853, featuring lancet openings, string courses, and blind lancets
The church’s plan consists of two unequal oblongs—the original 1840s structure now forming the nave, with a gallery added in 1852. The unusually thick stone walls meant no buttresses were required, a distinctive structural feature.
Set within landscaped grounds containing mature peppermint trees, the church contributes strongly to the picturesque townscape of York Street, forming a historic focal point alongside St John’s Hall, the war memorial, and Scots Church opposite.
The original St John’s Rectory was constructed in 1850 and expanded in 1875. It is architecturally significant for its rare use of Devonshire cob—a traditional mixture of clay, marl, chalk, gravel, and straw—forming 45 cm‑thick walls.
Key architectural characteristics include:
Single‑storey cob construction (1850) with a brick upper floor added in 1875
A simple, functional form typical of early colonial rectories
A second rectory was added behind the original in the 1980s.