3 September 1850 Scots Church

The foundation stone of Scots Church was laid on 3 September 1850 by the Reverend John Gardner and opened for worship just over a year later under the name of Chalmers Church in memory of the late Reverend Dr Chalmers, Moderator of the First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. The change to Scots Church came some 80 years later. The building was criticised for its ‘austerity’ and its ‘rather unsightly appearance’. Because of shortage of funds compromises had to be made and the roof was covered with shingles rather than tiles and the planned steeple had to wait. The tall, elegant spire, added in 1856, was deemed to complete the building giving it a much more pleasing appearance. An English bell given by Sir Thomas Elder, was placed in the steeple and an iron roof replaced the shingles. In the 1890s the church gained an organ and imported stained glass windows. It is the last surviving Presbyterian Church in the city erected before the Union of 1865 and is a pleasant feature of North Terrace.

Max Lamshed, Adelaide Sketchbook, Rigby, 1967. p.46