A HISTORIC moment took place in Whitton earlier this month.
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On August 6, the final Mass of thanksgiving for the ministry and mission of St John the Evangelist was held at St John's Anglican Church in Whitton.
St John's is one of five small Anglican churches to be closed and put up for sale due to the declining congregation numbers.
It is not known for sure when the church was built, however it is estimated to be 1890 or 1891.
The first minister was Reverend GRF Nobbs from Norfolk Island and was a descendant of Fletcher Christian of Mutiny on the Bounty fame.
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Riverina Diocesan records show that Reverend Nobbs was licensed by the Bishop of Riverina to be a reader in the District of Narranderra in 1890 and was ordained later.
At first Reverend Nobbs lived in a cottage adjacent to the church until the Rectory was built behind the church in 1898.
The Rectory still exists as a private residence today.
The last minister to live in the Rectory was Reverend Maurice Waugh who was Minister of Barellan and Yenda also.
In 1941 he joined the Army as a Chaplain.
He had been previously rejected because of a hearing problem.
He was killed while serving in New Guinea at Lai in 1945.
Up until 1944 Whitton was a parish of its own before becoming a part of the Leeton parish.
This was before the township of Leeton was developed and Whitton and Narranderra were important trading pastoral centres.
This was the last church in Whitton operating with the Catholic and Presbyterian churches already closed and sold.
