so overcrowded that some had to be turned away and others didn't even show up. The Governor at last conceded to the architect Shinnon's plan to provide 600 pews. In 1829, the work on the new church still hadn't started and the temporary one was falling into disrepair, the Graaff-Reinet Ring sent a notice to the Governor asking to use the old Drostdy as a place of worship. The Governor approved the request, and on his arrival that September, the Rev. Morgan and elder Hart reiterated the need for a dedicated building. They later reported back to the Council that the Governor would be willing to grant a £700 loan to the congregation and convey their requests to London. The request was granted, and therefore the congregation, using the loan and member contributions, began building. First on September 6, 1830, the blueprint was approved by the church with a 75 x 40 ft interior (23 x 12 m, or 276 m²), 20 f (6 m) height, and 2.5-ft (0.75-m) thick walls. The tower was to be 16 x 16 ft (4.89 x 4.89 m) in area. A door and four windows would be furnished each on the front and back sides. The masonry foreman was a Mr. Sandilands from Graaff-Reinet and H. Waldeck was contracted for R25 to haul 800 ft (244 m) of board from Kowie Bos. Bandits were dragooned to help with construction. Keystone laid The keystone was finally laid on December 25, 1830. The date the church was consecrated is lost, but it eventually was though with great difficulty, given that notes of the church council meeting on September 2, 1833 have elder Hart asked why construction progress was going so slowly. A David McMaster was contracted to build the pews, but they were still unfinished by July 1837, when the council threatened him with a fine. It was decided that each member would pay for their own pew once the money charged to McMaster was exhausted. The pews were divided into three classes from front to back of the church. The most expensive cost R3/yr, the middle ones R2.5/yr, and the cheapest in the back R2. The donation drive was aimed toward an opening on January 1, 1834. In the early years, two services were held each Sunday, one in Dutch and on in English, until around 1846, when the St. Andrew's Uniting Presbyterian Church opened