members and declared a green ban on the project, thus saving the building. By the mid 1970s, the small congregation, devoted itself to renewing the life of the parish and began restoring the church and Pilgrim House. In 1977 it became part of the Uniting Church. There have been several attempts to demolish the building. Restoration work was carried out in the early 1980s with a grant from the Heritage Council of New South Wales and again in 1989 and 1996. The church building description The exterior is an example of late Old Colonial Georgian Classical design. The facade to Pitt Street is sandstone, symmetrical with monumental Ionic columns rising through a two-storey, supporting cornice and balustraded parapet. Columns flank pedimented windows on ground floor and central door, with windows lighting the galleries above. Access to the building is via a shallow flight of stairs and narrow podium. The remaining walls are of brick. Galleries supported on cast iron fluted columns, run around the interior walls. The central pulpit and platform are approached by twin cast iron railed stairs. All the fittings are of local cedar. The building was designed by English-trained John Bibb (1810–1862) who in 1832 joined John Verge, one of the leading architects in Sydney, as an assistant. It was enlarged between 1857 and 1867, but the architect of this work is unknown. This included the internal galleries, resting on fluted iron columns cast by Dawson of Sydney, and the vestry to the rear. During the 1960s the church fell into disrepair, but the loss of the building altogether was prevented by a ban imposed by the Builders Labourers Federation in 1973. Some basic work to bring the organ back into use was carried out in 1974 by Pitchford & Garside: in 1982 the firm commenced a staged restoration project with Kelvin Hastie as consultant and this was assisted by a NSW Heritage Grant. Modifications and dates 1867 – new central pulpit and platform installed Historical figures Many prominent citizens of Sydney were associated with the church and the walls are covered with memorial plaques that give a commentary on the life of the church itself. Notable members of the congregation have included David Jones (founder of David Jones Limited), John Fairfax, Rev. John West and Rev. Joseph Coles Kirby. In 1951, Hilda May Abba was ordained at the church, the first woman ordained as a theological