Wayville . Wekewauban House. Built around 1900 for Richard White the manager of the Australasian Implement Co a subsidiary of Harris Scarfe. Became a bible college then Wesleyan theological college. Now a Uniting Church retirement home.
Wekewauban House Wayville now Parkin Wesley Retirement home.
This fine colonial home was built around 1900 for Richard Henry White a manager of Harris Scarfe department store. His wife named it Wekewauban meaning “house of light” from a North American Indian word. She and her husband were Methodists. Richard White was born in Cornwall in 1854 and migrated to South Australia around 1874. In 1878 he joined the staff of Harris Scarfe department store and within a short time (1885) he was the manager of one of their subsidiary companies the Australasian Implement Company which produced machinery for farmers. White was a generous man and at the urging of his wife Emily White they donated Wekewauban House to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. But they had founded the institute in SA and let it use Wekewauban from 1912 when the inaugural meeting of the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute was held in Wekewauban. The house was built of freestone in federation style. It is built into the banks of Brownhill Creek with a downstairs semi basement area with fine red brick arches with sandstone keystones. The façade has two bay windows with enclosing verandas and the roof has a round widow’s lookout with a spire in Queen Anne style. Richard Henry White died in 1929 and his estate was valued at £19,400 for probate. He also left property to the value of £14,500 outside of South Australia. A major legatee was his wife as they had no children. He also left a small donation to the Port Adelaide Central Methodist Mission. The bulk of his estate was left to the Wesley College and to a White Scholarship fund for that college. Emily White died in 1939.
In 1926 the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute incorporated with the Methodist Church and transferred the property to them for use as a theological college. The Wesley College theological college of Brighton transferred its students to Wekewauban House in May 1927. An alliance was then made with the Parkin Theological College run by the Congregational Church in 1930. From 1950 the Wesley College began sharing staff and resources with the Baptist theological college of Northgate Street Unley. In 1968 the college became the Parkin Wesley College for the training of Congregational and Methodist ministers. In the 1990s Parkin Wesley College closed as it amalgamated with all the churches of South Australia to form an ecumenical theological college affiliated with Flinders University. The former Wekewauban House then became a Uniting Church retirement village.
Charles Alexander of Tennessee formed a partnership with John Chapman of Indiana in 1907 to take evangelism into the streets of the world. The pair toured Australia in 1909 and after their Australian tour of 1918 Mrs White decided eventually donate her house to them. The Alexander Chapman Bible Institute only operated from 1912 to 1926 at Wekewauban House. The house was made over to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. John Chapman died in 1918 after the world tour and Charles Alexander died in 1920.
Wayville . Wekewauban House. Built around 1900 for Richard White the manager of the Australasian Implement Co a subsidiary of Harris Scarfe. Became a bible college then Wesleyan theological college. Now a Uniting Church retirement home.
Wekewauban House Wayville now Parkin Wesley Retirement home.
This fine colonial home was built around 1900 for Richard Henry White a manager of Harris Scarfe department store. His wife named it Wekewauban meaning “house of light” from a North American Indian word. She and her husband were Methodists. Richard White was born in Cornwall in 1854 and migrated to South Australia around 1874. In 1878 he joined the staff of Harris Scarfe department store and within a short time (1885) he was the manager of one of their subsidiary companies the Australasian Implement Company which produced machinery for farmers. White was a generous man and at the urging of his wife Emily White they donated Wekewauban House to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. But they had founded the institute in SA and let it use Wekewauban from 1912 when the inaugural meeting of the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute was held in Wekewauban. The house was built of freestone in federation style. It is built into the banks of Brownhill Creek with a downstairs semi basement area with fine red brick arches with sandstone keystones. The façade has two bay windows with enclosing verandas and the roof has a round widow’s lookout with a spire in Queen Anne style. Richard Henry White died in 1929 and his estate was valued at £19,400 for probate. He also left property to the value of £14,500 outside of South Australia. A major legatee was his wife as they had no children. He also left a small donation to the Port Adelaide Central Methodist Mission. The bulk of his estate was left to the Wesley College and to a White Scholarship fund for that college. Emily White died in 1939.
In 1926 the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute incorporated with the Methodist Church and transferred the property to them for use as a theological college. The Wesley College theological college of Brighton transferred its students to Wekewauban House in May 1927. An alliance was then made with the Parkin Theological College run by the Congregational Church in 1930. From 1950 the Wesley College began sharing staff and resources with the Baptist theological college of Northgate Street Unley. In 1968 the college became the Parkin Wesley College for the training of Congregational and Methodist ministers. In the 1990s Parkin Wesley College closed as it amalgamated with all the churches of South Australia to form an ecumenical theological college affiliated with Flinders University. The former Wekewauban House then became a Uniting Church retirement village.
Charles Alexander of Tennessee formed a partnership with John Chapman of Indiana in 1907 to take evangelism into the streets of the world. The pair toured Australia in 1909 and after their Australian tour of 1918 Mrs White decided eventually donate her house to them. The Alexander Chapman Bible Institute only operated from 1912 to 1926 at Wekewauban House. The house was made over to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. John Chapman died in 1918 after the world tour and Charles Alexander died in 1920.