Christchurch - Malacca

A little bird told me........


The Christchurch,was once situated within the fort walls of the A Formosa. It was the former Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church). To the Dutch people of Malacca, the church was simply known as the Benedenkerk, meaning the "Church down the hill"
Build to commemorate the centenary of the Dutch occupation in Malacca, construction began in 1741. It took workers a staggering 14years to build this magnificent new Church, finally completed in 1755.
The Christchurch is a simple rectangle, 82ft long, 42ft broad and the ceiling is 40ft above the ground. The ceiling beams were each cut from a single tree and they support the span of level ceiling.
The robust pews were hand crafted in 1753 and each pew was "owned" and reserved for a particular family.

In 1838, the Dutch church of Malacca ceased to be the Dutch Reformed Church and the Bishop of Calcutta, in India consecrated the church to the rites of the Church of England with the consent of the Malacca Dutch community. It was renamed the Christ Church. However, ownership of the church continued to be held by the Malacca Dutch community in the name of its trustees.

During the Dutch rule , it was painted white. However in 1911, the Christ Church and the Stadhuys were painted red by the British.

ref: History of the Dutch in Malaysia - Dennis De Witt

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