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This section contains information mainly about the buildings on the
Christ Church St Kilda site, their past and present,
the history of the parish, and future plans for the site
and the parish.
 The Past
- 23 Dec., 1st Anglican service is held in St Kilda at home
of lawyer H. Jennings.
Government grants land: 2 acres for church, school & clergy housing.
- 1850s Original school house is built, next to the current
vicarage in Acland Street:
operated until the 1940s in one form or another, and burnt down in 1977
- 1851 December: 1st full-time priest for St Kilda, David Seddon, arrived from
England
- 1854-57 Nave of present church is built, the 1st Christian church south of the
Yarra.
- 1855 First vicarage is built on corner of St Leonards Avenue & Church
Square– currently residence of the Bishop of the Southern Region, after
stints as a school, a community health centre and a private residence; the
story goes that a daughter
of the then Vicar died of TB in the 1870s, and prompted by heartbreak and fear
of endemic damp it was decided to build (in 1884) the ‘new’ vicarage – the
current Vicar’s house – next to the church.
Organ, built by William Hill of London, is shipped out to Australia (modified
in 1874 by Geo. Fincham).
- 1863 The church is consecrated (only possible when the building is free of debt)
.
- 1874/81 The church is enlarged – by addition of chancel & vestry – to
the designs of Sydney W. Smith.
- 1913-14 Parish hall is built – now leased to Theatreworks (façade
recently refurbished).
The
Present
The Church
The original material is a rarely-used sandstone from
Point King, Sorrento, brought by punt to St Kilda Beach; soon afterwards
some of the stone was seen to be
deteriorating and had to be replaced; a certain amount of the sandstone used
later on is believed to have come from Barrabool near Geelong.
The interior of the church building is of special interest for its
- spacious chancel, with gallery & chapel screen interchanged in the early
1900s, & nave ceiling with its fine timber joinery
ornate gold leaf stencilling (restored to original design in 1996-8)
- stained glass (Ferguson & Urie, William Montgomery & Brooks Robinson,
et al.) including triangular western rose window (modelled on one such in Lichfield
Cathedral)
- memorial chapel, featuring a reredos mural of St Michael & incorporating
a baptistry with marble font.
The spire proposed for the West entrance was never completed, largely
in the wake of the depression & bank crash of the 1890s which hit St
Kilda hard.
Since 2001, the National Trust has had oversight of a refurbishment & maintenance
program (1st phase over 5 years) for the church & other heritage features
of the site.
[NB Donations to Christ Church via the National Trust are tax-deductible]
Apart from its principal purposes – Sunday & daily liturgical celebrations,
inc. major feasts (Christmas, Easter, etc.), pastoral services (baptisms, marriages,
funerals, etc.), private prayer & reflection (when the church can be opened – theft & vandalism
have been ongoing problems) – the church is used for 3 Narcotics Anonymous & 1
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week; residents’ meetings & civic
occasions; counselling in the Vestry.
Christ Church’s musical life has been & remains rich, in part
because of the excellent acoustic which does not normally require amplification
for voice or instrument.
- Up until the 1950s the choir & the organ were
well-known throughout Melbourne, & were
featured on ABC radio the choir disbanded & the proper use of the
chancel for liturgical purposes is being reviewed; it is anticipated
that the organ
will be re-built over the next few years with a special appeal;
- more recently, the church has been used from time to time for broadcasts,
recitals, dance or drama.
Other Features
The church grounds provide a pleasant ambience for local residents & passers-to
enjoy. They are also used for drug injection/intake, sex, illegal car parking & traffic
thoroughfare, ball games & other activities which jeopardise the
safety or heritage integrity of the site.
The area of the children’s playground is leased to the City of Port Phillip, & was
re-sited and upgraded in 2001.
The Vicar receives up to 70 calls a week at his front door from people
wanting help of various kinds. The Vicarage is also used when needed
for parish and
other church meetings, study groups, etc.
The lack of facilities (toilet & hospitality) was one of the main
drivers for our proposed community centre.
The location of any graves on the Church Square site has not yet been
pinpointed; various individuals versed in local history are helping
with investigations.
The Future
Our new building projects
1999: After careful assessment of community, civic & parish needs,
plans were drawn
up & permits sought from the appropriate bodies to build:
- A mid-site community centre (well-equipped drop-in centre,
counselling rooms/offices & large meeting room), to be run by Christ
hurch Mission Inc [NB donations to Christ Church Mission
Inc are tax-deductible];
- Accommodation units (7-8 people medium- to long-term)
on Acland St.
As of February 2003:
- Construction of the community centre [540 sq.m.], which
began in September 2002, is expected to be completed by
May 2003 (cost $1.45 million);
- The accommodation units will probably be built early 2004 & operated
in harness with Hanover Welfare Services, relying on State/Commonwealth
funding.
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