Bentleigh, VIC - St John's Anglican
Year Built: 1962
Denomination: Anglican
Saint: John
Address: Corner Tucker & Centre Roads, Bentleigh, Victoria, 3204
Architect: Gawler, Churcher & Boardman
Traditional Owners: Bunurong people
Last Updated: 20/07/2024
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History and Architecture:
The land for the church's current location was granted by Mr John Matthew Smith. The original church building was beset by poor workmanship and delays. The foundation stone was laid by Mr W.R. Looker J.P. on Monday 11th October 1872.
The new Church under the charge of the Rev. William Singleton of Cheltenham, was opened in June by the Rev. C. T. Perks, and the Lord Bishop preached there on 22nd of that month. Made of brick, with a small spire erected at the sole expense of John Matthew Smith, Esq. The church was erected principally by the exertions of market gardeners, who not only subscribed liberally but also lent, without interest sums varying from £5 to £20, for the purpose; the sum now due to them is £120."
The current Church is a post-WW2 modernist cream brick church with a truncated A-framed nave, spiky metal steeple, and facade with false arched windows, pebbled wall finish and mosaic tiled spandrels. Erected in 1961-62 to replace an existing church on the site dating back to 1873.
Interior fittings include the three stained glass windows from the old church, full immersion baptismal font, decorative iron grille between Pioneers’ Chapel and choir stall, decorative iron altar rail, timber panelled wall behind the altar, and pendant light fittings in the nave.
The Architect of the current church building was Gawler, Churcher & Boardman.
Clergy:
This list may not contain every serving cleric, past or present, for this church.
Further submissions welcomed.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 - 1875 | Rev William Singleton | |||
| 1876 - 1885 | Rev Henry Plough Kane | |||
| 1885 - 1891 | Rev Thomas Holyoak Rust | 1852 | 1935 | |
| 1891 - 1892 | Rev I. Arthur Priestley | locum tenens | ||
| 1892 - 1895 | Rev A. R. Raymond | |||
| 1895 - 1898 | Rev Charles Henry Barnes | 1863 | 1940 | |
| 1898 - 1905 | Rev David Ross Hewton | 1863 | 1933 | |
| 1905 - 1908 | Rev George A.C. Wade | |||
| 1908 - 1910 | Rev Matthew James Bennett | 1858 | 1927 | |
| 1910 - 1915 | Rev Charles Hedley Raymond | |||
| 1916 - 1920 | Rev Charles A. Brewer | |||
| 1920 - 1922 | Rev Percy John Thomas Edwards | 1851 | 1940 | |
| 1923 - 1926 | Rev F. Brammall | |||
| 1924 - 1924 | Rev Frederick Walter Miller | Reader | 1893 | 1962 |
| 1926 - 1926 | Rev Alfred C. Mills | 1893 | 1983 | |
| 1926 - 1933 | Rev Thomas Smith | 1877 | 1963 | |
| 1928 - | Rev Ernest Wynne Evans | Reader | 1905 | 1933 |
| 1933 - 1933 | Rev Alfred Gamble | 1867 | 1960 | |
| 1933 - 1936 | Rev George Brammall | 1876 | 1941 | |
| 1936 - 1947 | Rev Thomas Henry Watts | 1890 | 1948 | |
| 1940 - 1940 | Rev William Leathbridge | Reader | 1906 | 1985 |
| 1947 - 1956 | Rev William Irvine Fleming | 1898 | 1968 | |
| 1955 - 1956 | Rev D. H. Chambers | |||
| 1956 - 1957 | Rev Lawrence Victor Green | 1925 | ||
| 1957 - 1958 | Rev Leon Lamb Morris | Curate | 1914 | 2006 |
| 1964 - 1965 | Rev Richard Ernest Wallace | 1935 | ||
| 1965 - 1967 | Rev Edward Charles Smith | |||
| 1969 - | Rev John Booth Corby | Asst C | ||
| 1966 - 1971 | Rev Alan Frank Pattison | |||
| 1968 - 1970 | Rev Thomas George Green | Assoc | ||
| 1972 - 1974 | Rev D J. Miller | |||
| 1973 - 1980 | Rev Jack Amos Goodridge | |||
| 1974 - 1975 | Rev Barry Francis Thompson | Asst C | ||
| 1975 - 1977 | Rev Royce Dundas Thompson | Asst C | ||
| 1977 - 1979 | Rev Michael William Potter | Asst C | ||
| 1981 - 1983 | Rev Philip John Higgins | Asst C | ||
| 1981 - 1988 | Rev Kenneth James Hewlett | |||
| 1983 - 1985 | Rev Peter Kenneth Bradley Robinson | Asst C | ||
| 1985 - 1987 | Rev Paul Handle Immanuel Samuel | Asst C | ||
| 1987 - 1988 | Rev Michael Julian Godfrey | Asst C | ||
| 1992 - 1993 | Rev Jennifer Dunn | Asst C | 1947 | |
| 1995 - | Rev Elizabeth Joyce Smith | PiC | ||
| 2019 - | Rev Dr David Powys | |||
| 2024 - | Rev Santa Packianathan | approx date |
Organ:
The Organ was built in 1961 by Hill Norman & Beard for St Luke's Anglican Church, Brighton. Installed present location in 1991 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd. Renovated in 2019 by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd.
For a complete history click here.
Source:
1. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.
2. Cable Clerical Index with permission.
3. Glen Ira Heritiage database.