Box Hill, VIC - St Andrew's Uniting

Year Built: 1867

Denomination: Uniting

Saint: Andrew

Address: Corner Whitehorse Road & Bruce Street, Box Hill, Victoria, 3128

Previous Denomination: Presbyterian

Architect: Chandler & Patrick

Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri people

Last Updated: 11/03/2023

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History and Architecture:

The first Presbyterian Church Service was held on 6 February 1867 by the Rev W Rolland. By 1887 a Theological student by the name of Alex Walker was engaged to run services at both Box Hill and Surrey Hills.

The original site for the first church was Court Street and a wooden building was opened in July 1889. A larger weatherboard church was built in 1911 at the corner of Whitehorse Road and Bruce Street.

The church was known as the Box Hill Presbyterian Church until April 1912 when it was changed to St Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

By 1932 a brick church was planned but was not built as the Presbyterian Assembly offered Box Hill a Gothic bluestone church in West Melbourne which was no longer used for worship. This church was designed by architects Chandler & Patrick. The Congregation accepted the offer and so the church in West Melbourne was demolished and erected and opened in 1935 in its original form, though slightly smaller. The stained glass windows, its fine pipe organ, and the furnishings from West Melbourne were installed in the new building.

A Gothic church in rough dressed bluestone, which is a remodelling of that designed by Smith & Watts and built in 1866-67 as the Presbyterian Church, West Melbourne, with a tower modelled upon St Botolph, Boston, Lincolnshire.

In 1935 the building, modified in its dimensions, and with the south front and tower redesigned, was re-erected at Box Hill. The architects in conjunction were John Scarborough, of Scarborough, Robertson & Love, and Hugh Craig, of Craig, Reynolds & Garrett, and the removal of the building was the most difficult task of the kind yet attempted in Australia.

Clergy:

These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.

Years Name Annotation D.o.B D.o.D
1887 - 1889 Rev A. Walker P
1889 - 1891 Rev G. Paul P
1891 - 1901 Rev James Patton M.A. P
1901 - 1904 Rev W. Strachan P
1904 - 1920 Rev John Copeland Coutie B.A. P 1920
1920 - 1926 Rev P. L. Forster P 1963
1926 - 1932 Rev J. McAlister B.A. P
1932 - 1955 Rev A. Houston P
1955 - 1965 Rev Stanley Wallis Ray P
1965 - Rev William John Billington P
2020 - Rev Paul Ryu U
2020 - Rev Joseph Kim U

Organ:

Built in 1882 George Fincham for Presbyterian Church, Lonsdale Street, West Melbourne; installed present location in 1935. The Organ was rebuilt in 1952 Hill by Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd (o/n V255). For a full history click here.

Source:

1. A Tale of Two Churches. J Stanley Martin.
2. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.