Camperdown, VIC - Presbyterian

History and Architecture:

A Heritage board at the front of the Church reads, " The first building on this site was a timber church built in 1871 for the then Wesleyan congregation, which had met in the Temperance Hall since 1867, The Church was built at a cost of £177/5/6 by Mr 17 Cameron. The parsonage was designed by Michael McCabe and built by McLean & Fewbell at a cost of £6208/10/- in 1898. After the Wesleyan and Bible Christian Churches united under the banner of Methodism in 1896 a new Church, large enough to house both congregations, was planned.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid on 21st January 1900 before a large crowd Including many dignitaries, all entertained by the Brass Band. Architect G B Leach of Melbourne and local builders McCrae & Husband the contractors. Total expenditure on the building being £1,226. The original church and parsonage facing Brooke Street remained with the new church facing Campbell Street. Opening celebrations of the red Mick and cement rendered building in the Romanesque mode took place in May 1904. Features include the simple gable roof form being clad with Marseille pattern terracotta tiles and the buttressed wall plan adorned with rough-cast banding and medieval mouldings the front rendered gable surmounted by four foliated pinnacles and flanked by unusual square capped and banded piers. A Diocletian window is placed high in this gable wall and a hove a squat archarded vestibule with three round headed windows decorated with foliated pressed cement work. The narrow side windows are capped with circular lights with amber glass Ming used throughout. Internally the trussed and purloined ceiling is lined with diagonal red deal panelling.

The original timber church was then used as a Sunday school hall, later moved to become the Jancourt Hall. A new Sunday School hall was built in in 1957. When a new brick parsonage was built to the east side of the church in 1963 the old parsonage was sold and moved to Bostockb Creek.

The Methodist and Presbyterian congregations merged to form the Uniting Church in 1977. Parishoners who chose to continue the Presbyterian denomination in Camperdown net for worship for some time in local halls. In 1981 this church was purchased from the Uniting Church, renovations were done and Presbyterian services commenced on 22/11/1981. In 1996 a new hall. kitchen and entrance foyer were added to the church building to assist in the worship and fellowship of the congregation and general community.

A Foundation stone reads, "To the Glory of God This stone was laid by the President of the Conference the Rev E.S. Bickford 21st January 1904".