Essendon, VIC - St Thomas' Anglican
Year Built: 1859
Denomination: Anglican
Saint: Thomas
Address: 760 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon, Victoria, 3040
Architect: Unknown
Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri people
Last Updated: 26/02/2024
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History and Architecture:
On 14 March 1857 a grant of 1.5 acres was made to St Thomas Church Moonee Ponds for the erection of a church and vicarage. In the same year a ceremony took place at the corner of Mt Alexander and Pascoe Vale Roads when the foundation stone was laid by the Govenor of Victoria Sir Henry Barkley.
St Thomas's building committee minute book of 1853 to 1865 reveals that the first meeting of this body took place at Farmers Hotel Essendon on Tuesday 15 November 1853.
Due to the efforts of the Building Committee and the love and devotion of the Vicar, the foundation stone of the Church was laid in 1857, completed and opened for worship by 1859, and consecrated in 1862, by which date it was free of debt. An organ was purchased and dedicated on 2nd October 1879.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 - 1878 | Rev E. D. Puckle | |||
| 1879 - 1884 | Rev W. W. Mantell | |||
| 1884 - 1888 | Canon J. Caton | |||
| 1905 - 1908 | Rev D. M. Berry . West | |||
| 1908 - 1918 | Rev W. Hancock | |||
| 1918 - 1934 | Canon Baglin | |||
| 1934 - 1955 | Rev C. H. Raymond | |||
| 1935 - 1936 | Rev Robert Campbell Findlay | Curate | 1903 | 1989 |
| 1953 - 1955 | Rev Alan Neil Appleby | 1927 | 2016 | |
| 1956 - 1960 | Rev G. Harmer | |||
| 1959 - 1961 | Rev W. G. Nicholson | Asst | ||
| 1961 - 1967 | Rev G. Muston | |||
| 1961 - 1969 | Rev Robert William Dann | Asst | 1914 | 2008 |
| 1963 - 1965 | Rev Peter Frederick George | |||
| 1966 - 1967 | Rev John Waldron Taylor | Asst C | 1940 | |
| 1968 - 1971 | Rev Philip Adkins | |||
| 1971 - 1981 | Archdeacon R. Deasey | |||
| 1972 - 1973 | Rev Bruce Euan Hansford | Asst C | ||
| 1973 - 1974 | Rev P. J.H. Adan | Asst | ||
| 1976 - 1977 | Rev J. R. Hunter | Asst | ||
| 1980 - | Rev John Nicholas Temby | Asst C | ||
| 1982 - | Rev T. Morgan | |||
| 1984 - 1988 | Rev P. J. Newman | |||
| 1988 - | Rev Lindsay Kendrick Barklay | Asst | ||
| 1988 - 1993 | Rev T. W.G. Brown | |||
| 2016 - | Vicar Vanessa Bennett |
Organ:
An Organ was installed in October 1879.
Source:
1. St Thomas Church Essendon 125th anniversary of Church building. 1859-1984. LTP 283.9451S25S
2. Australian Anglican Church Directory 2000