Flinders, VIC - St John's the Evangelist Anglican
Year Built: 1891
Denomination: Anglican
Saint: John
Address: 23 King Street, Flinders, Victoria, 3929
Architect: William Barker
Traditional Owners: Bunurong people
Last Updated: 18/04/2023
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History and Architecture:
After St Peter's Mornington opened, there were more frequent visits to Flinders, and 26 services were held in the School house in 1867 and by 1881 fortnightly services were being conducted in the Mechanics Hall or in private homes by the Vicar of St Peter's, The Rev T Quinton (1875-1888) or one of the Lay Readers, and a Flinders Sabbath School had been opened.
Tenders were called for the erection of the Nave of the proposed Church in accordance with plans already prepared by William Barker, an architect and son of John Barker. No acceptable tenders were received at the September meeting and in November it was decided to postpone calling for more tenders and to buy 18 new hymm books instead! By April, 1889, the tone was more optimistic.
A satisfactory tender of £534 was received from Mr Holloway and he was invited to the April meeting to sign contracts. He was asked to indicate the exact position of the Church building on the ground, but there is no record of a Foundation stone being laid. The building work proceeded during 1891. The Church was dedicated on Thursday, 28th January, 1892 by the Archdeacon of Melbourne, the Venerable Theodore Stretch, assisted by the Rev Newport White and Mr J Greenwood, Reader for the Parish (who had replaced Mr Johnstone) in the presence of a congregation of 100 people.
The Church was designed by architect William Barker and constructed in brick in the Gothic style. The original building consisted of nave of four bays, western porch and a small sanctuary.
The building contract was let to J. Holloway of Dromana. Bricks were ordered from Mr Bayne of Shoreham. A Vicarage was built a few years later, and a garden designed for the church around 1924.
Clergy:
These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 - 1869 | Rev J Glover | From Mornington | ||
| 1869 - 1873 | Rev T Abraham | From Mornington | ||
| 1873 - 1874 | Rev T. C. Campbell | From Mornington | ||
| 1874 - 1888 | Rev Thomas Quinton | From Mornington | 1847 | 1935 |
| 1888 - 1889 | Rev Alfred Rashleigh Stackhouse | From Mornington | 1854 | 1896 |
| 1889 - 1894 | Rev B. N. White | From Mornington | ||
| 1894 - 1895 | Rev Arthur Allnutt | From Hastings | 1848 | 1930 |
| 1895 - 1901 | Mr P. J. Edwards | From Hastings | ||
| 1902 - 1907 | Rev J. G. Swan | From Hastings | ||
| 1907 - 1909 | Rev Harry Joseph Harvey | From Hastings | 1865 | 1950 |
| 1909 - 1912 | Rev B C.A. Eva | From Hastings | ||
| 1912 - 1914 | Rev Cyril Herbert Eva | From Hastings | 1885 | 1948 |
| 1914 - 1922 | Rev F. E Watts | From Hastings | ||
| 1922 - 1924 | Rev F Evans | |||
| 1924 - 1934 | Rev S Cragg | |||
| 1934 - 1940 | Rev E H.W. Eldridge | |||
| 1940 - 1943 | Rev W. A. Walters | |||
| 1943 - 1948 | Rev G. E. Shaw | |||
| 1948 - 1952 | Rev Kenneth Paul Goodisson | 1900 | 1984 | |
| 1952 - 1956 | Rev Bruce Herbert Reddrop | M | ||
| 1956 - 1961 | Rev Horace Alphonso Hall | 1907 | 2002 | |
| 1961 - 1965 | Rev Reginald James Gorrie | 1923 | ||
| 1965 - 1980 | Rev H Chapman | |||
| 1980 - 1984 | Rev K. M. Purdie | |||
| 1984 - 1988 | Rev A Weston | |||
| 1988 - | Rev George Frederick Sansom |
Organ:
The Organ was built in 1874 by Douglas Renton. The organ has a long history, with earliest records dating back to 1874 when it was installed at the Presbyterian Church, Williamstown and opened there with a sacred concert on 22 January 1874 Installed in the present location in 2005 from Elsternwick Baptist Church. It has 1 manual, 9 speaking stops, 1 coupler, mechanical action.
A full description and photos can be seen here.
Source:
1. Church web site
2. Victorian Heritage web site.
3. The Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist Flinders 1892 - 1992. 283.9452 CAR
4. Organ Historical Trust of Australia.