Murrumbeena, VIC - Baptist

History and Architecture:

The Church has been meeting in Murrumbeena since 1890.

In 1907, with an eye on future expansion of the church facilities, negotiations took place to acquire adjacent vacant land fronting Sydney Street.  A “beautiful and commodious Sunday School hall” was erected thereon, officially opening in February 1916 (Oakleigh & Caulfield Times 11/03/1916:4).  In 1925, a Building Fund was established on the expectation that a new church would eventually be erected, although money raised was diverted to repairs on the existing building.  The proposal to replace the old church gained further impetus after the appointment in 1929 of a new minister, the Reverend Ivor Hopkins, who initiated a Building Committee.

The current Church is in a stark post-WW2 modernist style, erected in two stages to the design of the same architect, Eric Lyon (formerly of Smith, Tracey, Lyon & Brock).  The older portion, fronting Murrumbeena Road (1961-62) is a tall hall-like structure with zigzag roof, narrow copper spirelets and a façade of angled bays, while the rear addition (1967) is a smaller hip-roofed wing; both components have rose windows to the Sydney Street elevation, with coloured glazing. The significant fabric is defined as the exterior to the entire building to the extent of the original 1961-62 building and the 1967 addition.

A Foundation stone reads, " This Building was opened to the Glory of God and to the extension of his Kingdom and dedicated by the President of the Baptist Union of Victoria Rev John Morley M.A. Dip Ed on 25rh November 1962".