Toora, VIC - St Thomas' Anglican (Former)
Year Built: 1892
Denomination: Anglican
Address: 7 Dutton Street, Toora, Victoria, 3962
Architect: Smith & Johnson
Traditional Owners: Bunurong and GunaiKurnai people
Last Updated: 05/01/2023
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History and Architecture:
The family of Edward Charles Lousada was prominent in life at this church in the period 1908-11, and the Truscott family was also active.
A Historical marker outside the church reads, In November 1889 Mr Stanley Sheppard donated land on which it was proposed that a brick church be built at a cost of 500 pounds. The Bishop of Melbourne laid the foundation stone for the church on February 19th,1892 and after much fund-raising by the Toora Church of England community the final section of the building was completed and officially opened on Monday December 5th, 1892.
In 1903 another round of fund-raising occurred in order to build an 18 foot brick extension and porch. This work was completed in June 1910. In 1912 the vestry was enlarged to serve as a. meeting place for various societies and in February 1914 electric light replaced the gloom of the old kerosene lamps.
The Church was designed by Smith and Johnson and constructed in two stages in 1892 and 1910, and the Parish Hall designed by Mr Uebergang and constructed by Mr S Mann in 1932.
The first stage, constructed by W Benn, was opened by the Bishop of Gippsland, the Rt. Rev. FF Goe, DD, MA on 5 December, 1892. He was assisted by the Revs. HA Betts of Tarraville, and CJ Chambers of Foster, and Mr WJ Elvery.
The Church was put up for sale in July 2022.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 - 1888 | Rev H. A. Betts | From Tarraville | ||
| 1888 - 1894 | Rev C. J. Chambers | From Foster | ||
| 1894 - 1895 | Rev Harry Joseph Harvey | 1865 | 1950 | |
| 1895 - 1898 | Rev T. A. Stephenson | |||
| 1898 - 1902 | Rev G. Merrick Long | |||
| 1902 - 1905 | Rev Herbert Thomas Fowler | 1871 | 1942 | |
| 1905 - 1908 | Rev Eustace Vernon Wade | 1877 | 1967 | |
| 1905 - 1908 | Mr E. J. Rodgers | Lay Reader | ||
| 1905 - 1908 | Mr A. E. Adeney | Lay Reader | ||
| 1908 - 1912 | Rev Cecil Leslie Crossley | 1882 | 1959 | |
| 1908 - 1912 | Mr H. Raverty | Lay Reader | ||
| 1908 - 1912 | Mr Harold Owen Watson | Lay Reader | 1882 | 1946 |
| 1912 - 1918 | Rev A. J. Smith | 1880 | 1965 | |
| 1912 - 1918 | Rev Leslie Sawtell | Curate | 1888 | 1948 |
| 1918 - 1922 | Rev Harold Owen Watson | 1882 | 1946 | |
| 1922 - 1924 | Rev L Sawtell | |||
| 1924 - 1929 | Rev A. J. Maher | |||
| 1929 - 1935 | Rev Frank Herbert King | 1875 | 1949 | |
| 1935 - 1937 | Rev G. C. Lovegrove | 1900 | 1969 | |
| 1937 - 1943 | Rev Albert Ethelbert Clark | 1892 | 1975 | |
| 1943 - | Rev A. Sutton | |||
| 1944 - 1948 | Rev Thomas William Hewlett | 1900 | 1979 | |
| 1948 - 1954 | Rev William Leathbridge | 1985 | ||
| 1954 - 1960 | Rev L. M. Pengelley | |||
| 1961 - 1962 | Rev T. C. Ames | 1965 | ||
| 1963 - 1972 | Rev Charles Dewar Haughton Pilkington | 1908 | 1978 | |
| 1972 - 1976 | Rev J. Brown | |||
| 1976 - | Rev J. W. Hudson | |||
| 2020 - | Rev Tim Fletcher |
Organ:
No information currently available. Submissions welcomed.
Source:
1. Light and Life A History of the Anglcan Church in Gippsland