about Christ Church
about Christ Church
We at Christ Church acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and in particular the Wauthaurong people, as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which
this Church and its buildings now stand; and we acknowledge our gratitude that we share this land today, our sorrow for the costs of that sharing, and our hope that we can move towards
a place of justice and partnership together.
a brief History of Christ Church
Christ Church is the
oldest Anglican Church in Victoria in continuous use on its original site,
and the parish pre-dates the Diocese of
Melbourne. From 1841 a group
of laymen led by Henry
Tyssen and later
Sir Charles
Sladen
(first Treasurer of
the Victorian Colony) strove to found a church in the Geelong region.
The parish was founded on 7 October 1843 when
the Bishop of Australia,
William Grant Broughton, laid the foundation stone at
the north east corner of the present nave.
A parsonage and schoolhouse, serving as a
temporary church, were built in 1843 but it was not until 1846 that the first Vicar, The
Revd. Ebenezer Collins, was appointed. The Church was opened and dedicated on 27
June 1847 and the enlarged church was consecrated on 25 October 1859.
Believed to be the only extant example of Victorian church commissioned by Bishop Broughton (Bishop of Australia), it is the only one in Victoria designed by the celebrated colonial architect E.T. Blacket. It was enlarged in 1855 by the addition of the transepts and sanctuary, whilst the organ chamber (1925) and the vestries (1970) were later exterior additions. The exterior is of Barrabool freestone, pleasant to the eye, but liable to deteriorate , and in 1879 the top 4.5 metres of the tower were replaced. More that a century later, restoration work is again urgent!
From 1844-72, the Parish had its own primary
school, sections of which remain on the site. In 1869, The Geelong School of
Design, a precursor of the
Gordon Institute, began in the
School Room. The parish primary school later
came under the auspice of Geelong Grammar as Bostock House, thus completing the
considerable contribution of the parish to eduction in Geelong.
During this time
Geelong Grammar School
was established and used Christ Church for its chapel until moving to Corio
in 1914. Remnants of the school can still be seen behind the Admiralty Motel (in
McKillop Street).
Christ Church has
been given an A Classification by the National Trust,
is classified by the Historic Buildings Council of Victoria, and is listed on
both the Victorian Heritage register and Commonwealth Register
of National Estate. Christ Church is aesthetically
significant for its stained glass windows, particularly those
by
Ferguson and Urie, which demonstrate the early development of Australian stained
glass design. Christian Waller
(wife of artist Napier Waller) designed one window (pictured far left) and also
in 1942 completed a large mural on the west wall of the Church (at left, in the
centre), one of only two of her recorded murals. The striking and highly
distinctive interior stained glass windows are described on the Victorian
Heritage Register as being of “immeasurable historic
significance”.
Christ
Church Archival Records - Christ Church holds archival records of
baptisms, weddings and funerals (and other parochial records) dating from its foundation in the 1840s
to the present day,
and these represent a unique picture of the contribution of Christ Church to the
development of community life and Anglicanism in Geelong. These
records and details can be important parts of personal and family history. The Parish
Archivist, Judy Goy, is available to assist with searching and locating
personal or family records from the Christ Church Archives. A fee for searching
is charged. Judy can be contacted via the
Parish Office.
Restoration
and Maintenance
Due to deterioration of the external stonework, restoration work continues to be urgent. The heavy cost of maintaining an old building
is borne by the freewill offerings of members of the congregation and by donations from well-wishers. Your help, too, would be appreciated.
If you would like to contribute to the cost of maintaining this historic church, please contact the Vicar via the Parish Office.
