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Christ Church Melton Home
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Our History |
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| Background | 1840-1869
| The
Captain Moonlight Period |
1870-1880 | 27th October 1872|
1890's |
1900-1920 |1920-1954|
1960-Present |
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| 27th June 1897 | The Rev'd. F.W. Gibb records that an afternoon Service to celebrate the Diocesan Jubilee was held, 34 members being in attendance with an offering of one pound one and threepence. |
| 20th March 1897 | He also held a Temperance Sunday with 35 in attendance. |
| 27th March 1897 | The first regular evening, services commenced with 26 worshippers. |
| 23rd October 1897 | Hospital Sunday was observed. |
| 5th January 1899 | Golden Jubilee Celebrations of worship in the district. |
| 23rd April 1899 | Harvest Festival was observed. The Sunday School hall was built in 1899, it is now the Opp-Shop in the current Church. An organ was also purchased in that year. |
| 1st January 1901 | The Rev'd. J.W. Prentice records a special Service to commemorate the inauguration of the Commonwealth Of Australia. 36 people were in attendance on this occasion. |
| 27th January 1901 | A Commemoration Service for the death of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. |
| 2nd February 1901 | A Service was held for the burial of Queen Victoria. |
| 10th August 1902 | A Celebration Service for the Coronation of His Majesty King Edward VII. |
| 2nd September 1902 | Kneelers were first used in a worship service. |
| 29th May 1903 | Whitsunday, a dedication of the Captain Tom Staughton Memorial Window by his widow. 58 in attendance at a Morning Service. |
| 3rd October 1903 | The foundation Stone for the new Chancel was laid by Mrs. Staughton the widow of popular MLA Tom Staughton. He had died earlier in the year of peritonitis at the age of twenty seven. Canon Henry Lowther Clark, the new Archbishop Of Melbourne, signed the Register. Also present was the Prime Minister Of Australia Mr. Alfred Deakin who was also the Federal Member for Ballarat. The Chancel. completed in 1904, was designed by architect W.A.M. Blackett. |
| 1906 | The Parish of Christ Church Melton separated from it's Mother Church. Holy Trinity Bacchus Marsh. |
| 1907 | A weatherboard Vicarage was erected. This building housed Vicars until 1954 and was demolished in 1985. |
| 15th April 1909 | A Confirmation service was conducted by Archbishop Clark. |
| 27th September 1911 | Confirmation was again conducted by Archbishop Clark. Services were also commenced at Melton South in this year. |
| 1912 | Saw the installation of eight acetylene lamps in the Church. |
| January l9l7 | Services commenced at Sydenham West. It was recorded that a horse and buggy were donated by the parishioners to the Vicar to assist his transportation. |
The call of King and Country came in 1914-1918. Men of the Parish who volunteered are perpetuated on a memorial tablet which is located in the Narthex of the Church.
| 1923 | The Melton South Primary School No.3717 was established. |
| 1939 | The following summary is an extract of the Annual Reports: "65 Services conducted at Melton, 21 at Melton South, 10 at Exford, 10 at Mount Cotterill, 3 at Rockbank and 3 at Toolern Vale." |
| 1940 | Electricity was connected to the Church as a result of a bequest. |
| 1947 | The 75th Anniversary Service for the Parish was attended by Lady and Sir Edmund Herring. |
| 1954 | The last resident Vicar of the weatherboard Vicarage, the Rev'd. W.G. Vizard departed. Returning us to the fold of Bacchus Marsh. This arrangement was maintained until 1971. |
| 1968 | The future of the bluestone Church became a discussion agenda at Vestry Meetings. |
| 1970 | Plans for a new vicarage were proposed. |
| 1971 | The restoration of the bluestone Church was deferred due to costs estimated at approximately $150,000.00. |
| 1972 |
Centenary of the Consecration of the Bluestone Church Centenary Consecration Service and Information Booklet (pdf 1.1MB) The Young Wives Group was formed, called Caritas, an arm of the Mother's Union. The Vicarage was completed in November, in time for the induction of the Rev'd. Christopher Shields. |
| 1973 | Saw the review of the old vicarage and its usage. |
| 1975 | The bluestone Church continues to deteriorate; increased movement in the foundations enlarges the visible cracks in the walls. |
| 1976 | The old vicarage is renovated to a functioning Sunday School, Meeting Rooms and Vicar's Office. |
| 1977 | The Sunday School Roll records 100 attendee's. |
| 1978 | A new Organ was purchased. Work on a Memorial Garden was commenced. |
| 1980 | The Vicarage was fully paid for. |
| 1981 | Discussion commenced on a possible new worship centre. The bluestone Church was deteriorating rapidly. |
| 1983 | The plans for a new worship centre were publicly displayed. |
| 1984 | November saw the laying of concrete foundations for a new worship centre. The Diocesan Engineer and Architect have by now declared the bluestone building dangerous for occupancy. Archbishop Penman conducted a Confirmation Service in the building at which pieces of plaster from the ceiling of the Sanctuary fell upon his person. Following this event the layout of the Church was reversed so as to conduct services from the western end of the building. |
| 1985 | 11th
August saw the dedication of the new worship centre. Dedication Service for New Worship Centre (pdf 1.3Mb) Local newspaper article on Worship Centre (pdf 650kb) Church Scene article about Worship Centre 23/8/1985 (pdf 345kb) The weatherboard Vicarage was demolished. The new worship centre is fully utilised |
| 1987 |
Playgroups are established. After-School programs are commenced. |
| 1990 | The
Church Army commenced a Youth ministry in the Parish. Captain
Bruce Ollington Church Army Officer.
Youth Linkage, a ministry to youth on the streets. Y.A.C-P.A.C. (Young Adult Christians with a Personal Awareness of Christ) ranging in ages from 12 to 16. Conquerors. (Older Sunday School children Bible Study Group) Emmaus a 16 to 22 year old discipleship group being a few of the initiatives undertaken during the ministries of Captains Bruce Ollington and David Woodyard. |
| 1993 | July 23rd saw the dissolution of Christ Church Restoration Steering Committee. This committee had explored many avenues towards preservation of the bluestone building. Unfortunately time and economics were against their endeavours. |
| 1994 | The Shire of Melton took out a Make Safe or Demolish Order against the bluestone building. The Shire engineers stating, that the west wall was now freestanding. If it were to fall the debris line would be inside Melton Primary School Playground. The building, was demolished in May. The stained class windows went to St.Matthews Albury. All memorial plaques, tablets and stones have been kept and will be incorporated into the proposed Memorial Garden. |
| 1996 | Saw the completion of the Memorial Garden. |
| 1997 | Saw the restoration and erection of all memorabilia from the bluestone building incorporated into both the new worship Centre and the Memorial Garden. The west garden was further developed through installation |
Ministers of Christ Church
| October 1868 | A.G. Scott. Licensed Layreader |
| June | The Rev'd. F.W. Henry Cooper |
| 13th June 1869-1872 | The Rev'd. John Gorlick |
| 16th June 1872-1879 | The Rev'd. A.J. McCausland |
| 1879-1897 |
The Parish was incorporated into the Parish of Holy Trinity Bacchus Marsh |
| March 1897-1901 | The Rev'd. Frederick H. Gibbs |
| July 1901-1902 | The Rev'd. H.B. Hewitt |
| January 1902-1903 | The Rev'd. Frederick William Rettie |
| November 1902-1903 | The Rev'd. Stanley Cragg |
| January 1904-1905 | The Rev'd. C.L.H. Cox |
| January 1905-1906 | The Rev'd. S.E. Maxted |
| May 1906-1911 | The Rev'd. A.S. Dendy |
| May 1911-1915 | The Rev'd. Perry Martin |
| August 1915-1917 | The Rev'd. J.H. Allen |
| April 1917-1918 | The Rev'd. F.S. Love |
| September 1918-1919 | The Rev'd. George B. Rogers |
| September 1919-1927 | The Rev'd. A.R. Cambell |
| April 1927-1929 | The Rev'd. H.L. Kendell |
| May 1929-1930 | The Rev'd. D.D. Carruthers |
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1930-1937 |
The Parish was incorporated into the Parish of Holy Trinity Bacchus Marsh |
| October 1937-1939 | The Rev'd. C.J. Nash |
| July 1909-1941 | The Rev'd. Frederick. Moling |
| October 1941-1944 | The Rev'd. L.K. Dentith |
| March 1944-1947 | The Rev'd. Colin J. Cohn |
| January 1948-1952 | The Rev'd. W.G. Vizard |
| 1952-1962 |
The Parish was incorporated into the Parish of Holy Trinity Bacchus Marsh |
| 1962-1967 | The Rev'd. Phillip Adkins |
| 1967-1973 | The Rev'd. John (Jack) Goodridge |
| 1972-1974 | The Rev'd. Christopher Shields |
| Sept. - Dec. | The Rev'd. John McGlashan |
| 1975-1979 | The Rev'd. George Knack |
| Sept. - Nov | The Rev'd. Donald Palmer |
| 1979-1986 | The Rev'd. Roy Gabb |
| 1987-1992 | The Rev'd. Lynton Wade |
| January 1993- Sept 2001 | The Rev'd. Robert Norman Presland |
| Sept - Dec 2001 | The Rev'd. Lance Lawton (Locum) |
| 18 Dec 2001 - present | The Rev'd Bruce Ollington |
| 11 May 2003 - present | Trevor Bell - Community Pastor |
Researched by Mrs Carolyn
Mac Gavin.
Information obtained from Preachers Register Christ Church Melton 1868-1962.
1962-1996 Mrs J.A. Bilszta. The 1997 Presedent of Melton District Historical
Society.
"Melton: Plains of Promise" by Joan Starr.
"Christ Church Melton. 1872-1972" A Parish Booklet.