A brief history of St Stephen’s Church Warrandyte

Bishop Charles Perry (first Bishop of Melbourne) set about organising Missions to the goldfields with ministers Rev John H. Gregory and Rev John Cheyne who were ordained specifically, to conduct services in the goldfields. Subsequently these ministers held a church service on Sunday 17th August 1851, in a tent of Messrs Louis John Michel and William Haberlin, who made the first Gold discovery in Victoria (30th June 1851) in the same year at Anderson’s Creek now Warrandyte. 

In 1856 a Church of England school was established at Anderson’s Creek. By 1865 the population had increased and the need for a church caused the Government to grant land in Stiggant St. 

In 1869 the Victorian Government Gazette announced “Warrandyte, site for Church of England”. Until the first church was built in about 1870 services were conducted by Lay Reader, George Armstrong and held in the home of Henry Frencham in Tills Drive, Warrandyte from 1868-1870.

On Sunday 16th September 1906 at 3.40pm the newly built church of St Stephen’s Warrandyte along with the small Sunday school building (see image below) was opened and dedicated by the first Archbishop of Melbourne, Henry Lowther Clarke. Cost was £200 with a small credit balance of about £10 (including the offertory at the opening service) which was used for carpet in the chancel. Prior to 1906 the church was called St Peter’s Anderson’s Creek from its inception in 1870.

In 1932 a new Sunday school building was built replacing the old 1906 building. Archbishop Frederick Waldegrave Head dedicated the building on Sunday 11th September 1932. It was destroyed, seven years later in the Black Friday bushfires of 1939.

In 1939 the Church was all but destroyed by bushfire, including the adjoining Sunday school building. A new church building was built in 1939 (see image below). On Sunday 3rd November 1940 at 3pm the Archbishop of Melbourne, Frederick Waldegrave Head dedicated the new St Stephen’s Church/Hall, designed by well-known architect, Louis Williams. 120 people attended the service. Williams designed it as a modular building to enable future extension, which occurred in 1991. Built by Mitcham builder F. A. Robertson for £530.

A Hall was purchased and moved to the site in 1955 and in 1961 contractors extended it, the part which is called the Large Hall today. Plans were drawn up, permission granted by the Archbishop-In-Council, tenders called and let to Mr McCann costing £1,273. It was later dedicated on Sunday 10th February 1963 by The Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Rev Tom William Thomas.

 In 1971 St Stephen’s Warrandyte with the Church of Emmanuel Park Orchards became a new separate parish and the Vicarage was built. A Memorial garden was started in 1978. It was dedicated later on Sunday 16th September 1979 by Bishop James A. Grant at our 110th Anniversary Service.

The parish has a great history of lively CEBS and GFS groups, which ran for about 23 years. Many locals have special memories of their weddings and baptisms in the little church. In 1989 a small George Fincham and Sons, 4 Rank Chamber, Electronic Pipe Organ was purchased, creating a unique sound within the church.

The current church building is the result of extensions completed in 1991, (see image below) which included moving the Communion Table to the opposite end of the church and the installation of the lovely clear windows behind it.

On Sunday 16th June 1991 at 3pm, an Opening and Blessing Service of the Extension and Renovations to St Stephen’s Church was conducted by Bishop of the Central Region, Robert Leopold Butterss. 175 people attended the service. The blue stained glass windows in the side vestibule were installed in 1993.

 Previous Lay readers and Vicars

Lay readers: (1868-1873) - Mr George Irwin Armstrong (1874) - Mr Charles Andrew (1875-1878) - Mr John Rich Walker (1877-1879) - Mr George Frederick Matthews (1879-1881) - Mr Clifden Henry Eager (1881-1885) - Mr William Parkes (1885-1886) - Mr Albert Edward Peate (1887-1888) - Mr Alexander Maxwell (Later Ordained) (1889-1900) - Mr George Hollow (Later Ordained)

Vicars: (1900-1902) - Rev George Hollow (1902-1903) - Rev Herbert Stanley Hollow (1903-1904) - Rev George Aubrey Calder Wade (1905-1908) - Rev Arthur Rufus Raymond (1908-1913) - Rev Edward Halford Hennell (1913-1919) - Rev Charles John Peterson (1919-1924) - Rev Hugh Harrison Gardner (1924-1926) - Rev Athenry John Whyte (1926-1927) - Rev Alfred Reynolds Sinclair, Locum Tenens (1927-1929) - Rev Athenry John Whyte (1929-1930) - Rev Charles Hudson (1931-1934) - Rev George Alfred Morphett Cerutty (1934-1945) - Rev Harvey Langford Ebbs (1945-1953) - Rev Francis Ellerker Lewin (1953-1956) - Rev Hilary Alfred Warner Bishop (1956-1960) - Rev Ronald Frederick Adams (1960-1966) - Rev David Brooke Warner (1966-1971) - Rev David Houlden Chambers (1971-1975) - Rev William ‘Roger’ Featherston (1975-1980) - Rev Gordon ‘Bruce’ Avery (1980-1985) - Rev Jeffrey Alan Berger (1986-1991) - Rev Russell Stuart Joyce (1991-2007) - Rev ‘Garry’ Edward John Garrett Gason (2010-2011) - Rev Canon Alan Nichols, Locum (2012-2013) - Rev Megan Curlis-Gibson (2014-2019) - Rev Maria Brand-Starkey (2020- - Rev Mark Simon Hanson