Photograph by Robin Page. Reproduced with permission

    The year 2001 marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of St John's Anglican Church. However, the Anglican congregation in Heidelberg is some 3 years older than the building.

    From October 1848 we shared the Presbyterian Church building formerly located in Jika Street. A weekly service was held there alternating between Church of England and Presbyterian rites. When not presiding at that service the respective minister was holding a service at some remote outpost of the very large northern district.

     St John's is the third oldest church in what is now the Diocese of Melbourne. Only St James' Old Cathedral and St Peter's Eastern Hill predate St John's. At the time of our founding, Heidelberg, then the village of Warringal, was a very remote outpost of the colony. The vision and generosity of the early landed gentry and the sacrificial giving of smaller donors resulted in the construction of this beautiful church on prime land.

    The first service in the near completed church was a confirmation service on 15th April 1851. The church was consecrated on 8th September 1861. Bishop Charles Perry, the first Bishop of Melbourne played an important part in these services and in the early life of the church.

    The first vicar of St John's was a prominent churchman, Hussey Burgh Macartney who travelled to Australia with Bishop Perry. He was the first of 17 incumbents who have given, (and continue to give, in the person of Don Bellamy) loyal and dedicated service to the Church and to the Heidelberg community. The history of St John's is one of faithful clergy working in partnership with dedicated parishioners. Every person has played a part and the valued 'oldies' of our current congregation have done much to establish, maintain and promote the Church. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.

    Over the years the church has required constant maintenance to keep it in good condition.There have been many restorations, perhaps the most signficant being that in 1965 which restructured the interior and extended the church to its current size. The 20 years prior to this restoration had been a period of major change. Vestry considered abandoning the current site in favour of a more central site in Hawdon Street. A hall was built there and a new church proposed. Had that proposal proceeded this building would have been vacated and possibly demolished at a time when preservation was not high on the community agenda. As St John's strove to manage its own destiny, it also found time to establish other congregations in the rapidly growing Heidelberg district.

    The administration of the sacraments and rites of the church has resulted in over 6000 baptisms, 4000 weddings, and 2000 funerals. The contact with the church of the many people involved in and attending these services has provided vast outreach opportunities. The Church has ministered to these people in many ways, one example being the marriage education programme currently offered by St John's clergy and laity to couples being married at St John's. Active church groups cater for the social and spiritual needs of the congregation and the community. A garden club faithfully maintains our beautiful surroundings.

    St John's is a church with a very long history (in the Australian context) but it has never been a church that rests on past achievements. Our past records show that the constant focus of the congregation has always been the future as St John's adapts to meet the perceived challenges of the next generation. Change is an integral part of our culture, and it is certain to continue in this manner as we strive to proclaim the gospel in our Church, our home, our workplace and in the local and broader community.