By Michael Doran
St. Pauls Anglican Church in Yarra Glen will celebrate its 130th birthday on 11 November and has issued an open invitation to the community to attend.
St. Pauls Yarra Glen has had a long association with St. Johns in Healesville, which opened in 1870. Clergy from Healesville travelled by horse and buggy to officiate at services in Yarra Glen, Steels Creek and Christmas Hills.
The earliest known European settlers to the Yarra Flats district were the Ryrie brothers, arriving in 1837 and by 1886 the population had swelled to nearly 300.
A meeting was held at the Yarra Flats Hotel in July, 1886 to discuss building an Episcopalian Church in the town on land donated by Mr.Woolcott, a Melbourne solicitor.
The church was completed in 1887 at a cost of £300 and could hold 300 people. It was officially opened on 19 April 1888 by the Bishop of Melbourne, Rt. Rev. Dr. Goe and two years later the town would change its name to Yarra Glen.
When a ‘splendid site was procured in the middle of town’ in 1897, the church was moved about 1 kilometre by a team of horses, aided by the downhill gradient to the new site.
The new site was so exposed to fierce north winds that by 1938 it had developed such a distinct lean that standing stays were installed. These had to be further reinforced in 1950 by Messrs Sadlier and Lawrence.
In the Black Sunday bushfires of 1962 the church was saved by the local CFA brigade and its beautiful stained glass windows kept intact. These windows commemorate the three McLeod brothers who died at war.
Leslie and Alexander died in World War 1 and Othel (known as Keith) in the Second War. The two older boys attended Sunday school in Yarra Glen whilst their father, also Alexander, was the town’s resident police officer.
The theme chosen for the 130th anniversary celebration is ‘Looking back, looking forward with the Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Barker preaching.
The celebrations encompass great music, stories, puppets, drama and afterwards an afternoon tea. The church extends a warm welcome to all who would like to come along, with the service to be led by Locum Minister, Rev. Graeme Sells.
For more information or to RSVP contact Peggy Marriner on 0403 228150 or Brenda Cawte on 9730 1801.
