St George's Anglican Church in Koo Wee Rup

This was the original design for St George's Anglican Church in Koo Wee Rup.  The tower was never built and doors were added to the front, rather than having a side entrance. The Architect was Louis Williams of the firm North and Williams. Williams also designed the Finlay McQueen Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lang Lang in 1936 and the St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, also in Lang Lang, in 1959 (1). 

An effective design for  small church - Koo Wee Rup Anglican Building

The Herald, June 4, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242678982

The text which accompanied the above illustration was - Our illustration shows an effective design by Messrs North and Williams, for a small church. It is being used in the erection of St. George's Anglican Church, Koo-wee-rup, the foundation stone of which was recently laid by Dr. A. W. Pain, Bishop of Gippsland. The nave of the church is to be built first, at a cost of £567, and it is expected to complete the full plans in the next two years for a total outlay of £1200. The Rev. Noel Danne is the priest of St. George's (2).

The same illustration appeared on the cover of Architecture magazine a year later, in May 1918.

The original design for St George's Anglican Church

Image: Architecture: an Australasian review of architecture and the allied arts and sciences. 

Vol. 3 No. 5 (1 May 1918) via Trove.

The same issue also had the following photograph of the entrance with the double doors. 

West front of St George's Anglican Church

Image: Architecture: an Australasian review of architecture and the allied arts and sciences. 

Vol. 3 No. 5 (1 May 1918), p. 128 via Trove.

The first Anglican service in Koo Wee Rup was held on October 7, 1897 by the Cranbourne vicar, the Reverend H. Hitchcock (3). Cranbourne vicars continued to hold services in the area until 1905, when the town became part of the Lang Lang District (4).  For some years services were held at the Presbyterian Church (5), and later the school. In 1915 the parishioners decided to build their own Church and a building committee was formed under Clarence Adeney, a parishioner and the manager of the local London Bank (6).  

The foundation stone of St George’s was laid by Bishop Pain, the Bishop of Gippsland, on May 1, 1917,  before a large gathering of the residents from Koo Wee Rup  and Lang Lang districts. After the ceremony the Bishop opened the annual Flower Show (7). 

On September 1, 1917, the Cranbourne Shire Engineer reported to Council that the Anglican Church at Kooweerup has been completed and complies with all the necessary requirements, so would recommend the council to grant its approval (8). 

The Church was dedicated on December 7, 1917 by the Bishop of Gippsland, The Right Reverend George Cranswick. The next week the Lang Lang Guardian had this report -
Koo-Wee-Rup
On the afternoon of Friday, 7 December, the Bishop of Gippsland, the Right Rev. G. H. Cranswick, officiated at the dedication of St. George's Church here. There was a full congregation. Amongst the visiting clergy present were:- Revs. A. Adeney (Morwell), G. H. White (Korumburra), R. Hamilton (Wonthaggi), Backholm (Bunyip), B. T. Syer (Drouin), and the local clergyman Rev. Danne. The secretary to the church, Mr C. A. Adeney, read a petition from the board of guardians asking the Bishop to dedicate the church. 

After singing "O God our help in Ages past" the Bishop started from the font, then went to lectern, chancel steps, and communion table, before which different members of the clergy read appropriate chapters from the scriptures. The Bishop afterwards delivered a helpful address from the text "I was glad when they said unto me, I will go into the house of the Lord." During the service the choir rendered the anthem "The Lord is in His Holy Temple," Mrs Hudson accompanying at the organ. 

Immediately after a baptismal service was held. At night there was an overflowing congregation when 20 persons - 11 males and 9 females - were confirmed. The Bishop gave a fine address to the congregation on the meaning of confirmation and to the confirmees he delivered a message from the text "Thy grace is sufficient for thee." A collection in aid of the home mission fund was taken up.

After the service, Mr C. Adeney, manager of the London Bank, entertained the clergy. During the stay of the Bishop in the district, he was the guest of Messrs N. Bennett, J. Carton, F. Smethurst, of Yannathan, and P. Einsiedel of Monomieth (9).

The Anglican Church closed in 2012 and the congregation moved to the Uniting Church.

The Anglican Church, c. 1940s

See the rest of the photographs in this series, here.

The Church in October 2010

Image: Heather Arnold

Footnotes

(1) Cardinia Local Heritage Study Review - Volume 3: Heritage Place & Precinct citations. Final report, revised December 2020. Prepared for the Cardinia Shire Council by Context P/L.   https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/408499/C249card-Cardinia-Local-Heritage-Study-Review-Vol-3-Heritage-Places-and-Precinct-Citations-Revised-Dec-2020.pdf

(2) The Herald, June 4, 1917, see here. 

(3) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968) p. 166)

(4) Clark, Albert E. The Church of our Fathers:  being the history of the Church of England in Gippsland, 1847-1947 (Diocese of Gippsland, 1947), p. 264

(5) Gunson, op. cit., p. 166.

(6) A short history of St George's Koo Wee Rup, 1917-1997. This is a booklet published by the Church in 1997. 

(7) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, May 10, 1917, see here.

(8) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, September 6, 1917, see here.

(9) Lang Lang Guardian, December 15, 1917, see here.

Round About Iona 1922

The Advocate of November 16, 1922 had a special pictorial coverage of Iona, see it here.

This is the article, I have reproduced each photo, below.

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

The Catholic Church, Iona. 

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

St Joseph's Catholic Church was officially opened on December 16, 1900.  

The existing church was opened April 14, 1940.

The Convent School, Iona.

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

The school was housed in the Columba Hall, which officially opened on October 28, 1906. The existing hall was opened October 21, 1928 after the original building burnt down. A purpose built school was erected at Iona and opened on November 26, 1960.

The Convent, Iona.

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

 The Convent, built to accommodate the Sisters of St Joseph was officially opened April 11, 1915

The Presbytery, Iona.

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

The Presbytery opened sometime between June and December of 1905

Pioneers' Hall, Iona. 

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

The Hall opened  April 26, 1895 and was demolished maybe the 1940s. 

I have written about the Hall, here.

The Iona Pioneers' Hall Committee. 

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

Back row - left to right - W. Kraft, J. Dowd, W. Browne and C. Grummich. 

Front row seated - R. Grummich, O. Kavanagh and C.J. Donald.

Sources:

• Call of the Bunyip: history of Bunyip, Iona and Tonimbuk, 1847-1990 by Denise Nest (Bunyip History Committee, 1990)
• 100 years of a faith community: St Joseph’s Iona 1905-2005 by Damian Smith (St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 2005) 

The 1910s - a spiritual decade for Iona

 The 1910s was a very spiritual decade for the small township of Iona (or Bunyip South as it was originally called) as two churches were built in the town - in 1900 the Catholic Church and in 1908 the Presbyterian Church.

Catholic services had taken place in the area since the permanent settlers had arrived from 1892. These services were held in private houses, Kavanagh’s Iona store and the Pioneer Hall which had opened in 1895.

On December 16, 1900 the Catholic Church was opened by the Very Reverend M. J. Maher, C.M, and Fr Maher was assisted in the function by the pastor of the Dandenong mission, in which the new church is situated (Rev. J. Gleeson) according to The Advocate of December 22, 1900. The report went on to say the building is of wood and is considered very good value for the sum of £250, the contract price. The preacher concluded with an appeal on behalf of the debt on the new structure, and a generous response was made, the sum £48 being received.

Damian Smith, in his book 100 years of a faith community: St Joseph’s Iona 1905 -2005 writes that the church was built by Charles Pearson of Bunyip and it was 40 feet by 25 feet and could accommodate 350 people. The church was dedicated to St Joseph.

Catholic Church, Hall and Presbytery at Iona.

 Image from 100 years of a faith community: St Joseph’s Iona 1905 -2005 by Damian Smith (The Author, 2005)

The next major building project for the Catholic community was the erection of the Presbytery (the house where the Priests live). It was built at a cost of £725 sometime between June and December of 1905, for the newly appointed Parish Priest, Father James Byrne. Two other significant events happened in 1905 - the Parish of Iona was formed; the area was previously part of the Catholic Parish of Dandenong. The other event that happened was that Bunyip South officially changed its name to Iona in July of 1905, even though, according to articles in the local papers, the area had clearly been known as Iona from around 1901 and the Iona Riding of the Shire of Berwick had already been named.

The Columba Hall, was officially opened on October 28, 1906. The event was celebrated by a concert and a ball, both of which were well attended. This Hall was destroyed by fire on December 26, 1927. A new brick hall (the existing hall), was opened October 21, 1928. The last building in the ‘Catholic precinct’ at Iona was the Convent, built to accommodate the Sisters of St Joseph. This was officially opened April 11, 1915. The existing St Joseph’s Church was opened April 14, 1940.

The Presbyterian Church at Iona, St Johns, was opened in February 1908. Here is a report from the Bunyip and Garfield Express of February 18, 1908.

The Scotch folk are again to the front and are to be congratulated for their enterprise in building a new kirk at Iona which reflects great credit on all who have had anything to do with the building of it and is decidedly an acquisition to the district. The opening services were conducted by the Rev J. Downey, M.A, B.B., of Warragul who preached suitable sermons for the occasion to large and appreciative congregations. At the evening service, solos were sung by Miss Bruce and Mr Thompson of the Longwarry Presbyterian choir which were highly appreciated, especially Mr Thompsons rendering of ‘Dream of Paradise’. Special hymns were sang by the choir under the able leadership of Miss Adamson, choir conductress. The collections for the day amounted to [just over] 5 pounds, which was considered by the Committee to be highly satisfactory. It was suggested that those connected with the kirk should get to work and have some trees planted. Some friends have offered to supply trees free of charge and as the kirk is in a very exposed position…[illegible].. beautify the kirk and ground. In future, services will be conducted every sabbath morning at 11.00am by Mr L. Watson, the home missionary, instead of fortnightly. The best thanks of the Committee are due to Mr McIntosh who always looks after the welfare of visiting ministers while in the district.

Not sure when the Church closed - we believe around 1980.

St John's Presbyterian Church at Iona, c. 1908.

Image from Call of the Bunyip: history of Bunyip, Iona & Tonimbuk 1847-1990 by Denise Nest (Bunyip History Committee, 1990)

What else was happening in Iona at this time? The Advocate newspaper had a Children’s column called ‘Letters to Aunt Patsy’. On September 18, 1906 Ellen May Elizabeth Fitzpatrick wrote the following letter with a description of Iona -

Dear Aunt Patsy - This is my second letter to you. I hope my oar is not rusty. I am going to tell you about Iona. There are three stores, one Catholic church and presbytery; a new Hibernian Hall is getting built, one school (there's a new school nearly finished), one mechanics' institute, a new bank, a cream depot, and a post-office. We live four miles from Garfield, and six miles from Bunyip. Dear Aunt Patsy, have you ever been to Iona? The flowers are all out nice now. The paddocks are also nice and green. The Rev. Fr. Byrne is our parish priest. He passes our place to say Mass in Koo-wee-rup. The birds are building their nests now. We found a parrot's nest with two little birds in. We left them till they get bigger. I shall bring my letter to a close, hoping you are all well.  I remain, your loving niece, Ellen May Elizabeth Fitzpatrick. (The Advocate, October 6, 1906, see here)

As you can see, Iona was a much larger town than it is today. And, in case you are wondering, Aunt Patsy had not been to Iona.

Sources - 

• 100 years of a faith community: St Joseph’s Iona 1905 -2005 by Damian Smith (The Author, 2005)
• On the edge of the swamp: a history of the Iona Primary School No. 3201 1894-1994 by Denise M. Nest ( Iona Primary School Back-To-Committee, 1994)

Cora Lynn Church

The Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church used to hold services at the Cora Lynn Hall from around the 1920s to 1960.  Most people attended every Sunday regardless of which religion they were. The average congregation was around 25.  Sunday School started first at 1.30pm and Church was at 2.30pm.

Dad and his sisters and brother all went to Sunday School and Church at Cora Lynn, initially driven by horse and jinker, until the family got their first car in 1948. 

  

Cora Lynn Sunday School 1948

Back row - Fourth from left is Frank Rouse, far right is Nancy Rouse, to her left is her sister Dorothy and in front of her is another sister, Daphne. Do you recognize anyone?

Apart from Cora Lynn there was a Methodist Church at Five Mile and one at Garfield and Modella. Garfield and Modella were serviced by the Drouin Minister and Cora Lynn and Five Mile by the Koo-Wee-Rup Minister. The only Methodist Ministers Mum and Dad can remember is a Mr Rosewarne and the Rev Blainey - the father of historian Geoffrey Blainey. There was also a Presbyterian Church at Iona and Bunyip.

The Presbyterian Minister from around 1953 was the Reverend Quentin Huckson. He lived in Bunyip with his wife Peggy and their four children - Judith, John, Peter and Andrew.  Rev Huckson had a service at Bunyip every week; then went to Iona which was an 11.30am service then alternate weeks did Cora Lynn and Longwarry at 2.30pm. He also conducted a monthly service at Tonimbuk and a service at Longwarry North. He drove to these services in a Peugot 203 and Dad said he was happy to talk about his car for hours. It was an unusual car in this area as it was the first foreign car they had seen in the district.

The Reverend Huckson left the Parish on August 25 1957 but the week before he left on August 18 Mum says he ‘rounded up’ all the babies in the area that were due to be christened and did a ‘mass baptism’ of about 12 babies all at once at Iona, including my sister Megan and our cousin Bruce Forte.

Before the next Presbyterian Minister came there was a period of about 16 months where retired ministers filled in. They often came by train the night before and then on the Sunday had at least three services to conduct. The next minister was the Reverend Ron Traill who came around the end of 1958 and almost immediately closed down Tonimbuk and Longwarry North Churches, but Cora Lynn lasted a bit longer and closed at the end of 1960.

Getting back to Cora Lynn - the big occasions at Cora Lynn were the Harvest Festival and the Sunday School picnic. The Harvest Festival would receive two to three tons of potatoes, onions, pumpkins etc that would all be taken to the Presbyterian Kildonan or Canterbury Babies Home or similar Methodist Homes. The Sunday School picnic was held at Glen Cromie and many of the children got there on the back of a truck owned by Ern Wilkinson.

This brings us to the Cora Lynn congregation - here is a list of people that Dad and Mum remembers attending the Cora Lynn Church. Ern and Elsie Wilkinson and their son Keith; Jim and Mabel MacDonald and their children Lorna, Jack, Bob and Joyce; Mrs Whitta and her son Donald; Mrs Julia Clapperton and her son Keith; Dan and Corrie Kinsella; Norman and Lorna Kinsella; Mrs Aileen Higgins of Toner Road - she had 5 or 6 children including Merna, Maurice, Ron, Joy and Wayne; Mrs Jocie Clay who lived on the Nine Mile and had young children; Mrs Nell Leamon, the wife of Clarrie the Scout Master. After Mr Leamon passed away she married Cr Dick Wakenshaw, the father of Bob and Don; the Slater family - the children were Euan and twins Andrew and Mary; Jack and Grace Huntingford and children Garry, Pam and Gwenda; Harry and Florence Huntingford and children Elaine and Jim; Mrs Harker and her children Frank and Joyce; Mrs Pearl Townley, Mrs McKenzie (wife of Les), Alan and Audrey Reid and Win Reid, who was the Sunday school teacher. Win was a cousin of Alan and Audrey.  Sorry, we don’t know all the first names.

There was also the Cora Lynn Combined Church Ladies Guild which continued on for several years after the services were stopped at Cora Lynn.

This is the Cora-Lynn Combined Churches Ladies Guild c.1965

Left to Right - Mabel McDonald (nee Wilkinson), Elsie Wilkinson, Rene Huntingford (nee Stephenson), Mrs Benham, Pearl Townley, Audrey Reid, Nell Wakenshaw, Mrs McKenzie, Grace Huntingford, Corrie Kinsella and Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead, my grandma).

I am indebted to Bruce Stephenson for identifying Rene Huntingford, as we had her listed as unknown.

100 years ago this week - Yallock Methodist Sunday School Picnic

100 years ago this week, on January 23 1914 the Yallock Methodist Sunday School held their picnic on the Yallock Creek. Mr Reiter provided music from his dulciphone - which I believe is a sort of gramophone and there was a freezer containing ice cream - no doubt appreciated as the heat was rather severe. 

Lang Lang Guardian January 28, 1914, page 3.

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

Yallock Methodist Church being moved to Koo-Wee-Rup, 1932

Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

The Methodist Home Mission Station was opened in Yallock in 1907, with the hall being used for services. The Yallock Methodist Church was opened in 1909, built by Thomas Pretty. In August 1932, it was moved from Yallock to Rossiter Road, Koo-Wee-Rup and used by the Methodists and later the Uniting Church. In 1978 this building was moved to a camp in Grantville and a wooden church, the Narre Warren East Uniting Church, was relocated to the site, it was given a brick veneer and a new hall added and opened on February, 3 1980.

100 years ago this week - St Thomas' Horticultural Show

A three day horticultural show was held at St Thomas' Church of England in Bunyip, 100 years ago this week in December 1913. It raised fifty five pounds which went  towards building the Parsonage. The church was opened on December 28, 1902 and the Parsonage opened in June 1915.

Bunyip Horticultural Show

The Argus December 22 1913 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7260099

HORTICULTURAL SHOWS - BUNYIP

The three-days' show in the Bunyip Hall, held last week in aid of St. Thomas's Church of England, was such a pronounced success that the promoters intend to make it an annual fixture. The exhibition of  flowers, fruit, vegetables, &c was excellent. Mr. W.S. Keast, M. L. A., opened the show. In cut flowers, Mrs B.L. A'Beckett was the chief prize-winner, taking eight firsts, including that for champion carnation, and also for collection of flowers. H.C. Nelson took six firsts, and other prize winners were the Rev. A.L. Kent, Mr W. G. Kraft and Masters A. Burns and Cecil Corrigan. Mrs A'Beckett was also chief prizetaker for roses, but J.A. Holgate carried off the award for champion bloom. H.C. Nelson also won a number of prizes. Miss Allen won for best arranged basket of flowers, three ladies' sprays and three gent's buttonholes; whilst Miss P. Holland was first for collection of wild flowers. In the cookery section, a prize given for best plain cake made by a married man was won by Mr. W. Walker. Captain A'Beckett being second. Mr A. Boyle won the prize for bachelor's cake, the Rev. A. Banks being second. The show resulted in a clear profit of about £55 towards the new parsonage.

Amongst the prize winners was Horace Nelson, listed in the Electoral Roll as a farmer from Bunyip; William Kraft, who with his wife Sarah, ran the Gippsland Hotel in Bunyip. Their son, William, later became the manager of the Drouin butter factory.  Miss Allen who won a number of prizes doesn't have a first name or initial listed, so I don't know who she was; Miss P. Holland won the prize for wild flowers, but she wasn't in the Electoral Roll in 1914. In the cookery section, Mr William Walker won the best plain cake made by a married man. He is listed in the Electoral Roll as a hairdresser of Bunyip. Captain Arthur A'Beckett, came second in this category - he was the husband of the prize winning Beatrice. Mr A. Boyle won the prize for the batchelor's cake. There is a Frederick and Elizabeth Boyle listed in the Electoral Rolls (Frederick is listed as carpenter) so perhaps they are the parents of Mr A. Boyle and the lad, Master A. Boyle who won prizes.