St John's Lutheran Church

The former St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is constructed of slop moulded brick erected in 1841/42 by contractors Sommerville and Marr. It is of paramount historical importance, being the first Presbyterian Church in Geelong, the oldest surviving brick or stone structure in the region, and the earliest documented work of Alexander Skene, the first architect/surveyor to practice in the town. Skene later became the Surveyor-General in Victoria, 1869-86, as well as being a noted colonial architect both in Melbourne and in Geelong. The two storey stucco rendered classical style building fronting the original church was erected in c1912.

Historic Buildings Council Register

Geelong Regional Commission Register

National Trust of Australia (Victoria), File No. 1063

Geelong Advertiser - 23 November 1840, 20 February 1841, 13 March 1841, 20 March 1841, 27 March 1841, 10 April 1841, 11 July, 1841, 25 October, 1841, 21 March 1842, 20 June 1842, 4 July 1842, 11 July, 1842, 12 May, 1864, 28 June 1864, 25 September 1878.

Croll RH & Wettenhall RR - "The Church", Chapter 7, Dr Alexander Thomson, Robertson and Mullens, Melbourne 1937, pp. 49-58.

Stuart Ross Rev C - Colonization and Church Work in Victoria, Melville, Mullen and Slade, Melbourne, 1891. pp 90-91.

Huddle Lorraine - "Architects in Geelong in the 1840's and 1850's. Humanities Research Report, Department of Architecture, University of Melbourne, 1979. p 4-7.

Powell JM - "Skene, Alexander John (1820-1894)" - Australian Dictionary of Biography", 6 Volumes, Nairn Bede (ed), Melbourne University Press, 1976, Volume 6, pp 131-132

Brownhill, W. R. - A History of Geelong and Corio Bay, Wilke & Co., Melbourne, 1955, pp. 261.

Group

Religion

Category

Church