CHRIST CHURCH

Christ Church in Glenlyon Road, Brunswick is a stuccoed brick structure of cruciform plan with a detached campanile. The building was built in stages between 1857 and 1875. The nave was designed by architects Purchas and Swyer and completed in 1857. The transepts, chancel and vestry were designed by architects Smith and Watts and completed in 1863-64. The campanile was also designed by Smith and Watts and completed in 1870-71. The apse was designed by architect Frederick Wyatt and completed in 1875. The style of Christ Church is predominantly Italianate with the characteristics of the Italian country house designs found in JH Parker’s book "Villa Rustica" of 1835. The adaptation of the Italian country villa design for a church building is extremely rare in Victoria. The church has a number of Ferguson and Urie windows in the nave, transepts, chancel, baptistery and porch. Ferguson and Urie established themselves in Melbourne as stained glass specialists in the 1850-80s. The floor is tessellated at the altar but modern mosaics have been introduced down the nave in the 1950s and timber floors retained on the transept aisles. 

The Christ Church is of architectural significance to the State of Victoria.

Christ Church Brunswick is architecturally significant as a rare example of the application of the "Villa Rustica" style to a church in Victoria.