History of St Paul’s Anglican Church

Booklets with a more detailed history of the buildings of St. Paul’s, and details of the stained glass windows are available. Please use Contact Us - or, better still - call in one Sunday or Wednesday!

1854  -  2024
Our journey with St. Paul’s, Geelong commences in 1848, 10 years after Geelong had been proclaimed as a town and at a time when Geelong was starting to expand from its earlier development.  The population had increased about 4 times since 1847 and the number of buildings, business and residential, grew accordingly.
Bishop Charles Perry, the first Bishop of Melbourne, instructed Archdeacon Hussey Burg Macartney to cause a new church to be built on the Government block of land in Latrobe Terrace, Ashby.   A parsonage a weatherboard school room were completed by the end of 1848. The foundation stone of the church was laid by Bishop Perry, on 2nd December 1850. Archdeacon Macartney conducted 45 baptisms, probably in the schoolhouse between March 1851 and December 1852. The architect of St. Paul’s was Charles Laing, who as well as designing several stately buildings in Geelong designed the tower and nave of Sr. Peter’s, Eastern Hill.
The Reverend Theodore Carlos Stretch was appointed Minister of Geelong and suburbs and after the workmen on the building of St. Paul’s left to go to the goldfields, he erected a tent within the walls of the church for worship until May 16th, 1854 when the church building was opened for worship.  The following year he was licensed as Vicar of St. Paul’s.

The Sunday School opened in 1880 and the Infant School in 1884.  In the years 1899, 1904, 1954, 1976 and 2004 major renovations were carried out.  The tower was strengthened and the bells refitted in 1982.  All the slate roofs of the church and hall buildings were replaced with Welsh slate, work being completed in 2008. As a result of Covid restrictions, an AV system to enable livestreaming of services was installed in 2020.
Refurbishment of the organ was completed in 2023

Throughout our history many gifts have been given to the church.  The generosity of Parishioners can be seen in the installation and subsequent refurbishment of the organ, the pulpit, side chapel, prayer desks, altar screen, narthex, pews, stained glass windows, bells and many, many other items of equal importance.  Less tangible, but equally important, is the generosity that supports the music contribution to our worship.

You can help support the ongoing maintenance of this Heritage listed building by donating to our Heritage Appeal. Simply click on the link “Heritage Appeal” in the main menu.