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HISTORY

A SHORT OUTLINE HISTORY OF WEST HAWTHORN UNITING CHURCH

The Grove Road Presbyterian Mission held its first service on Sunday afternoon, 4 January 1891. This service was held in a small building recently erected on a site now occupied by the present church’s car park.

In 1895 the West Hawthorn Presbyterian Church was established.

The foundation stone of the current church building facing Power Street was laid in 1910, and the building was first used for worship on 9 February 1911.

In January 1961 the original church building in Grove Road was burnt to the ground. Following this the current Christian Educaton centre was built, with hall, meeting rooms and kitchen.

The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on June 22, 1977, as a union of three churches: the Congregational Union of Australia, the Methodist Church of Australasia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

The West Hawthorn Presbyterian Congregation voted to join the Uniting Church in Australia.

To read a more complete history of this Church, there is a small booklet available

“Beyond the Palm Trees: An Account of the Life of the West Hawthorn Uniting Church 1891-1991” written by Dr William Rose.