ALL SAINTS CHURCH, NORTHCOTE

All Saints' Anglican Church at 14-16 High Street, Northcote is a beautiful heritage church built in bluestone. In 1857, a committee was formed to discuss the construction of an Anglican church in Northcote. They held their meetings at the Peacock Hotel. The meetings were productive and the foundation stones of All Saints' Church of England (Northcote) - situated at the corner of High and Walker Streets - were laid in January 1859 by the Governor Sir Henry Barkly. The church held services from August 1860.

When services started in August 1860 the Colony of Victoria had existed as a separate colony for only 10 years. The event of separation gives its name to ‘Separation Street’. It was only 7 years after the first permanent domestic house had been built in Westgarth. There was no gas street lighting in High Street. It would be 15 years before the bridge was built across the Merri, to bring the gas across the creek. It would be 20 years before the coming of a cable tram. The gradient of Rucker’s Hill had to be completely rebuilt before a tram line would be possible.

The church building (excluding the vestries and re-built bluestone chancel) is registered by the National Trust with a ‘local’ classification, meaning that it has cultural and historical significance in the context of the region. The church is in the Early English Gothic style and distinguished by the use of Bacchus Marsh freestone dressings on a body of squared snecked bluestone rubble. It is one of only two churches in Northcote to be registered.

This post is part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.

The Church in 1889

The Church in 2015