Lorne, Victoria, Australia

2026, All Saints Anglican Church Lorne

In the early 1870’s visiting clergy held Divine Service at the Sanctuary, a glen beside the Erskine River, and later at Erskine House. In November 1880 All Saints was opened, the first church to be built in Lorne. Four years later, with the aid of a team of bullocks and eleven horses, the church was moved a distance of twenty chains to its present site at 188 Mountjoy Parade. Chancel and Vestry were added in 1885 and the Memorial Garden in 1973.

Time Line Summary

• 1880, All Saints Church opened, first church in Lorne. Rev James C. Love first incumbent.
• 1882, First wedding, Mr & Mrs Charles Watson
• 1884, Church moved to current location at 188 Mountjoy Parade.
• 1884, First wedding on new site was Mr Jesse Allen and Miss Sarah Anderson.
• 1885, Chancel and Vestry added, designed by zChurch’s architect Mr Watts.
• 1886, Debt cleared, fundraising for a Parsonage began.
• 1889, Parsonage designed by Mr Austin, built on land at the rear of the church.
• 1890, Presbyterian services begin in All Saints on Sunday afternoons.
• 1894, Rev A. Brain conducts services.
• 1897, First beach service conducted by Rev. A. Brain.
• 1920, Building of the Sunday School.
• 1926, The Ladies Guild formed with 6 members and 1 associate.
• 1969, Construction and Dedication of new parsonage.
• 1973, Memorial Garden added.
• 1980, Centenary of the church.
• 1990, Consecration of All Saints Church after 110 years of service.
• 2000, All Saints celebrates 120 years of worship in Lorne.

It was a stormy day when All Saints’ Church was opened on November 14th 1880. There were 65 present at Matins and Holy Communion and 58 at Evensong. The First Vicar, The Reverend James C. Love, had been preceded by lay-readers, namely Mr Bishop and Mr J Evans. Now, on this opening Sunday, Mr Love took the duties in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.

Mr Love appears to have been a wise master-builder and a faithful pastor with an eye to the future. Under his guidance the building was erected on the corner of Albert and Charles Streets on land donated by Mr Henry Gwynne of Geelong. Mr John Snowdon built the church for a contract price of £280 exclusive of furnishings, excavations etc.

In 1884, ”owing to incessant complaints from visitors”, it was decided to move the Church from the corner of Charles and Albert Street to a more central position near to the sea. So it was rolled down the hill, across the Varna Gully, and down again to 188 Mountjoy Parade. Then shortly it was enlarged by the addition of the Chancel, Vestry and Porch as designed by the Church’s Architect Mr Watts.

It was now a noble, well proportioned and integrated building as can be seen from the early sketches; and a recent note in the visitors book by the present Diocesan Architect, Mr Louis R Williams, is of interest and importance: “the clear glass of the leaded windows in the knave is a great joy and should be preserved”. All this work of building, consolidating and removal involved continuous effort by the Vicar and his committees, with very many meetings in Mr Loves private home in Smith Street, a house which we know as the recent home of the late Miss Olga Armytage.

Yet, as early as 1886, it was resolved “that the debt upon the church being now cleared, steps be taken towards the erection of a parsonage on the ground acquired for this purpose and that with this object in view a fund be established called the Parsonage Fund to which contributions may hereafter be paid”.

 

Church being moved by 11 horses and a bullock team. Weight 30 tons (LHS photo 1688)

1884, Church of England being moved. (LHS photo 1689)

1884, Moving Anglican Church

All Saints Church Lorne, painting by Rob Coy

Timeline from the Ladies’ Guild Minutes

• 1880, March-November: Building erected on donated land near the present corner of Charles & Albert Streets. June: Arrival of the first Incumbent, the Rev’d James C Love (1880-1894) 14th November: All Saints opened with a service of Matins with Holy Communion and Evensong.
• 1882, First wedding celebrated – Mr & Mrs Charles Watson.
• 1884, 25th May: Last service on the old site. The church is moved. Owing to incessant complaints from visitors, it was decided to move the church to a more central position and near to the sea. Using teams of bullocks and teams of horses, the church was rolled down the hill, across the Varna Gully and down again to its present site on Mountjoy Parade. This awesome feat is commemorated in the memorial window near the pulpit in memory of the pioneering Valentine family. 1st June: First service on the new site. The first wedding celebrated after its removal was that of Mr Jesse Allen and Miss Sarah Anderson of Allenvale (plaque on the Bible stand on the altar).
• 1885: The church was enlarged by the addition of the Chancel, Vestry and Porch as designed by the Church’s architect, Mr Watts.
• 1886, May: the overdraft was fully repaid.
• 1889, January: the Erection of the parsonage on the land at the rear of the church. The parsonage was designed by Mr Austin, who designed the Mt Buffalo Chalet.
• 1890, Presbyterian services begin in All Saints on Sunday afternoons.
• 1894, Rev’d A Brain (1894 to 1898). 28th October: First service at Aires Inlet conducted by Rev’d A Brain which continued with only occasional services thereafter. 11th November: First service at Benwerrin conducted by Rev’d A Brain which continued thereafter every fifth Sunday.
• 1897, 24th January: First beach service conducted by Rev’d A Brain.
• 1920, Building of the Sunday School.
• 1925, The church was reblocked.
• 1926, The Ladies Guild was formed with 6 members and 1 associate.
• 1934, Formation of the first Parochial Council comprising Lorne, Deans Marsh, Pennyroyal, Bambra and Aires Inlet.
• 1935, Occasional services begin at Wye River.
• 1938, Bambra Church is transferred to Winchelsea Parish. 15th October, opening of new Church at Aireys Inlet, dedicated to St Aidan by Bishop J J Booth, Bishop of Geelong.
• 1939, Wye River services are discontinued. Bambra church is returned to Lorne Parish.
• 1944, Services are resumed six times a year at Wye River and Kennett River.
• 1950, Partial reblocking to external walls of the church. Pennyroyal Church is closed and congregation unites with Dean’s Marsh.
• 1952, 11th May: Final meeting and disbanding of Parochial Council. 14th Augus, formation of new council comprising Lorne, Aires Inlet and Deans Marsh.
• 1969, Construction and Dedication of new Parsonage at Lorne.
• 1975, Deans Marsh is attached to Winchelsea Parish.
• 1977, Parochial Council now comprises All Saints Lorne and St Aidan’s Aireys Inlet. Reblocking and major maintenance work commenced on church. Rev’d Joseph Forster becomes Vicar of All Saints.
• 1980, Centenary of church was celebrated by The Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev’d Robert Dann, and the Venerable Hugh Girvan, archdeacon of Geelong.
• 1984, Hospital services began with St Cuthbert’s Uniting and All Saints Anglican alternating.
• 1990, 4th November: Consecration of All Saints Church after 110 years of service. Ceremony performed by the Right Reverend John Bayton, Bishop of Geelong.
• 1992, Our association with the Parish of Whittington/Newcomb begins.
• 1994, All Saints Lorne becomes part of the newly formed Surfcoast Parish comprising St Luke’s Torquay, Church of the Transfiguration Anglesea, St Aidan’s Aireys Inlet. The Vicar to reside at Torquay.
• 2000, All Saints, Lorne, celebrates 120 years of worship in Lorne.
• 2012, Rev’d Lynton Wade becomes Vicar of All Saints Lorne. Lorne is excised from Surfcoast Parish to form a Partnership with St Cuthbert’s Lorne, a Uniting Church, with services jointly held alternately in the two churches.

c2010, Confirmation of Marjorie Baldry. (L-R) Rev P. Bewley, David Walker, Marjorie Baldry, Hadyn Rickey, Bishop John Bayton, David Baldry, Pauline Walker, Julie White, Loris Yorke, Nancy Hose, ?,  Joan Shiells.

Reverends

• 1880-1894, J.C. Love
• 1894-1898, A. Brain
• 1899-1903, L.G. Vance
• 1903-1907, E.H. Hennell
• 1907-1908, W.C. Cave
• 1908-1912, L.G. Vance
• 1912-1912, A.R. Cresswell
• 1913-1914, L.G. Vance
• 1914-1916, W.A. Shaw
• 1916-1917, A. Caffin
• 1917-1921, E.C. Frewin
• 1921-1923, A.C. Gates
• 1923-1928, H.L. Ebbs
• 1928-1932, E.W. Thomas
• 1932-1939, F. Porter
• 1939-1940, D. Blake
• 1940-1941, B. Gilbert
• 1941-1942, W. Nicholls
• 1942-1947, K.H. Roberts
• 1947-1948, A.L.Coutanche
• 1948-1951, K.R. McConchie
• 1951-1954, C.E. Smith
• 1954-1958, J.L. Reeve
• 1958-1961, W.J. Clayden
• 1961-1966, G.E. Moorhouse
• 1966-1968, D.J. Allan
• 1969-1978, L.W. Bull
• 1978-1978, C.C. Cowling
• 1978-1981, J. Forster
• 1982-1993, P.R. Cooke
• 1994-1996, J.Berger
• 1997-2004, J.B. Corby
• 2005-2008, S.E.S. Watkins
• 2009-2011, P.J. Bewley
• 2011-2016, L.I. Wade
• 2020-2023, P.G. Jacobson

Sister Philippa

SISTER PHILIPPA was an Anglican sister from the Community of the Holy Name. She was a prayerful and stalwart support in her retirement years to the people of All Saints. Always in the attire pictured below, she assisted with many aspects of the liturgical practice of worship. She is remembered with great affection and respect. The biography below was supplied by The Community of the Holy Name, Cheltenham, Victoria.

SISTER PHILIPPA

Born: February 8, 1921, England

Professed: April 30, 1947

Died:          May 28, 2016

Irene Emma Pickering (Sister Philippa) came to Australia with her family when she was 7 years old. Before coming to the Community she trained as a dressmaker and tailoress. She also spent some years working in the Sunday School Office of this Diocese with Beatrice Glascodine. Was a parishioner at Holy Trinity, Coburg.

She lived/worked in almost every House of CHN over the years and spent five different periods of time at the Mission Houses, in Spring Street and Fitzroy. From these she was engaged in work at Camp Pell, a temporary housing estate after the war. She established a good relationship with some of the disadvantaged women who frequented the Mission House, several of whom kept in touch with her for many years after she left the Mission work. She was in charge of the Retreat House at Cheltenham for several years where she created a welcoming and peaceful environment.

She was appointed Conventual at the Community House during the 1980’s which included the time when a major reconstruction/refurbishment of part of the house took place. She managed the inconvenience and other difficulties of this time with calmness and efficiency. She was a gracious and faithful Sister.

When this was over she asked to be allowed to go and live in the small Cottage at Lorne, left to us by Miss Hope Hall. Here she had a ministry of prayer and hospitality (a separate bungalow was updated for a guest to stay). She also had a telephone ministry and several women sought her out through her attendance at the parish church.

After about 17 years there she suffered a stroke and after a short spell in the Geelong Hospital was transferred to the one at Lorne. Subsequently she spent her last years in the Aged Care Facility attached to the Hospital, where she died peacefully on May 28, 2016. [Information provided by Denise Tunstall]

Sources:

• Lorne News, All Saints’ Vicarage, Lorne, June 1971
• Lorne Historical Society Collections
• “A History of the Surf Coast Anglican Churches” by Norma Morrison
• David Walker summary.
• Denise Tunstall, 2026