Lorne

St Cuthberts Church was built in 1892 by Andrew Sanger, uncle of Doug Stirling. It was built with baltic pine that arrived in Lorne in Australia as ballast on ships coming from Europe. It also used red pine that was sent out from America for architrave and skirting boards, all hand-planed on the spot.

Summary Time Line

• 1882, Lorne identifies as a suitable place for Presbyterian services.
• 1885, Rev. Alexander made a pressing request for Presbyterian services.
• 1888, Presbytery of Geelong made a grant of £75 towards purchase of a site in Lorne with a frontage of 40 feet and depth of 132 feet for £160 from Frederick Orchard a butcher. Trustees for the purchase were, Mr John Stirling, Mr Andrew Harper, Mr Charles Shannon and Mr Alexander McMillan.
• 1891, Presbytery accept a tender of 195 by Mr Andrew Sanger to erect a church building.
• 1908, Mr Buick, of Ravenswood, purchased adjacent land and transferred it to the Presbyterian Church, enabling the church site to be continued to Smith Street, making a substantial piece of land for the future provision of Manse and hall.
• 1911, transepts and present day pulpit were added.
• 1915, Church committee asked Mr Campbell, curator of Colac botanical gardens, to layout the grounds.
• 1918, vestry built by Mr Sanger just for the cost of materials.
• 1928, Manse was built from community donations.
• 1958, Funds became available for construction of St Cuthbert’s Hall.
• 1961, Hall dedicated on 3rd September by Rev. D. W. Matthews.
• 1975, classification by the National Trust.
• 1977, Uniting Churchill Australia was formed.

It was built by Andrew Sanger, a Scottish born cabinet maker and builder. Described as an attractive timber church in the picturesque manner, displaying quaint sub-literate Gothic detailing such as drip mould on the internal walls; a miniature splayed apse and a quasi-Italianate tower. Arts and Craft influences can be seen in the open work strapping of the gables and contrasting timbers of the handsome boarded interior.

1892, Presbyterian Church. (LHS photo 1613)

In the 1950s the large Lamberta pines around the property were making a shady dismal atmosphere and were cut down.

In 1997 St Cuthberts became the Uniting Church. Behind the Church is the Sunday School hall. In the 1960s and 1970s as many as 35 pupils attended the Sunday School.

Some Donations

• Windows in the pulpit area are the gift of the Boyd family.
• Pulpit is the gift of the Buick family.
• Hymns board in memory of Miss Agnes Smith
• Communion table and chairs given by Mrs Andrew Harper.
• Pulpit chair is gift of Mrs Andrew Harper
• Pulpit bible gift of Rev. Alexander Skene.
• Picture in Vestry of a Scottish session is a gift Rev. J. Aitken.

Sources:

• Lorne Historical Society Collections
• Doug Stirling recollections
• Account written by Rev S. A. Goddard, April 1978.