“A great venture of faith.” That’s how the relocation of St Andrew’s & Hanbit Uniting Church from West Melbourne to Box Hill was described. We are standing before its impressive bluestone structure today. Imagine the year is 1932. The Great Depression grips the world. St Andrew’s congregation, outgrowing its second church building, dreamt of a new brick structure. However, fate had other plans. The Presbyterian Assembly offered them a unique opportunity: a magnificent Gothic bluestone church in West Melbourne, no longer in use. This was no simple renovation project. The church had to be completely deconstructed, stone by stone, and then painstakingly rebuilt here in Box Hill. Despite the economic hardship of the times, the congregation embraced this leap of faith. The result stands before us – a testament to their dedication. They even salvaged what they could from the West Melbourne church. The magnificent stained-glass windows bathing us in colorful light, the pipe organ filling the space with joyous melodies, even some of the furnishings, all made the journey from West Melbourne to become part of this new, yet historical, structure.
Kororoit Creek
Is this where the river meets the sea? This is Kororoit Creek. It flows right here through Melbourne’s western suburbs