Then and now

St John's now

St. John the Divine from Wicklow Avenue

St John the Divine church today

The photograph below was taken at Christmas 2001 and is an example of the beautiful hangings which are always seasonally appropriate.

St John's church in Christmas 2001

The church is fortunate in having a number of "works of art" including the following:

The Resurrection panel - the final of a set of carvings representing the Statinos of the Cross

The Resurrection panel being the final panel of the panels representing the Stations of the Cross carved by Eva Schubert and installed in 1988.

Sanctuary lamp and bronze dove of peace

A composite of the sanctuary lamp (1954) and a bronze dove of peace in memory of John Holloway who died in the Vietnam war on 26 October 1969

Crucifix carved by Eva Schubert

Crucifix carved by Eva Schubert and installed in 1983.

Font designed by Kevin Pethebridge and installed in 1993.

Sculpture of St John the Divine

Sculpture of St. John the Divine carved by Eva Schubert and installed in 1986.

Earle Backen created this Icon of Christ in the All Souls Chapel. Earle has not given us 'his idea' of Christ, but has drawn on the centuries-old tradition of iconography in the manner that has been revealed through that prayerful discipline and theological journey. The face of Christ is wonderfully alive, yet it is not 'literal'. It invites us to use the Icon as a window to what is unseen, rather than as a definition of it.

The Icon was dedicated on the Feast of Pentecost, 26 May 1996.

Enlargements of portons of the Icon appear below:

Icon of Christ situated in the All Souls Chapel

Detail of Icon of Christ the All
Souls Chapel at St John the Divine church

The windows in the Lady Chapel are by David Wright, and were commissioned and completed between 1985 and 1993. They encapsulate the turning points in the story of creation and redemption

The first window depicts our mythical parents, Adam and Eve; the second, the Wilderness journey of the Hebrew people; the third, the Mother of God; the fourth, the baptism of Christ; the fifth, the Resurrection of Christ; and the sixth, the New Jerusalem from St. John the Divine's vision.

Stained glass windows in the Lady Chapel by David Wright

St John's beginnings

The first Anglican services were held in Croydon in the year 1878 in a small weatherboard building at the corner of Croydon and Whitehorse Roads. The first recorded meeting of parishioners was on 5 August 1896 when "there were only five persons present due to the inclemency of the weather". The parish at that time was a part of the Ringwood Parochial District.

The population of the area increased steadily, and the railway line was extended to Croydon in 1900. A new church was built in Croydon Road opposite Surrey Road, and dedicated on 29 August 1906 by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Henry Lowther Clarke.

In 1920 the Parochial District of Croydon was established. It was soon realized that a larger and more centrally located church was necessary, and the present site was bought in 1922. The Croydon Road church building was moved to the new site in October 1922.

After protracted fund-raising activities, a start was made on the building of the present church. (Described in newspaper article Turning Sod ) The church was dedicated by Archbishop Frank Woods on 21 December 1957. See photograph.

Dedication of the church of St John the Divine

The windows in the Lady Chapel are by David Wright, and were commissioned and completed between 1985 and 1993. They encapsulate the turning points in the story of creation and redemption
The first window depicts our mythical parents, Adam and Eve; the second, the Wilderness journey of the Hebrew people; the third, the Mother of God; the fourth, the baptism of Christ; the fifth, the Resurrection of Christ; and the sixth, the New Jerusalem from St. John the Divine's vision.