Our History

The Early Years

The Anglican story in Bega began long before the present church was built. Early Church of England services were held in a simple slab schoolhouse, serving the small but growing settlement. The site chosen for the church occupied an important position within the developing township, offering convenient access and proximity to reliable water sources.

The arrival of the Reverend J. L. Knight in the late 1850s marked a significant milestone for the district. As Bega's first resident Anglican clergyman, he oversaw the establishment of a weatherboard church on the present site in 1858, providing the community with its first dedicated Anglican place of worship.

Building a Landmark Church

As the district prospered, the congregation quickly outgrew the original weatherboard building. In 1876, the parish commissioned renowned colonial architect Edmund Blacket to design a new church worthy of the growing community. Blacket was one of Australia's most influential nineteenth-century architects and was responsible for many of the Anglican Church's most notable buildings. Although historical records suggest that he never visited Bega in person, he prepared detailed plans for a substantial brick and stone church capable of seating 300 worshippers. Construction was undertaken by local builder R. W. Thatcher, who faithfully translated Blacket's vision into reality. The resulting building was completed in a restrained Gothic style with a cruciform, or cross-shaped, floor plan. Built from locally manufactured brick and enhanced with stone dressings, the church features a striking western façade, a prominent central buttress, and an elegant bell turret. The new church was officially opened in January 1878 and consecrated four years later in 1882.

The School Hall and Parish Life

The parish continued to expand during the late nineteenth century. In 1897, a Gothic-style School Hall was constructed on the site occupied by the original weatherboard church.

Built by the firm Underhill and Thatcher, the hall became an important venue for parish activities, education programs, social gatherings, and community events. Its construction was made possible through extensive local fundraising efforts led by Mrs Louisa Evershed, wife of the respected local doctor, Dr Montague Evershed.

The School Hall remains an important part of the historic church precinct and reflects the strong tradition of volunteer service that has shaped parish life for generations.

A Remarkable Musical Heritage

Music has long played a central role in worship at St John's. When the church first opened it had a small reed organ. In 1910 a large Estey reed organ was supplied by WH Paling & Co of Sydney for a cost of ninety pounds.

In 1951 an amateur organ builder J. A. Newing created a three-manual War Memorial Organ for the church. The instrument incorporated pipework salvaged from a 1922 Wurlitzer theatre organ that had once been installed in Sydney's Crystal Palace Theatre on George Street. This unique hybrid organ served the parish for approximately twenty years before being removed and sold in 1972.

The church's current pipe organ has an even more distinguished history. Built before 1855 by John Smith of Bristol, England, it is among the earliest surviving pipe organs of its type in Australia. Before arriving in Bega, the instrument served in churches in Victoria, including St Matthew's Anglican Church, Cheltenham, and St James-the-Great Anglican Church, East St Kilda. In 1991, following a comprehensive restoration by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd, the organ was installed at St John's.

Faith in Action

St John's has a long history of community engagement and social responsibility. During the ministry of Archdeacon Frank Woodwell, Rector from 1966 to 1974, the parish became actively involved in addressing local social needs. Under his leadership, the church advocated for Indigenous welfare and worked alongside community leaders to secure land for some of the first dedicated housing for Aboriginal people in Bega. This commitment to practical service and community support remains an important part of the parish's mission today.

Restoration and Renewal

By the early 1970s, significant restoration work had been undertaken to preserve the historic church building and ensure its future. The completion of these works was celebrated on 9 February 1974 when the church was restored and reconsecrated by the Right Reverend C. A. Warren. The occasion marked both the successful renewal of the building and the culmination of Archdeacon Woodwell's ministry in Bega.

St John's Today

Today, St John's continues to serve as an active parish within the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The historic precinct includes the church, rectory, School Hall, Calvary Garden, and bell tower. The Calvary Garden provides a peaceful place for prayer and reflection, centred around a carved crucifix, while the church bells continue a tradition that has called worshippers together for generations. As both a living church and a treasured heritage landmark, St John's remains a place where faith, history, community, and service come together. Visitors are warmly welcomed to explore the church's rich heritage and share in its continuing story.

The History of the Anglican Church in Tathra

A Community-Built Church by the Sea

The story of Anglican worship in Tathra is one of faith, perseverance, and community spirit. Anglican ministry in the Bega Valley began during the mid-19th century with the establishment of the Parish of Bega. For many years, however, the growing coastal settlement of Tathra had no church of its own. Worship services were conducted by visiting clergy who travelled from Bega and Candelo, often along rough bush tracks or by coastal steamer arriving at the historic Tathra Wharf. Despite the challenges of distance and transport, Anglican worship became an important part of community life, laying the foundations for what would eventually become St Martin's-by-the-Sea.

Building a church for Tathra

As Tathra expanded throughout the twentieth century, local Anglicans began to dream of establishing a permanent church home within the town. Unlike many church-building projects, St Martin's-by-the-Sea was not funded through major diocesan grants. Instead, it was a truly local endeavour. Through fundraising events, private donations, and countless hours of volunteer labour, parishioners acquired and assembled a modest demountable church building on a double block at 48–50 Bega Street. Although simple in design, the church quickly became a place of great significance to the community. Measuring approximately 102 square metres, it provided a welcoming space for worship, fellowship, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and special celebrations.

A Church Shaped by Its People

What made St Martin's-by-the-Sea unique was the personal contribution of its congregation. Parishioners fitted out the interior themselves, donating many of the furnishings that gave the church its character and warmth. The seating, altar, font, and numerous liturgical items were gifts from local families, often dedicated in memory of loved ones and former parishioners. The church and its grounds were maintained almost entirely by volunteers. Generations of parishioners cared for the building and surrounding property, creating a place that reflected the commitment and devotion of the local community. For residents and holidaymakers alike, St Martin's became a cherished spiritual home overlooking the sea.

Change and Transition

In later years, the value of the church property became increasingly linked to its location. Unlike traditional masonry churches, St Martin's was a prefabricated demountable structure whose principal value lay in the residential land it occupied and its commanding coastal views. Following careful consideration, the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn made the decision to deconsecrate and sell the Bega Street property for residential development, and while the sale of the property marked the end of an important chapter in Tathra's Anglican history, it did not mark the end of the congregation itself.

Continuing the Story

Today, the Anglican community of Tathra continues to gather for worship at the nearby Wambiri Anglican Centre.

Weekly services are held in the renovated recreation hall, where parishioners continue the traditions of worship, fellowship, and service that have shaped Anglican life in Tathra for generations.

Although St Martin's-by-the-Sea no longer stands on its original site, its legacy lives on through the people who built it, cared for it, and worshipped within its walls. The spirit of the church remains an enduring part of the Anglican presence in Tathra, carried forward by a congregation whose history has always been defined by faith, resilience, and community.

The History of the Anglican Church in Bemboka

A Church Serving the Bemboka Community Since 1872

The Beginnings of a Community (1872–1889)

Long before the town was officially named Bemboka, the settlement was known as the Colombo district. The pioneer Anglican community contracted Patrick O'Connor to construct a basic wooden slab structure on what is today the town common, located on the southern outskirts of the town. It was dedicated on 24 February 1872 and served early dairy farming families until it was demolished in 1889.

Growth and Relocation (1889–1929)

As the local population grew, a second wooden church was erected on the current permanent site at the crest of the hill on Bemboka Street. It served the parish for 40 years before being dismantled in 1929 to clear space for a grander, modern brick structure.

Building the Present Church (1930–2024)

The red-brick building standing today was commissioned in 1929. The foundation stone was laid on 3 June 1929 by prominent locals Mrs J. Wilton Senior and Jonas Alcock Esq. It officially opened for public worship on 11 March 1930. On 30 August 1936, it was formally consecrated as part of the Anglican Parish of Bega within the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The 1930 church stands as a beautiful example of classic church craftsmanship, occupying a prominent one-acre double corner block on Bemboka Street. Inspired by the Inter-War Gothic style, the new church featured soaring timber ceilings, exposed decorative beams, polished Australian hardwood floors, and beautiful stained-glass windows surrounding the sanctuary. Its striking elevated position at the crest of the hill purposefully frames panoramic views of the Bemboka peak and the sweeping coastal mountain ranges.

A New Chapter

Like many rural communities across Australia, Bemboka experienced changing demographics during the twenty-first century. As the local population declined and congregations became smaller, maintaining historic church buildings became increasingly difficult. Over time, worship services at Christ Church were reduced from weekly to monthly gatherings. In early 2024 the Anglican Diocese made the difficult decision to sell the historic property and in August 2024, after ninety-four years of continuous worship within the brick church, the final service was held and the building was closed.

Following this closure, the property was placed on the market and sold in late 2024 into private hands for residential use. While it no longer rings out with weekly hymns, the building stands as a beautifully preserved monument to the faith, labour, and community spirit of the pioneers who built it.

Although Christ Church is no longer used for regular worship, Anglican ministry continues in Bemboka. The local congregation now gathers each month at the Bemboka Recreation and Social Centre at Colombo Park, maintaining a tradition of worship that has served the district for more than a century and a half.

A Church at the Heart of the Bega Valley Since 1858

For more than 160 years, St John's Anglican Church has stood at the centre of community life in Bega. Located at 12 Church Street, the church is one of the most significant historic buildings in the Bega Valley and is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of a nineteenth-century country church in regional New South Wales.

The church stands on the traditional lands of the Djiringanj people of the Yuin Nation. St John's acknowledges the enduring connection of First Nations peoples to this land and pays respect to their continuing cultural heritage and custodianship.

Throughout its history, St John's has been more than a place of worship. It has been a centre for education, music, community service, and fellowship, serving generations of local families and reflecting the growth and development of the Bega Valley itself.