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CHRIST CHURCH
683-701 PUNT ROAD SOUTH YARRA, MELBOURNE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
DIAGRAM 635
h00635 christ church toorak
On this page:

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Christ Church, a bluestone Gothic style church building designed by the architects Charles Webb and Thomas Taylor in 1856-57, with a sanctuary (1881), south aisle, tower and spire (1884-86) and north aisle (1889) designed by Reed, Henderson and Smart. Its interior includes chancel furnishings by Alexander North, stained glass by E R Suffling (c.1884) and William Montgomery (c.1903-07), and a pipe organ. The grounds of Christ Church include an interwar lychgate on Toorak Road, a c.1901 cabman’s shelter relocated from Punt Road and portions of early boundary fences (c.1890s).  
How is it significant?
Christ Church is of ?historic and architectural ?significance to the State of Victoria. It satisfies the following criterion for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:  

Criterion A 
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. 

Criterion D 
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects. 
Why is it significant?
Christ Church is historically significant for its ability to demonstrate Melbourne’s exponential urban growth in the 1850s, as well as the importance and dominance of the Church of England in the early years of colonial Victoria. Through its impressive scale and landmark positioning at the corner of Toorak and Punt Roads, Christ Church illustrates the prominence of religion, particularly Christianity, in nineteenth-century Victoria.  [Criterion A] 

Christ Church is architecturally significant as a fine example of a Gothic style church building, principally built in 1856-57 and expanded during the 1880s. It is a fine example of its class, including a spire and spirelets, pointed arch windows and has a distinctive lantern at the crossing of the roof trusses of the nave and transepts. Christ Church is also architecturally significant as an important ecclesiastical work by the architects Charles Webb and Thomas Taylor, and later Reed, Henderson and Smart. The church interior is substantially intact, featuring early stained glass windows by E R Suffling of London (c.1884) and William Montgomery of Melbourne (c.1903-07). [Criterion D] 
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    • History

      CHRIST CHURCH - History

      Associated People: Assoc.People THOMAS MOUBRAY WILLIAM CAIN ANNETTE BEAR-CRAWFORD
       Assoc.People THOMAS MOUBRAY WILLIAM CAIN ANNETTE BEAR-CRAWFORD

      Assessment Against Criteria

      CHRIST CHURCH - Assessment Against Criteria

      Criterion

      Christ Church is of ?historic and architectural ?significance to the State of Victoria. It satisfies the following criterion for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:  

      Criterion A 

      Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. 

      Criterion D 

      Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects. 

      Permit Exemptions

      CHRIST CHURCH - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

Public contributions

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