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CHRIST CHURCH
387-405 OLD DANDENONG ROAD DINGLEY VILLAGE, KINGSTON CITY

All information on this page is maintained by Heritage Victoria. Click below for their website and contact details.
Victorian Heritage Register
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
CHRIST CHURCH SOHE 2008
H00225 1 christ church dingley feb 2003
christ church old dandenong road dingley village front elevation
christ church old dandenong road dingley village roof view
christ church old dandenong road dingley village side view
1 christ church old dandenong road dingley village front view
H00225 Extent of Registration march 2003 [Note: labels for Centre Dandenong Road and Old Dandenong road should be reversed]
On this page:

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Christ Church, Dingley was built in 1873 on land owned by two wealthy early settlers of the Dingley area, brother and sister Thomas and Mary Attenborough. The provision of an Anglican church was the vision of Mary Attenborough, and funded by an Attenborough endowment. The township of Dingley was itself named after the home town of the Attenboroughs in England. The church was dedicated on 21 September 1873 by the Bishop of Melbourne, Bishop Perry. The architect was Charles Webb.

The church is Early English Gothic in style and small in scale, more in the manner of a private chapel than a parish church. It is a simple four bay rectangle in plan, with a small porch, projecting apsidal chancel and detailed three stage tower. The tower is diminutive in size and out of scale to the nave, barely rising above the ridge line, yet is compositionally effective.

Masonry construction is of tuck-pointed brickwork, mottled oatmeal in colour. Stucco mouldings include quoins, an unusual and distinctive rose window, eaves brackets and window details. Windows are lancets, paired in the nave. The roof is slated, with iron decoration to the ridge.

The church has a substantial collection of stained glass, much of it dedicated to members of the Attenborough family. The glass is by a number of notable practitioners including Ferguson & Urie, Brooks Robinson, William Montgomery and Rogers & Hughes.

The church hall was built in 1889, and is in a very similar style to the church although the architect is unknown. The site is now a complex of modern and old buildings, but still in a village-like setting. There have been only minor alterations to the church since it was built.

How is it significant?

Christ Church, Dingley is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

Christ Church, Dingley is of architectural significance for its distinctive and expressive composition, notably in the unusual location of the detached tower beside the chancel apse. The trusses and stained glass memorial windows are major elements of the restrained interior. It is significant as a picturesque landmark at the junction of Old Dandenong Road and Centre Dandenong Road. The church is one of the most picturesque churches in suburban Melbourne, and one of Webb's most successful ecclesiastical works. The old church hall is complementary in style to the church and is the only other nineteenth century element on the site. The church and hall are historically significant as an example of personal endowment by a family.

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    • History

      CHRIST CHURCH - History

      Associated People: Assoc.People MARY ATTENBOROUGH

      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.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.

      Landscape:

      The process of gardening; mowing, hedge clipping, bedding displays, removal of dead plants, disease and weed control, emergency and safety works and landscaping and planting to retain the existing landscape character

      The replanting of plant species to conserve the landscape character. Management of trees in accordance with Australian Standard; Pruning of amenity trees AS 4373.

      Removal of plants listed as State Prohibited and Regionally Controlled Weeds in the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

      Repairs, conservation and maintenance to hard landscape elements, steps, asphalt paths and roadways, edging, fences and gates.

      Installation, removal or replacement of garden watering and drainage systems.

      Exterior of both buildings:

      Maintenance and repairs which replace like with like.

      Painting of previously painted surfaces in the same colour.

      Interior of former church hall.

      Removal of extraneous items such as pipe work, ducting, wiring, etc. and making good

      Removal, replacement or installation of smoke detectors and electrical wiring provided that all new wiring is concealed

      Repair and servicing of equipment and services including wiring, plumbing, heating, and fire services

      Permit Exemption Policy

      CHRIST CHURCH - Permit Exemption Policy

      *No conservation management plan has yet been prepared for this place.*

      The purpose of the permit exemptions is to allow works that do not impact on the integrity and significance of the place without the need to apply for a permit.

      The site includes two significant nineteenth century buildings, the church and hall. The church is highly intact and in good physical condition following remedial damp works ongoing maintenance. No permit exemptions apply to this building.

      The former Church Hall had unsympathetic additions to the north end in 1951-2. The interior of less significant than the interior of the church. Some permit exemptions apply.

Public contributions

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