Baptist Churches in Mitcham1846 (1 see map) 'Union Chapel' built in the village green (now Mitcham Reserve). It accommodated dissenting (non-Anglican) Protestant services and was also used as a school room from 1847 until 1870.

1858 September - John and Agnes Wauchope and Mr John Heritage met in Mitcham to 'unite in a Church fellowship' under supervision of Mr William Finlayson and Mr Abbot; pastors at the Pultney Street chapel in Adelaide (MBC 1877) (2) On December 12, Mr & Mrs W Maddern, Mr & Mrs Alexander Murray (senior) and Mr John Hammond met in the former school room which was on the site of the present cemetery where they founded the Coromandel Valley Baptist Church. (CVBC 1958)

1860 (3) September - First service held in the newly completed Christian Chapel, Albert St. Mitcham. The fellowship had only 3 members.

1863South Australian Baptist Association (later Union) formed.

1864Belair Baptist Church established (finally disbanded c1908).

c1869 Baptist Church built in Belair on Main Road.

1872Coromandel Valley Baptist Sunday School established.

1874The Mitcham fellowship 'Church of Christ', now numbering 29, was admitted to the South Australian Baptist Association.

(4) Brownhill Creek Baptist Chapel built by Joseph Grigg at the instigation of George Prince.

Right: William Finlayson (1813 – 1897) joined the Independent Church at Glasgow around the age of 20 and developed an interest in overseas missionary work . A few years later he married the like minded Helen Harvey and together they arrived at Holdfast Bay in February 1837. In that year his home in Rundle Street Adelaide was the site of the first known Baptist meetings in South Australia. William worked on the sheep station at Brownhill Creek and later took to farming in what is now Netherby. His house 'Helenholme' built there before 1853, still stands. He sometimes preached at the Union Chapel on Mitcham green until 1855 when he founded the 'Zion Chapel' in Pultney St, Adelaide.

Alexander Murray (1803 – 1880) and his wife Jean (1808 -1880)

As well as being a founding member of the Coromandel Valley Church, Alexander Murray established a Biscuit and Jam factory in the area and served in the State House of Assembly 1867 – 1868.

Above: Thomas Playford (1795-1873) was born in Yorkshire and joined the British Army at the age of 15. After 21 years of military service and a brief visit to Canada, he eventually settled in Mitcham in 1844 where he built his home 'Jerusalem'. He was the first minister of what would later become the Mitcham Baptist Church and was involved in the formation of churches in Gumeracha, Norton's Summit, Burnside and at Bentham Street in Adelaide. Along with fellow church member Thomas Mugg and William Finlayson, he was one of the founding trustees of the Mitcham General (originally dissenter's) Cemetery. The Baptist Union managed the cemetery from 1913 until it was taken over by the Mitcham Council in 1957.

1876Transcept with baptistry added to Mitcham Church.

1881-1895 Coromandel Valley Baptist Church held services in the Coromandel Valley Institute.

1895New Coromandel Valley Baptist Church building opened for services. The new building had a baptistry. Formerly, baptisms had been performed in a pool in Sturt Creek. 1904Edwardstown Baptist Church formed in St Marys with services held at the Edwardstown Institute and formally accepted into the SA Baptist union the following year.

1908Extensive renovations to Mitcham Baptist church including replacement of the porch originally added in 1863.

1910(5) New Edwardstown Baptist Church building on South Road Melrose Park completed. It was demolished in 1974.

1914Hall built behind Mitcham church on land bought from John Playford in 1876.

1925A temporary wood & iron church built at Colonel Light Gardens by the Home Mission Department of the Baptist Church at a cost of £510. The Colonel Light Gardens Congregation was officially formed on March 22 with 22 foundation members. A more permanent building was opened in 1927. (Miller 1993) Miss Florence Barker of Mt Barker leant £200 for 10 years interest free to the new Church. The half yearly repayments were directed to the SA Baptist Union to form the basis of a 'Home Mission Development Fund” which was to be used for 'new Mission causes in the metropolitan area'. (Hill 1963)

1938Edwardston Baptist Church interior renovated.

1939(6) Eden Hills Christian Fellowship established with 8 members. The met met in the Church of England Parish Hall in Willunga Street. Services were led by visiting Baptist pastors and lay preachers.

Above: Mitcham Baptist Church (Christian Chapel before 1874) in Albert Street - c1880 The bell tower and porch were added in to the 1860 building in 1863 and the transcept in 1876. Below: The building after the renovation of 1908. The new porch shown here was replaced in 1973.

Above: Mitcham Baptist Girls Sunday School on the Mitcham reserve -c1910.

1953(7) St Marys Church was formed and a building constructed from material of a former Underdale church.

1954Coromandel Valley church builds Memorial Hall in honour of those who served in World War II.

1955(8) Hawthorndene Church constituted at the instigation of some younger people from the Coromandel Valley church. The building in Pasteur Avenue is now a private dwelling

1959 Eden Hills church moves into new building on the corner of Eden Avenue and Alpha Road, Bellevue Heights.

1963 Eden Hills church officially renamed Bellevue Heights Baptist Church.

1973 (9) Goodwood, Westbourne Park and Colonel Light Gardens congregations unite to form the Trinity Baptist Church, Colonel Light Gardens. (Miller 1993)

The porch added to the Mitcham Baptist Church in 1908 was demolished and replaced with 'modern' facade.

1975New Edwardstown Baptist Church building opened close to the old one in Price Street.

1985Edwardstown Baptist Church withdraws from the SA Baptist union over theological issues. (Leesong 1989)

1988Edwardstown Baptist Church buys and renovates the former South Road Junior Primary School.

2004Bellevue Heights Baptist Church purchased the old Blackwood Recreation Centre from the Mitcham Council and after extensive renovations, moved in as the Blackwood Hills Baptist Church.

Opening day of the temporary corrugated iron building that first housed Colonel Light Gardens

Baptist Church - March 1925Photo -Observer 7th March 1925

The Brownhill Creek Chapel built in 1874 as it appeared c1920. The building served as a schoolhouse between 1893 and 1924. Afterwards it served as a private home and was in ruins by the 1950s. A modern home now occupies the site.

The 1910 Edwardstown Baptist Church on South Road Melrose Park which was sold and demolished in 1974.

Its 1975 replacement - the 'Pizza Hut' in Price Street which was demolished in 2005. Coromandel Valley in 1912 – Baptist Church on the right

Baptist Churches in Mitcham Map

Prepared by Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre 103b Princes Rd, Mitcham, SA 5062. Ph 8372 8261July 2006

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Sources

• Robert J Miller – 1993: A history of the Colonel Light Gardens Communities • Coromandel Valley Baptist Church (CVBC) -1958:

Coromandel Valley Baptist Church 1858-1958 Centenary Celebrations Souvenir• Mitcham Baptist Church (MBC) – 1877: Handbook of the Christian Chapel, Mitcham

(City of Mitcham Local History Collection MITBP 00001) • Blackwood Hills Baptist Church (BHBC) - Website www.bhbc.org.au/story.html• Rev Dr A C Hill – 1963: Still Thy Church Extend • Leesong & Burfield – 1989 -The Different Story -Edwardstown Baptist Church 1904-1989 • WA Norman – 1953 – The History of the City of Mitcham

See Also• Belair Chronology information leaflet – more information on the defunct Belair Church•

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Last edit: 03/12/2009

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