A church on the corner of Kingston and Old Dandenong roads has been a feature in Heatherton for 165 years. Image: Dingley Village Historical Society
By Andrew Humphries
For 165 years, the current Heatherton-Dingley Uniting Church building has sat proudly on the corner of Kingston and Old Dandenong roads in Heatherton.
Heatherton is located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong (Boonwurrung) people of the Kulin Nation, who have a deep, enduring spiritual and cultural connection to the area’s waterways and land.
The building has been there so long that it’s often referred to simply as the ‘little white church on the corner’.
As its congregation celebrates the 165th anniversary, members take great pride in recognising and celebrating the church’s historic and long-standing connection to the Heatherton area.
In April last year, that connection was also recognised with confirmation from the Dingley Village Historical Society that the church is the area’s oldest building and has been in continual use as a place of worship since its construction in 1861.
“The church has been … supporting the community with a variety of activities since its construction,” the historical society said.
“It is a valuable asset to the community that needs to be preserved for future generations.”
Heatherton-Dingley congregation member Bob Lorraine has been instrumental in organising celebrations marking the anniversary, but admits there is no guarantee there will be another major celebration in 35 years.
While 200 years of worship in the one building would be quite an achievement, Bob says that will only happen if new faces become part of the congregation.
Like many congregations, the age of many of its members means planning for the future is often a fraught process.
“We generally get between 20 and 25 people to a service,” Bob says.
“We have lost 19 people in the last year and so we’re looking towards this 165th anniversary celebration as a way of generating renewed interest in what we do.
“We’re certainly very proud of the church’s long history of being a place of worship and our hope is that there will still be a congregation around in 35 years to celebrate its 200th anniversary.”
While 1861 marked the construction of the current church, its birth can actually be traced back to 1859, before Heatherton was known by that name.
The church in Heatherton was constructed in 1861. Image: Dingley Village Historical Society
At that time Methodist churches had been established for some years in Brighton, Moorabbin and Cheltenham, when a Mr Laver found the need for a centre of worship in Kingstown, as it was then known.
The home of a Mr Henderson was used for the first services before Mr Laver opened his own home for worship.
A grant of two acres of land was obtained and the church’s foundation stone was laid by Rev Padwick in 1861 for a building to be constructed on the corner of Kingston and Old Dandenong roads.
The church was built free of charge by Mr Laver, a stonemason, with materials carted from a quarry in Dingley by teams of bullocks.
A building committee was formed to obtain funds for completion of the work and the church opened free of debt.
In 1909, a timber church was built next to the original building to create more space for worship activities.
Crosslight acknowledges the Dingley Village Historical Society for resources on the church’s history.
