St Michaels On Collins - Melbourne

St Michael’s Uniting Church is a church in Collins Street in central Melbourne, Australia. Originally the Collins Street Independent Church, a Congregational Union of Australia church, and later Collins Street Uniting Church, St Michael's has become well known as a centre of liberal theology and political radicalism under its outspoken minister since 1971, Francis Macnab, currently the church's executive minister.[1] The church became a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia at its inception in 1977.

 

 

History

St Michael's Uniting Church, then known as the Congregational Church, in 1872

 

The first church on this site was built in 1839, one of the first churches in the Port Phillip District (now the state of Victoria). The original church was demolished in 1866 to make way for the larger church now on the site. The church was designed by Joseph Reed, who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall and the Royal Exhibition Building. The church is classified by the National Trust of Australia. It was initially known as the Congregational Church before it was given its present name.

Architecture

St Michael's Church at night

Organ and pulpit

 

The building is in the Lombardic architectural style, with multi-coloured exterior brickwork, open cloisters on the side of the building and Romanesque arches.

 

The interior of the church was designed in accordance with the principles of the Congregationalist Church, as a place where all members of the congregation could both hear and see the preacher. It features a sloping floor with tiered seating and a gallery to increase the capacity of the church. The church underwent major renovations in the 1970s. It is now undergoing further renovations to its exterior structure.

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