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St James Pakenham
Established 1884
Historical Notes 1839 – 2006
       

Listed here are some of the events in the history of St James.
Although not a fully comprehensive list these notes are testimony to the dedication and faithfulness of the countless Parishioners who gave so freely of their time and talents in so many ways.

1839 I.Y.U. Estate Purchased (original homestead still exists on Meeking Drive)
1867 Township of Pakenham surveyed
1871 James Henty purchased land in Pakenham
1880 Township of Pakenham (Pakenham East) established
1882-1883 Rev. J.M. Easterling
Services held at Pakenham with Clergy  from Berwick
1883-1898 Rev. J.H. Hill
1883 Tenders let for erection of St James.  Bricks hand made.  Foundation stone placed in position by T. Henty.
1884 4th May services commenced in new St James church.
1887 Certificate of title held by T.Henty, J Startup and C. Hodgson.
Thomas Henty died.
1888-1889 Rev. A. Brain
1899-1903

Rev. H.J.Harvey

 

 
1900 Chancel added to Church
1901 First visit by a Bishop – Bishop F.F.Goe.
1903-1918

Rev. A.J. Cole

 
1913 Dedication of Chancel and furnishings.
Dedication of Pulpit in St James.
1918 Pakenham joined with Nar Nar Goon, and attached to Diocese of Gippsland, with Five Mile and Tynong.
Land purchased from Mrs Frost for £49/15/-d.
First vicarage built by Stephenson and Bloomfield.
1918-1921 Rev. F.J.Evans
1919

Second St. James Ladies Guild Formed

 
1922 Legacy from J.A. Kitchen Estate.
1923 Cross placed on top of Church by Mr. P. Thwaites.
Brass altar vases and book stand purchased.
New frontals made.
1922-1924 Rev. M.G.Opper
1924 Pew rentals abolished.  
Telephone installed at vicarage.
Church cleaner paid 2/6d.
1924-1926 Rev. H.C.Busby
1925 Thomas organ purchased from Kitchen Estate.
New fence at vicarage. Church cleaner paid 1/6d.
Miss Hagens retired after 25 years as organist.
1926 Duplex system of giving introduced.
1827 Two new cruets purchased.
Brass rods and hangars for vestry area (in rear of church).
Water and electricity available in district.
K. Purton & P. Thwaites appointed warden.
1927-1937 Rev.E.J.Dodd
1928 Guild almost disbanded.
Electric light installed in church by Ladies Guild for £8/5/-d.
Water service installed at house.
1929 Tennis courts built. 
Geo. Smith retired from Vestry
1930

C. Purton joins Vestry

 
1931 Cyclone fence around part of Church – cost £49/1/7d.
1932 Stipend reduced to £5 per month. 
Outside church light cost £1/15/-d.
1933 KooWeeRup eliminated from parish.  Guild subs. Reduced to 6d. from 1/-d.
1934 Jubilee Celebrations 27/5/1934.  Guild gave new fence along McGregor Road side (removed in 1961)
1936 Cypress trees planted in church grounds by Ladies Guild.
1937 Queen competition to raise funds – raised £477
1938-1944 Rev. E. Panelli
1938 St. James moved from Diocese of Gippsland to Diocese of Melbourne, with Berwick. 
Stipend £9/11/10d. 
Electricity to house for £15/10/-d.
1939 Bush Fire Appeal.  Problems paying stipend.
1940

Severe financial trouble.

 
1941 Blackout material purchased. 
Severe financial problems. 
Insufficient money to pay clergy. 
13/-d. collected for bombing victims.
1942 New path from Main Street. 
Concrete square at western doorway. 
New notice board. 
War Risk Insurance.
1943 Guild resumed cleaning duties in Church
1944 Bushfire destroyed outbuildings at vicarage.
1944-1948 Rev. W.P.Daunt
1945 £150 paid into 3rd Victory Loan.
1946 Interior of Church painted for £20.
“Little Hero” bath heater purchased for £4/10/-d.
1947 Temple day raised £57
1948 Underground tank filled in with sawdust.
1949 Church bell purchased for £7/10/-d.  from St John’s Ballarat.  Mr Langley erected tower.
1950

Plans drawn for Church Hall. 
Mr Hein collected information for “Back to Pakenham” booklet. 
Bricks made for Hall by voluntary labour.

 
1951-1955 Rev. J.L. Ryan
1951 New Carpet in Church
1952 New Altar given by Mrs Purton.
1953 Hall bricks made. 
N.N. Webster appointed Warden. 
Cost of running parish £9 per week.
1955-1961 Rev.P.Gason
1955 Hall completed costing £1300.
1956 Hall dedicated.  Stewardship began.
Education Dept. hire Hall.
1957 Mr. Thwaites Life Membership. 
Mr. Thwaites died. 
Alms dish presented by Vestry in his memory.  
Gold curtains placed behind altar. 
Candlesticks given for altar. 
Heaters placed in Hall. 
Projector purchased. 
C.E.B.S./G.F.S. commenced. 
St James Village proposed.
1958 Parish Hall extensions. 
Messrs. L. Rushton and K. Bishop appointed lay-readers in Parish.
Stewardship program. 
St. James Village built. 
Hall piano purchased.
1959 Bishop Sambell conducted mission. 
Mr. G. Smith died. 
Mrs. Reid gave “snuffer”. 
Mr & Mrs C. Shallard gave chalice and paten. 
Ladies Guild 40th Birthday. 
St. James Village opened by Archbishop Woods.
1960

C.A.S. Stewardship. 
Old vicarage passed to St. James Village and sold for removal.

 
1961-1966 Rev. C.F. Sexton
1961 Basic stipend £67 per month. 
Memorial Garden built for £95. 
Boundary fence removed.
1962 New kneelers in Church, lighting in Sanctuary. 
Baptismal shell given by Guild. 
Memorial Garden dedicated by Rev. Sexton.
1963 Debt on Hall cleared. 
Mr. A. Hein died. 
Stewardship program under Mr N.N.Webster.
1964 Cruets given by Guild in memory of Mrs. G. Shelton.
Vestry added to church for £980/10/-d.
New Axminster carpet in Church. 
Canon Hoffman died. 
Heaters installed in Church. 
Memorial Bowl to F.R. Webster. 
Choir formed under Mr. B. Wagstaff.
1965 Vestry building cleared of debt. 
Coffee Club formed.
Bishop family gave processional cross.
New vicarage proposed.
1966 Farrell memorial window installed, Hoffman memorial window installed. 
Book case in memory of P.Hoyles. 
C. Rossetti tendered £9753 for new vicarage.  “Question night” Evensongs popular.
1967-1972 Rev. R.S. Cherry
1967 Dedication of Hoffman Choir Stall frontal, bookcase, brass bowl, two memorial windows, vestry and residence by Bishop Sambell. 
Electric Yamaha organ purchased for £656. 
Reid legacy received. 
Dept. of Education ceased to use Hall.
1968 Church roof repainted. 
Dust covers made for Altar. 
M.R. Wagstaff Memorial Bible given for lectern. 
Mrs. M. Purton and Mrs. M. Jackson died.
1969 New psalm board made.  Garden shed built.
1970

Hall woodwork painted.
Final year as joint parish with Christ Church, Berwick.
Grey estate legacy.
Guild purchased crockery for hire.

 
1971 New forms of service first used.
1972-1975 Rev. S.S. Rigby
1972 New Vicarage cleared of debt.
Thanksgiving service for the work of the Ladies Guild.
New parish sharing clergy with St. John’s Upper Beaconsfield from December 1972.
1973 Table Tennis Table purchased.
Australia 73 service in use.
1974 Fence built around vicarage.
Mr. C. Purton resigned as secretary after 25 years service.
90th anniversary celebrations. 
Visit by Archbishop Woods..
1975-1975 Rev. A.R. Moore
1975 C.A.S. Stewardship. 
Kerbs and guttering cost $1226.
Land acquired by C.R.B. for roadwork. 
Tiles in vicarage.  
St. Patrick’s opened new Church.
1976 Altar position changed.
Toilet block and storeroom completed at rear of Hall.
Trees planted along eastern fence.
1977 Hall roof repaired.
Porch addition to Church suggested.
1978 Ladies Guild asked for help with Fete.
New Hall piano for $500.
1979 Repairs to house, gas heater, carpets in house etc. 
New duplicator purchased.
1980-1985 Rev. Roger  Rich
1980

Carpet in church $2850. 
Sanctuary in Church enlarged.
Trees planted in church grounds.
First meeting in St. John’s Upper Beaconsfield hall regarding establishment of a Christian school for the district.
Celebration ’80 – Rev. Graham Rutherford and mission team from Kyabram visit Pakenham.

 
1981 New porch added to church – cost $16,950
Ronald memorial window placed in western wall and dedicated by Bishop Shand. 
Sanctuary lamp dedicated to Ken & Cec Purton.
Retiring Vestry Members; Ken Purton 53 yrs service; Cec Purton 51 yrs service; Fred Treloar 23yrs service
Rev. Philip Huggins received licence.
YWAM mission team visited St James
Purchase of land for Christian school to be established- Frank Millet appointed Principal of Beaconhills Christian College.
1983 On Ash Wednesday 16th February many parts of Victoria were devastated by bushfires. 
At Upper Beaconsfield St John’s Church and Hall were destroyed and many people lost their life or were injured.
St James established a crisis support centre in conjunction with other aid agencies.
1984 St James 100th Birthday Celebrations
1984-1985 Major fundraising appeal to build orphanage school in India.
“Trading Table” began operating to raise money for Missions.
Rev. Bill Potter was Locum.
1986-1997 Rev. Ian Battersby
1987 Windana rehabilitation centre opened at Maryknoll.
1990

Congregational meeting held to discuss building a new church
Youth Ministry - Roseanne Brough appointed.
St James supported the establishment of a Community Chest to provide emergency relief to families in crisis.

 
1991 2nd Clergy House purchased $130,000
Rev. Wayne Walters appointed as Curate – part-time
1992 In August St James (Main St) sold to Tobin Brothers for $400,000.  To be used as a Funeral Chapel.
Ladies Guild closed down.
1993 In June St James relocated services to Beaconhills Christian College Library until new church was finished.
In October land for church was purchased from Beaconhills for $115,000
1994 In May the sale of 5-7 Main St. was completed.
6/11/94 Most Rev. Keith Rayner Archbishop of Melbourne officially opened St James new church building.
Life in the Spirit Seminar
1995 Announcement of new urban growth corridor to increase population of Pakenham and surrounding areas.
February – Lay Pastors Commissioned; V.Blackwell; L.McMillan; L.Rushton; A.Bailey; N.Speedie; C.Battersby; B.Watts; A.Gillespie; A.Cadman; R.Pearson; G.Brooke.
1998 May 12th Rev. Hilary Roath inducted
1999

New prayer books donated by congregation in memory of loved ones. Introduction of GST caused headache for Treasurer.
2000

Friends Outreach Program established.
Reintroduction of Harvest Festival. 
Alpha Courses offered.

 

 
2001 Vision & Planning for the Future
New organ donated
Parish Dinners – Fun and Fellowship established.
2002 Dream Factory Kids Club established.
Genevieve Shallard receives Lay Ministers Licence as Pastoral Care Minister.
Risk of losing Cardinia Shire Carols by Candlelight – St James joins other churches to save the event
2003 Rev. Hilary Roath appointed Junior School Chaplain at Beaconhills College.
Altar moved and configuration of seating altered.
B.C.A. ladies establish catering group to assist fundraising.
2004 Sunday Morning Family Church established.
Nov.2004 St. James celebrates 120 years of ministry in Pakenham and 10 years in our new church building. 
The Most Reverend Peter Watson Archbishop of Melbourne officiated.
“Drugproofing Your Kids” Course run by Steve Petering and Roseanne Brough.
2005 Many St James people attended Festival Victoria, (Franklin Graham.)
Acknowledgement of Noel Webster on his resignation as registrar of the Memorial Garden after 45 years.
Dedication of new Flag and Flagpole and presentation of Victory in the Pacific Medals after Remembrance Day Service 06.11.05 Youth Evening Services go monthly.
“Boundary With Kids” Course run by Stephen Petering.
New format for The Dream Factory working well.
2006

 Crosstown - Sunday Morning Children and Families worship was launched on April 30th. It is being held in the Beaconhills Year 12 center.
Full immersion baptisms in the morning and for the first time in the Evening Youth Service followed a week later on June 18th by Confirmations with Bishop John Wilson officiating.
1-5th May ‘Evangelism Explosion’ Clinic held.
Formal Dinner held at Mill Valley Ranch.
Prime Minister John Howard paid a surprise visit to the St James BCA Garden Party on 27th September, 2006.
 

 

The notes above are only a summary of records on hand and we apologise if we have overlooked recognising any milestone or event that you may believe was significant in the history of St James. 

We would be more than willing to accept any information you wish to contribute to add to our historical files.

Lord, you have been our refuge:

From one generation to another….Psalm 90:1

 

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