Zion Particular Baptist Church - Former

The former Zion Particular Baptist Church, Melbourne was opened on 20/10/1850 and extended about 1859. The church closed and the building was demolished in 1928 (article referenced below states mid 1930s). Some 60 members of a Particular Baptist congregation in England sailed from England on the "Harpley" with their minister the Rev John Turner. They arrived in Melbourne in January 1850 with the intention of setting up a farming community at Colac. Instead the Rev Turner obtained half an acre of land on the NW corner of Lonsdale and Exhibition Streets to build a church. With 20 children of his own he had a ready-made congregation (only six were born before he arrived in Australia). He retained only one third of the land allotted to him giving a frontage on Lonsdale Street. More historical information/photographs of the former church/congregation are invited. Photograph uploaded 15/2/2024..

Note: For more of the Rev John Turner and the church story see - http://www.thethomsons.aussieland.net/turner.htm