Presbytery of Ballarat
Dates
- Existence: April 1859 - October 2021
- Existence: 2024-07-29 - 2024-08-08
- Usage: 1859 - 2021
Parallel Names
- Presbytery of Ballaarat
History
Five presbyteries were created in April 1859 at the inaugural General Assembly meeting of the newly-formed Presbyterian Church of Victoria comprised of the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria; Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of Victoria and the Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of Australia. The five provisional presbyteries were Geelong, Ballaarat, Castlemaine, Kilnoorat and Portland.
The Presbytery of Ballaarat initially covered the congregations of Buninyong,Lake Learmonth, Ballarat,Skipton, Wardy Yallock,Lexton, Ararat, and Horsham. In 1862 the congregation of Horsham was moved to the new Presbytery of Wimmera.
In 1864 the Presbytery of Ballaarat changed its name to the Presbytery of Ballarat.
The congregations of the Presbytery of Ballarat were Ararat-Skipton-Lismore, Ballarat North, Ballarat South, Ballarat West, Carisbrook-Castlemaine, Daylesford,Horsham and Kaniva-Nhill prior to the renaming in October 2021 to the Presbytery of Western Victoria.
Biography
BALLARAT—RETROSPECT
As far as history tells us, the seeds of Presbyterianism were sown in the district of Ballarat by early settlers who were engaged in pastoral pursuits, and who desired to worship God after the manner of their forefathers; who, long before a Presbyterian minister came among them, gathered round the family altar or in lonely bush hut, where some saintly elder or layman would lead them in their devotions; but when circumstances permitted, resolved to obtain the services of an ordained minister. The first of such to come amongst them was the Rev Thomas Hastie, of Launceston, who received a call from Mr George Russell, of Golf Hill, (Melford), and Mr. Thomas Learmonth, of Buninyong, and others who were likeminded. Mr. Hastie was duly settled in Shelford in 1847, as minister of Shelford and Buninyong. With untiring energy he sought to overtake the needs of his very large parish, stretching from Bannockburn to the Grampians.
In 1851 came the discovery of gold in considerable quantities in Buninyong and Ballarat. Consequently large numbers of men of all persuasions, and none, came in its pursuit from all parts of the world. The unsettled condition of the people made a very difficult problem for the Church to solve. The Rev Thomas Hastie, however, was equal to the circumstances, and succeeded in forming a congregation in Ballarat, and gave all the time he could spare to its need for several years.
In 1855 the Rev James Baird, of the Free Church of Scotland, took over the pastorate of the small congregation formed by the Rev T Hastie. Mr. Baird preached in a little Church on Specimen Hill, and afterwards in the town hall for three years, and was succeeded by the Rev William Henderson, during whose ministry St Andrew’s Church was built.
In 1857 the Rev. James Ballantyne, a United Presbyterian Church minister, preached in the Temperance Hall, Ballarat East, although it was not until 1862 that St John’s called its first minister, the Rev Duncan Fraser. In 1858 the Rev R T Walker, a United Presbyterian Church minister, accepted a call to the Ebenezer congregation. In 1859 the union of the differing Presbyterian Churches took place, and on 7th April 1859, the first Ballarat Presbytery was formed, consisting of the Revs T Hastie (Buninyong), G Mackie (Learmonth), Wm Henderson (Ballarat), and Charles Adam, (Lexton). To these were afterwards added the charges of Miners’ Rest, Mt. Blowhard, Coghill Creek, Creswick, Pitfield Plains, Scarsdale, Carngham, Ballan, Clunes, Smeaton, Rokewood, Skipton, Mt. Prospect, Windermere, Burrumbeet, Ararat, Horsham, Dimboola, Lake Hindmarsh, Avoca and Swan Hill.
In 1861 a mission was commenced by the Ebenezer congregation at Soldiers’ Hill, which afterwards developed into “Scots” Church. In 1862 it was found that many charges were too far distant for mutual helpfulness and supervision; and so it was decided to divide the Presbytery into two, viz., Ballarat and The Wimmera, the former to consist of the charges nearest the city, and the latter to embrace Ararat, Horsham, Pleasant Creek (Dimboola), St Arnaud, Swan Hill, and other places farther afield. In 1882 Mr Donald McKenzie formed a Presbyterian Sunday-school in Pleasant-street State school, which afterwards grew into St Cuthbert’s Church.
On 17th July 1930, in order to help in the formation of the Western Plains Presbytery, the Ballarat Presbytery was induced to part with Rokewood, Skipton and Streatham from its jurisdiction, to be joined on to Western Plains, which left Ballarat a comparatively small, though compact, Presbytery.