Lutheran Trinity Church, East Melbourne

The first church, built in 1854, was replaced in 1874 by the existing structure.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006}}

Half an acre of land ({{convert|0.5|acre|m2|disp=out}}) in East Melbourne was granted on 19 January 1853 for construction of a church.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=431}} Donations, a government grant and a bank loan covered the cost; the foundation stone was laid on 27 September 1853 and the dedication of the completed church occurred on 11 June 1854.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|pp=431–433}} Additional land was granted in February 1855 for the manse.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=439}}

From 1870, discussions occurred concerning enlargement of the church and repairs that were required.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=448}} The sale of some land allowed the construction of a new church; its foundation stone was laid on 17 March 1874 and the completed church was dedicated on 22 November 1874.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=449}}

Architect John Koch, a member of the Trinity Church Committee,{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=215}} started preparing plans for the second church but another architect, Carl Blackmann, offered his services free of charge. Blackmann, also known as Charles Blachmann,{{sfnp|Perry|2011|p=1}} sent plans which were accepted. Koch later designed the manse which was built in 1890.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006}}

Matthias Goethe was appointed as the church's first pastor on 25 March 1853.{{sfn|German Lutheran Trinity Church}} Goethe was succeeded by Hermann Herlitz who was the pastor from 1868 to 1914.{{sfnp|John Noack|2011}}

The church is built of bluestone with a pitched slate roof. The building follows a basilica design.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=451}} The church exterior is {{convert|90|by|42|ft|abbr=off|order=flip}} with an interior height to the apex of the ceiling of {{convert|46|ft|abbr=off|order=flip}}. The church was intended to hold from 370 to 500 people.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=451}}

Internally, each side of the church has five pointed and moulded arches which separate the aisle from the nave.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=457}} The arches are supported by columns with foliated capitals.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=457}}

The church, hall, manse, fencing and land were added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 9 October 1974.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006|loc=side panel}} The heritage statement of significance mentions that the congregation has occupied the site continuously since 1853, and that services have always been conducted in German.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006}} As of 2021, an English-language service is held every fourth Sunday, with German-language services on other Sundays.{{sfn|German Lutheran Trinity Church − Service}} The architecturally important bluestone church shows a rich interior decoration, with a timber ceiling and stained glass by Ferguson and Urie.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006}}

A pipe organ was dedicated on 16 May 1875.{{sfnp|Mees|2004|p=476}} The church heritage listing states that the organ is significant for having been built by Robert Mackenzie and, while having been rebuilt twice, for retaining the original pipework and case.{{sfnp|Heritage Council of Victoria|2006}}

• History of the Lutheran Church of Australia

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book

|editor-last=Mees

|editor-first=Herbert D.

|date=2004

|title=A German church in the garden of God : Melbourne's Trinity Lutheran Church 1853-2003

|publisher=Trinity Lutheran Church

|isbn=0-646-42948-5

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Perry

|first=Norma

|date=2011

|title=C.H.E. Blackmann, the disappearing architect, 1835–c1912

|url=https://library.lmc.nsw.gov.au/DIGITAL/EBOOKS/JPEG/LOCALHISTORY/1000010343.pdf

|edition=2nd

|publisher=Norma Rose Perry

|isbn=978-0-646-57035-8

}}

• {{cite web

|url=https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/392

|title=Lutheran Trinity Church, Organ, Hall and Manse

|author=Heritage Council of Victoria

|date=9 October 2006

|website=Victorian Heritage Database

|publisher=Heritage Council of Victoria

|access-date=11 March 2019

}}

• {{cite web

|url=https://www.wendishheritage.org.au/the-herlitz-grave-restoration-and-plaque-dedication/

|title=The Herlitz Grave Plaque Dedication

|author=John Noack

|date=14 June 2011

|website=Wendish Heritage Society Australia

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319201343/https://www.wendishheritage.org.au/the-herlitz-grave-restoration-and-plaque-dedication/

|archive-date=19 March 2021

|url-status=live

|access-date=24 March 2019

}}

• {{cite web

|url=https://en.kirche.org.au/about-us-2/history/

|title=History - German Lutheran Church In East Melbourne

|website=German Lutheran Trinity Church in Melbourne

|date=22 March 2017

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304191506/https://en.kirche.org.au/about-us-2/history/

|archive-date=4 March 2021

|url-status=live

|access-date=26 March 2019

|ref=CITEREFGerman Lutheran Trinity Church

}}

• {{cite web

|url=https://en.kirche.org.au/congregational-life/service/

|title=Service - German Lutheran Church In East Melbourne

|website=German Lutheran Trinity Church in Melbourne

|date=27 February 2017

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304180915/https://en.kirche.org.au/congregational-life/service/

|archive-date=4 March 2021

|url-status=live

|access-date=6 April 2019

|ref=CITEREFGerman Lutheran Trinity Church − Service

}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons category|East Melbourne Lutheran church}}

• {{official website|https://en.kirche.org.au/}}
• [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60447826/5734556 Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers, 30 December 1874]

{{DEFAULTSORT:East Melbourne, Lutheran Trinity Church}}

Category:Churches in Melbourne

Category:Churches completed in 1874

Category:Lutheran churches in Australia

Category:Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne

Category:1874 establishments in Australia

Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)

Category:German-Australian culture

Category:East Melbourne, Victoria