23 December 2019:
No doubting what this is – only detail needed is that it’s the Anglican #ChineseMissionChurch of the Epiphany. It was designed by Nahum Barnet in a rather plain red brick style but with appropriate Gothic details, and built in 1902. Apparently the characters spell out ‘Worshipping Hall’. It had a rather complex beginning; the Anglicans built their first mission church across the road in 1896 (in a nice polychrome brick style) funded by the enthusiastic Cheong Cheok Hong. His father had arrived in 1854, converted in 1860 and became a Presbyterian minister. Cheong went Anglican in 1883, and supported the first Mission Church, but fell out with management, so raised funds and built this second one as a mission hall with attached school and shops. Eventually the Anglicans gave up the first building, and this became their mission church, which is still going. Pretty plain inside but nice timber altar wall and ceiling, not #heritagelisted, but probably worthy just as one of only 4 Chinese mission churches in Victoria.




