Welcome

For a virtual tour of St. John’s, please click here.

Weekly Services at St. John’s

Sunday 8am & 10am

Wednesday 7pm

Sunday services at 10am are followed by morning tea in the Buxton Hall (directly behind the church).
Wednesday evening service is followed by refreshments and fellowship in the vestry.

Sunday sermons are recorded and are available to listen to on our website under ‘Worship’ and ‘Sermons‘.
Previous sermons and services are available on our YouTube channel.

This week’s pewsheet

8am Service

10am Service

Rosters

The Eagle

Pastoral Services

Weddings

St. John’s has developed a comprehensive wedding package that arises out of long experience of hosting many weddings, including those of celebrities and prominent Melburnians. St. John’s is privileged to be the church of choice for many.

Learn more

Baptism & Confirmation

Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives. It is a first step we take in response to God’s love, for all involved, particularly the candidates but also parents, godparents and sponsors.

Learn more

Funerals

For over 160 years, St. John’s has been the venue for many funeral and memorial services celebrating the lives of all manner of people. The staff and clergy are well used to preparing and leading services of this nature.

Learn more

Children & Families

Children's Ministry

Children of all ages are always welcome at St. John’s.

Normally every Sunday, there is a children’s talk early in our worship together. We hold Sunday School in a safe designated room on Sundays during the sermon time of the 10am worship (except for school holidays and long weekends). All activities are supervised by adults who hold current Working With Children Checks. Parents are welcome to attend these sessions or to enjoy the service in the Church.

St. John’s also has a dedicated Children’s Corner in the church. It is a safe, comfortable space for children and parents to enjoy, complete with toys, books, cushions, and a quiet area for reading.

St. John’s is a child-safe church. We have a zero tolerance of any behaviours that may harm children. On this website you will find policies and procedures that inform our practices in child safety. You will find these documents under ‘About Us’. If you wish to make a report, please contact the Director of Professional Standards at Kooyoora.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge that St. John’s Toorak is on the traditional land of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people and offer our respects to elders past and present. We recognise and respect the cultural heritage of this land and the ongoing work of reconciliation.

Buxton Hall

The Buxton Memorial Hall at St. John’s Toorak is available for hire as a location for drinks and canapes and finger foods etc. after a wedding and before the reception, for a wake following a funeral, or for after Baptims refreshments.

Learn more

People

The Revd. Dr. Peter French

Vicar

Peter was appointed to St. John's in 2016. In addition to his role as Vicar, he is also Chair of the Toorak Ecumenical Council, a Charter member of the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, a member of the Council of St. Catherine's School, Toorak, the founding Chair of the Hardship Committee of St. Catherine’s and serves as Chaplain to the Toorak sub-branch of the RSL. In the Diocese of Melbourne, Peter has served on Archbishop in Council, the Prevention of Violence Against Women Program, and as Area Dean of Stonnington.

Learn more

The Revd. Dr. Wendy Crouch

Assistant Priest

Wendy was appointed Assistant Priest at St John’s in March 2022. She
comes to this half-time appointment from ministry at St. Bartholomew’s Burnley with St. Stephen’s, Richmond, and St. Peter’s, Bundoora. She completed her theological studies through the University of Divinity (Trinity College Theological School). Wendy is also a trained clinical psychologist and Fellow of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society. For more information, please see below.

Learn more

Mr Zachary Hamilton-Russell

Director of Music & Organist

Zachary is a Melbourne-based musician with a focus in piano accompaniment, choral music, and pipe organ. He studied his Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Previously, he has been Director of Music at St. Martin's, Hawksburn, and the organ scholar at St. Andrew's Church, Brighton under Dr. Calvin Bowman.

Learn More

Ms Alicia Groves

Parish Administrator & PA to the Vicar

Alicia manages the busy parish office and is also personal assistant to the Vicar of the parish. Alicia handles all enquiries of a general nature.

You may recognise her from the St. John's Church Choir which sings at the 10am service on Sundays!

St. John’s Toorak History

The foundation of St. John’s Toorak can be traced back to a meeting hosted by Mr. H. W. Dauglish in his Heyington Place home (now part of St Catherine’s School) in November 1859. It was resolved at this meeting to appoint trustees and commence subscriptions for the building of a church in Toorak. Within months, one of the six trustees appointed at that first meeting, Mr. Alfred Ross, had donated sufficient land from his property ‘Orrong’ for the site of the church and over £1500 had been raised.

The newly appointed government architect, William Wardell, was contracted to build the new church on its present site in the early English Gothic style. Wardell also designed and built St Patrick’s Roman Catholic cathedral in East Melbourne. In April 1860 the Governor of the colony of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly, laid the foundation stone and building commenced.

Following a delay caused by some difficulty in separating the new parish of Toorak from the existing parish of South Yarra, St. John’s Toorak was opened for worship, again by Sir Henry Barkly, in July 1862. As the first vicar, the Revd Walter Fellowes, was still in transit from England, the first service was led by Dr Bromby, the first Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School.

Download the Guide to St. John the Evangelist Toorak