About Us
A Short History of the Hazelglen Church
Within a decade of
European settlement on the Yarra River (1835), selectors had moved up the
Plenty River valley and taken up land in the rolling hills to the east.
One of the first families, Scottish migrants Patrick and Agnes Reid, leased
8 square miles of country and established a homestead on Reid's Creek in
1844. They named their property "Hazelglen".
Staunch Methodists, they joined with other settlers of similar faith
to hold regular religious meetings in their homes. There being no ordained
clergy available, these services were led by the head of each household
in rotation.
In 1866, two of Patrick's sons (Patrick died in 1852), gifted a block
of land on the northeast corner of the Yan Yean road and the lane
serving access to "Hazelglen" for the building of a small church.
It was a simple construction of bush slabs roofed with sheets of bark.
Only a few years later, the church was destroyed by a bush fire. Upon learning
that a larger block on the opposite corner was for sale, the Reids and
seven other local men purchased this block of just over one acre from a
soap and candle manufacturer of Preston for the sum of ten shillings! A
new church of solid brick on bluestone footings, roofed with wooden shingles
split in the Kinglake forests, was built. It was consecrated as a Methodist
Chapel in June, 1872. The other block was retained and the lane between
became known as Chapel Lane. Several bush slabs salvaged from the fire
were utilised to build a stable for church-goers' horses in the south east
corner of the new church block. The chapel formed part of the Preston Circuit
and ministers would come out from Preston on horseback to lead worship
services. The other block of land was retained but not utilised by the
Church. It continued thus for many years until the adjacent landholder,
Dr.Hoban, secured ownership under the "Law of Obverse Possession" in
the 1970s. The stable still exists, though now clad in corrugated iron,
and the horse-stalls are still in place.
