CSBC is a church with a long and colourful history. For more than 168 years it’s been home to a community of people committed to the
Christian faith and to living that faith here in the city of Melbourne.
Melbourne’s first Baptist service was held in 1838. The congregation met in a tent on land where the Regent Theatre now stands and was constituted as the
Collins Street Baptist Church in 1843. It had a membership of just 16 people.
The first chapel was built on the present site in 1845. However, by the end of 1850s the congregation had outgrown its space.
Joseph Reed, the architect who designed the Melbourne Town Hall, was commissioned to enlarge the church building. Consequently, Reed demolished the
original structure and replaced it with the present one opened in 1862. The classical temple façade with its four Corinthian columns places the building
in the neo-Greek architectural tradition rather than the gothic style used for many of Melbourne's churches. It reflects the Baptist understanding of the
church as a community of believers rather than a sacred building. Heritage Victoria describes it as the grandest classical church in Victoria
.
So much has changed since those early days, but some things remain the same. From its very beginning, CSBC's story is one of ordinary people
passionate about the gospel's power to transform lives and the role of the church in bringing change to society.
If you are interested in learning more about the history of CSBC, you can read Mervyn Himbury's The Theatre of the Word, a concise history of the
church from 1843 to 1993, or Ken Manley's 2-volume A History of Australian Baptists in which CSBC's story features prominently.