Land for the Methodist Church in Wodonga was reserved in 1864. By 1865 the Reverend Francis Neale, a Wesleyan minister was appointed to Albury from where he supervised the congregation at Wodonga Creek until a church was built in 1873. By 1885 Wodonga and the other preaching places on the Victorian side of the Murray had become a separate circuit under the Reverend L. J Rowlands. This circuit included Bethanga. Kiewa. Leneva, Kergunyah and Bonegilla. In the 1960s the Methodist congregation built a new chapel in Hovell Street, Wodonga. The creation of the Uniting Church during the 1970s meant that the services were held in the former Presbyterian Church and joint Sunday School classes were conducted in the Methodist Hall. In 1961 the Church building and land was purchased by the Ukrainian Community for £2,000. Ukrainian Catholic families in Wodonga donated £100 each towards the purchase. Additional fund raising such as carol singing in nearby towns (Benalla, Wangaratta, Albury and Wodonga) assisted with the purchase of the Church. The former Methodist Church was in poor condition and the members of its new congregation undertook the replacement of the floor, the footings, replastering of the walls and the construction of an altar. The renovations cost a further £400. Once a month a priest came up from Melbourne to conduct services in the Church. On completion it was blessed by Bishop Ivan Prasko to become St Olga's Catholic Church (Ukrainian). In 1965 the Church was dedicated to its patron St Volodymir, with Bishop Varlamm (Sydney) and Bishop Donat (Melbourne) taking part in the ceremony. The members of the Ukrainian Catholic community also built a hall and smaller chapel in Hunt Street, Wodonga. With a declining congregation, this property became more manageable to maintain than the original brick building and the decision was made to close the building in 2010. In 2022 the building and extensive block of land in Church Street was sold commercially for potential redevelopment.These images are significant because they depict an early Wodonga Church building.A collection of coloured photographs depicting the first Methodist Church in Wodonga, Victoria It was a red brick church with a steeply pitched gable roof and parapeted gable walls. There was a small front porch with matching roof and gable treatment to the front. Simple timber Gothic windows were along the sides, with a tri-partite window above the porch. Two sections of this window featured stained glass, the other was opaque glass. Red brick buttresses were topped with white-painted render, as were the parapets, and the windows were also outlined with white painted render. Timber joinery was painted white. A front path led directly to the porch and the Church was flanked by mature oak trees. A small, relatively modern red brick skillion extension was added to the rear of the building.wodonga churches, methodist church wodonga, ukrainian catholic church wodonga

This is a token of appreciation to Rev William Charles J. Peart who was leaving the Wodonga-Bethanga Methodist Circuit to serve King and country. He was minister of the Wodonga-Bethanga circuit in 1914 from where he enlisted in the Light Horse. He afterwards became a gunner in the Field Artillery and was severely gassed, from which he never really recovered. He spent time in hospital and on his return to Australia his circuits were Drouin, Footscray and Merbein. He then had to request leave of absence for six months owing to war disabilities. He was able to return to the ministry. Before enlisting he married Doris Quick who came out of the Daylesford Circuit. The war left a legacy of suffering and limitation with Mr Peart, but he showed a brave face and a steady heart. Paper testimonial mounted on card. The text is gold and there is an image of a draped Australian flag in the top right corner. The testimonial is signed on behalf of the Wodonga-Bethanga Methodist Circuit by 12 people.wodonga-bethanga methodist circuit, rev william charles j. peart 1881-1949, world war 1914 - 1918

B. 1860 Victoria; d. 1948 Burwood Victoria. Methodist minister, ordained 1886. Served at Dromana 1886; Poowong 1887; Wodonga 1888; Preston 1889; Donald 1890; Casterton & Coleraine 1893; Wangaratta 1895; Euroa 1898; Pyramid Hill 1901; Forth 1904; Latrobe 1908; Avoca 1911; Beeac 1914; Kilmore 1917; Frankston 1920; Mordialloc 1923; Superintendent Gardiner 1926. (No further records.).Photo of a young man with long sideburns and moustache, wearing a clerical collar and suit."Rev. Charles Angwin"angwin, charles

Rev Henry Clarnette: born 1898 in N.S.W. Ordained into the Methodist Church in 1921. Served in Yackandandah, Wodonga, Longford & Bracknell, Latrobe, Launceston South, Colac, Warracknabeal, Warrnambool, Bendigo (Forest Street). Connexional Editor Tasmania 1933 - 1935. Chairman of District 1946 - 1949. Died in 1954.B & W matte photograph of the Rev Henry Clarnette laying the foundation stone of the Hotham St. Methodist Church Mont Albert. Mounted on buff card.rev henry clarnette, methodist, minister, mont albert

Rev. Leonard Bailey Eldridge (1901 - 1981). Ordained 1925. Stationed at: Smithton (1926), Derby (1927), Campbell Town (1929), Franklin (1932), Deloraine (1933), Raywood (1936), Womboota (N.S.W. 1939), Military service A.I.F. 1940, military service A.M.F. 1941, Dunolly & Tarnagulla (1944), Wodonga & Bethanga (1947), Wangaratta (1951), Rochester (1955), Rushworth (1960), C.D. 1951 -1954, Compiler of Ministerial Records 1958 - 1962.B & W waist length photograph of the Rev. Leonard B. Eldridge dressed in uniform."Sincerely yours VX36376 Pte L B Eldridge c/o Y.M.C.A. South Melbourne S.C.4"rev. leonard eldridge, methodist, minister, a.i.f.

Members of the Presbyterian faith were among the first settlers in the North-east of Victoria, and in the year 1842 the Presbytery of Melbourne requested the Rev. Peter Gunn, Minister of the Gaelic Church, Melbourne, to visit Presbyterians along the Murray River. This was the first of a series of annual visits, and was of a missionary nature. In May 1851, the Rev. David Hunter Ballantyne was appointed to the Wodonga district based out of Albury. In 1860 the Presbytery of Beechworth was formed, and from it two large presbyteries have grown - Wagga Wagga and Beechworth. In the early days the services at Wodonga were held in the old court house, which still stands. Wodonga Presbyterian Church continued as part of the Parish of Albury until the end of 1887, when it was placed under the administration of the Session of the Beechworth Church, with a home missionary in charge. Mr William Cooper was placed in charge for the first months, then Mr William Smith, a city missionary who had recently arrived from Scotland, was appointed. Mr Smith conducted a cordage factory at Stonleigh. He remained as missionary in charge for the next 10 years, and in that time the church steadily progressed. Plans were made for the erection of the building which now stands in High Street, Wodonga. Mr John Whan was a Founding Member of the Church and was appointed Sunday School Superintendent, an office which he held for 46 years, rendering extensive and valued service to the church and congregation. With a growing congregation and realising the challenges presented to the Church by changing conditions, land for a new church was sought. In September 1950 property was purchased in Nilmar Avenue in Wodonga and the new Presbyterian Church St Stephens became their new home. With the amalgamation of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, the new Church became the Uniting Church. The original Presbyterian Church was later sold to the Free Serbian Orthodox Church.These photographs are significant because they provide evidence of the changing nature of religious worship and groups in Wodonga.A collection of black and white photographic images depicting the first Presbyterian Church at Wodonga. The Church was later taken over by the Free Serbian Orthodox Church.presbyterian church, free serbian orthodox church, wodonga churches