Settlement History
Background to Clyde Churches

Churches were amongst the first public buildings erected in both old Clyde and the railway township of Clyde.

Observations based on documents, memories, newspaper articles suggest that there was a good working together between church members in the area.

Sharing responsibilities and relating to one another was apparent. A Methodist taught Sunday School at an Anglican church while Presbyterians offered hospitality to Methodists and Anglicans. They attended each others’ church services.

Clyde people through their churches gave to hospitals, Red Cross and other appeals for help. Churches functioning in Cranbourne in the 1800’s were:-

1855 Cranbourne Presbyterian Church “Scots”
1861 Cranbourne Roman Catholic Church, “St Agatha’s“
1866 “St John’s“ Anglican Church officially licensed as a place of public worship
1856 Presbyterian and Roman Catholic schools commenced in Cranbourne
1890 Wesleyan Methodist Church in Cranbourne – In 1896 the building was moved to Kooweerup. (Cranbourne and County Herald 20 March 1896)

Time Line : Early Developments of Church Life in Clyde.

1848	Alexander Patterson moves to Clyde.
1852	Anthony Ridgway buys land in Clyde
1854	William Sykes, a Wesleyan Methodist lay preacher, buys land in Clyde
1856	Alexander Patterson becomes a trustee for the Cranbourne Presbyterian Church.
1856	Embling Hardy, a Wesleyan Methodist lay preacher, moves to Clyde
1857	Alexander Patterson elected as an elder in the Cranbourne Presbyterian Church
1860	Anthony Ridgway gives land for the first church.
1863	First visits by Church of England Clergy to the area
1863-4	Yorkshire Evangelist, Matthew Burnett visits Clyde and stays in the home of Alexander Patterson
1864	Wesleyan Methodist church building and school erected.
1865	First formal Anglican Service, by Rev Charles Rupp, September 17, 1865
1870	First Anglican church building
1887	Original Anglican church demolished.
1887	St Paul’s Jubilee Church officially opened.
1891	Small vestry added to St Pauls Jubilee Church.
1906	February, fire destroys Clyde North’s St Paul’s Jubilee Church.
1906	George Thomas and family move to Tuckers Road, Clyde.
1906	December, new Church of England officially dedicated to replace the one destroyed by fire.
1909	Mrs Mary Stewart (nee Ridgway) sells land to the Methodist Church in Clyde
1909	Clyde Methodist Church officially opened.
1999	St Paul's was moved to Beacon Hills College at Pakenham.
1999	Clyde Methodist/Uniting officially closed after 90 years of operation.

Presbyterians and Catholic folk travelled into Cranbourne to “Scots” and “St Agatha’s”.

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