Tooborac Church HistoryThe church in Tooborac currently called "The Uniting Church Tooborac" was built as a Methodist Church by the local Tooborac residents in 1936, most of which were Hayes relatives.
When Mark and Maria arrived in Tooborac, they arrived with a Church of England background. Tooborac, as with every country town, was a melting pot of religious backgrounds. London, and therefore England, had been swept by Methodism over the 100 years before the Hayes immigrated. Services must have incorporated traditions from all the Protestant groups that had arisen in that spiritual melting pot. As Heathcote (McIvor) and Kilmore were the established towns that supplied the preachers for the country circuit, Tooborac were well looked after by visiting ministers and by devote locals. Church Services were apparently happening in Tooborac by at least 1862. The first official Wesleyan church service in Tooborac was conducted by Rev Robert Hart early in 1864 in the presence of ten adults and several children in the home of Mr Thomas Blake. The church congregation grew and purchased "The Hut" from Mr David McMaster in September of 1864. At this time, the Sunday School also started to meet at The Hut instead of at Mark Hayes' home in the scullion room. As the congregation grew further, a more substantial building was required. Mr Alex Rainey donated a property and the church families made the bricks to build a church in 1865. The Mechanics Hall was opened in 1889. When the railway arrived in 1897, the numbers dropped in attendance at the first site and the brick church became known as Tooborac North Wesleyan Church. The bulk of the Tooborac congregation began meeting in the Tooborac Mechanics Hall, for convenience sake, in 1898. They continued to meet in this hall for 38 years alternating weekly with the Presbyterian congregation. In the Tooborac area there were a few variations of churches based on John Wesley’s Methodism. On 1 January 1902, there were five Methodist denominations in Australia - the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodists, the Bible Christian Church, the United Methodist Free and the Methodist New Connexion Churches came together to found a new church: the Methodist Church of Australia. The Tooborac North church eventually closed in 1916. In 1920 the land was sold and building demolished leaving only the two eucalyptus trees planted by the pioneers of this congregation. In 1936 the current timber Methodist church was built. The trustees were George Hayes, Les Hayes, Joseph Hayes, Norman Hayes, Fred McMaster, Alex Rainey, with James Hayes as Secretary. The Uniting Church is the third largest Christian denomination in Australia and the first church to be created in and of Australia. The Uniting Church came into being on 22 June 1977, after three denominations - Congregational Union in Australia, the Methodist Church of Australasia, and the Presbyterian Church of Australia - joined together. Thus the current congregation is that of a Uniting Church. |
Pioneer, Mark HayesChristian education was very important to Mark Hayes. He worked hard to ensure his family and the local families were all taught from the Word of God. We believe he had brought his precious Bible with him from Medbourne in England.
While in Plymouth, awaiting to travel to Australia, a Minister gave Maria an inscribed Bible that is now treasured by a descendant. |
Hayes Family Donations to the Church
Below are some of the articles used in the current church that have been donated by various members of the Hayes family.
"To the Glory of God and in memory of 'LITTLE BILL' HAYES who was called home 9th September 1934 aged 7 years."
William Richard Hayes was born to William Joseph & Sylvinia Hayes on the 19 Sep 1927. Billy gave his parents Joe & Viney only 7 years. |
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Edward Hayes (Senior - 1856-1938)
Edward Hayes (Senior) wrote this booklet of the history of the work done by the Tooborac Wesleyan Church people up to the year 1900. He commented on the last page, "I have very much pleasure in handing down (this material) and I trust that same will be of some use and benefit to the present and future generations."
The middle section diverts into the history of the district, so it makes for interesting reading.
The middle section diverts into the history of the district, so it makes for interesting reading.
Jack Hayes Tooborac Church History