Christ Church (Tarraville Church)

The Christ Church in Tarraville holds significant historical importance as the first church established in the Gippsland region and the second-oldest standing timber building in Victoria. Officially opened on June 8, 1856, the church was built during a period when Tarraville served as a key hub for early colonial settlement following the opening of Port Albert. Today, it stands as a surviving landmark of South Gippsland’s early pastoral and maritime history.

Designed by architects John H. W. Pettit and George Hastings, The Christ Church is a celebrated example of Victorian Carpenter Gothic architecture adapted for local timber construction. The building features traditional drop-slab construction using mortise and tenon joints, built without nails, and was weather-proofed at the joints using iron tongues.

Notable exterior details include a multi-columned porch, an attached miniature timber campanile, and decorative bargeboards. Originally roofed with split timber shingles before being clad in sheet iron, the church remains a remarkably intact showcase of 19th-century colonial craftsmanship.

The church is built of sawn timber 5cm x 23cm. There was a shingle roof, which was then replaced with galvanised iron in the 1900s. Christ Church has been completely renovated on at least two occasions and now stands as a living testament to the early settlement of this area.

Services are now held on the 5th Sundays of the month at 10:30am. An ecumenical Good Friday is held at the church every year.