Parish of Northern Mallee
Post Office Box 692, Mildura 3502, Victoria, Australia



Corner of Fifteenth St and Koorlong Ave,
near the railway crossing
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Home Page,
Church History
Our 18 Clergy
St Luke's church, Irymple before the new porch was builtSt Luke's church, Irymple after the new porch was built
New porch built 2000
St Luke's,   Koolong Ave,   Irymple
St. Luke's is a member of the world-wide Anglican/Episcopal Communion. Irymple began to develop as a small township in 1891, and opened the Wesleyan Church at Irymple Valley on Nov 22, 1891. The area centred around the corners of Fifteenth Street and Sandalong Avenue. A meeting was held in Mr Bailey's room (possibly the school) on 12 July 1907, chaired by Revd Geer, which continued the process begun by the Irymple ladies collecting funds for their own church.
Revd Geer opened the Church of England Sunday School at 3.00pm 7 June 1908 in the New Library Room, opposite the Co-op Packing Shed, Fifteenth St, Irymple.
Certificate presented by Bishop James Ven. Archdeacon RJE Hayman of Maryborough visited on 18 Oct 1908 and preached the opening sermon at 3.00pm at Irymple Hall. Services are to be held alternate Sundays (Merbein the other week), and Sunday School each Sunday.
The Anglicans of Irymple, under the leadership of Canon Albert George Horner, their minister based in Mildura, built St Luke's church, which was dedicated by Bishop James on 27 October, 1929, and the next day he carried out the benediction of St Nicholas' Clergy House at Werrimul.
The site for St Luke's was donated by Mrs E Rowcroft, the building was designed by Messrs Richards, Cowburn, Richards of Ballarat, erected by Mr JC Riddell of 9 Lemon Ave Mildura, and the furniture was made by Messrs Washington Ltd of Deakin Ave, Mildura. Canon Horner did not neglect St Margaret's either - Bishop James laid the foundation stone of St Margaret's parish hall on 12 January, 1930 and it was dedicated on Thursday 24 April 1930.
Sunday School classes expanded when they moved to the new churches.

In February 1949 work was done, including re-erecting the gift of Mr Lincoln, one time post master of Irymple.
On Sunday 28 April 1974 Bishop Shand preached and blessed additions including a wooden cross given by Mrs Harrop in memory of her husband, new wallpaper in the sanctuary, and a new Organ.

Canon Cracknall was the Special Preacher.
Canon Cracknall at St Luke's Irymple on 18 Oct 1998 St Luke's church, Irymple

Canon Cracknall was the St Luke's Irymple on 18 Oct 1998 when Canon Cracknall was the Special Preacher for St Luke's Patronal Service, and they opened their new porch. Canon Cracknell and Archdeacon Russell Smith are greeting parishioners as they leave the service.

St Luke's church, Irymple after the new porch was built The Porch was later enclosed with glass windows and front door, to make a very useful space for fellowship after services, as well as extended seating when more than 40 people turn up for a service.

Our Centre at Irymple

St Luke's church interior Avis Hakewill, whose family were founding members of All Saint's Billabong, and who had served as our Diocesan Missionary at Yarrabah Mission near Cairns 1941-5, married George Massie 1 June 1957, and he died 1 May 1976.
Avis recalls that just after the Billabong folk decided to have their church relocated to Meringur, the St Luke's congregation found they needed to expand their accommodation in 1951 and moved an army surplus hut to a block opposite their church.
Avis relates that St Luke's was well provided for, with two toilets in the back yard of the church. However an over enthusiastic Oleander tree 'swallowed' one, and the other was sold after a toilet block was built behind the new hall, and connected to the town sewerage system. On 17 Oct 2004 the new brick replacement building was dedicated - and once again the church site has its own toilet at the back of the church, complete with a concrete path.

Mrs Allen was the mainstay of the St Luke's Ladies Guild for many years, as well as being a Sunday School teacher and the church Organist. When she decided the time had come for her to 'put away her music', Geoff Bird's wife kept the musical tradition flowing. The Bird family had moved from Robinvale.
Avis restarted the Ladies Guild in 1976, and in 1999 the current committee continue to hold monthly meetings and run social events. The new windows, Ark design The new windows, Dove design
St Luke's, Irymple had the plaster flying during June 1999. Plans were carefully laid, thanks to a generous donation from the late George and Molly Newton's family, to fulfil a long-standing ambition to strip the plaster from the interior walls and ceiling of the church, in preparation for re-wiring and replastering. The church building was out of use for the first three weeks of June, and during that time the services were held at the usual time of 10am, and in the Roman Catholic Church in Elm St, Irymple.
We are most grateful to our sisters and brothers of the Catholic Church for their willingness to have us use their building.

New stained glass designs replaced the original plain windows. The Wooden Cross placed on the East End wall behind the Altar was given by Mrs M Harrop in memory of her late husband, and dedicated by Bishop Shand on 28 April 1974.


Our Logo


St Luke's logo


St Luke the Evangelist

St Luke is remembered
on 18 October.
Almost all that we know about Luke comes from the New Testament. He was a physician (Col 4:14), and a companion of Paul on some of his missionary journeys. Material found in his Gospel and not elsewhere includes much of the account of Our Lord's birth and infancy and boyhood, some of the most moving parables, such as that of the Good Samaritan and that of the Prodigal Son, and three of the sayings of Christ on the Cross: "Father, forgive them," "Thou shalt be with me in Paradise," and "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

Luke is commonly thought to be the only non-Jewish New Testament writer. His writings place the life of Christ and the development of the early Church in the larger context of the Roman Empire and society.


What writer wrote more pages of the New Testament than anyone else? If you say Paul, try again. In my pocket Bible, Acts and the Gospel of Luke occupy a total of sixty pages, while all the letters traditionally attributed to Paul (not counting Hebrews) total fifty-six.

PRAYER (contemporary language)

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to Declare in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church the same love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN


This biographical sketch is based on that written by James E. Kiefer. The web site archive of these commemorative biographies is maintained by the Society of Archbishop Justus.

Our Clergy

Clergy at Mildura
1893 - 1997
who ministered
at Irymple
Canon Albert George Horner1926-46
Revd James Hardingham1946-62
Revd Donald Norman Shearman1962-63
Revd Henry Hugh Girvan1964-67
Revd Robert Malcolm Davis1968-77
Revd N W McDonald1977-84
Revd J G Thomson1985-93
Revd A W Collett
1993-97
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