The beginning of St. Luke's Anglican Parish is readily traceable to 1860. In that year, the Reverend (later Bishop) George Hills arranged for the Reverend Alexander George Garrett to hold services in what was known as Cedar Plains and conduct missionary work in Saanich.
Garrett reputedly preached from a barrel on Wharf Street, assisted by members of Christ Church choir, but most of those within earshot were inebriated departing gold miners.
Thanks to the generosity of Anthony Elliott, who was successful in the gold rush, 7.8 acres of land was donated for church purposes. This, together with funds from benefactress Baroness Burdett-Coutts, resulted in the building of a church in 1861, after 29 services were held at Rose Bank Farm, the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Irvine, a short distance to the north of the present St. Luke's Church.
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St. Luke's was built when Saanich
was for Missionaries
Photo by Geoffrey Castle, President of the Victoria section of the B.C. Historical Federation
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St. Luke's Anglican Church, as it is today |
The church and school building served the area until 1873 when St. Aidan's Presbyterian (now United) Church was built. Eventually, in 1886, architect Edward Mallandaine produced plans for a new structure for St. Luke's. The old building was moved north and it served as the parish hall until 1911. Six of the pews were retained from the original church. They were made of lumber from the forest which used to cover the Shelbourne area and the newer seats were made to match them. In 1891, St. Luke's ceased to be a missionary area under the aegis of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Reverend M. C. Browne became the first rector of the parochial period. |
Following a fire which destroyed it, the rectory was rebuilt in 1895. The north aisle of the church was added in 1942 and the nave was extended in 1951. These additions were carried out entirely in sympathy with the original Carpenter Gothic design. The present rectory was built in 1963.
Over the years, a number of smaller parishes were formed out of St. Luke's parish. They include St. Michael's at Royal Oak (1912), St. Mark's at Cloverdale (1915), part of St. Alban's on Ryan Street (1926), St. George's at Cadboro Bay (1946) St. David's at Cordova Bay (1947), and St. Peter's at Lake Hill (1957). St. Dunstan's Church at Gordon Head was established more recently.
Among the noteworthy features inside St. Luke's Church are the font, which was in the original church, and the brass bowl and ewer commemorating the baptism of Ruth and Isobel Goward on Easter Day, 1911. There is also a fragment of stained glass window from St. Andrew's Church in Plymouth, England, where Sir Francis Drake worshipped - the church was destroyed in an air raid during the Second World War. Near the altar is a triptych representing the nativity of Christ, carved by Peter Rendl of Oberammergau in 1888. The reredos was carved by the Woodworker's Guild of Peterborough Cathedral in England.
The adjoining cemetery contains many well known names which will be of particular interest to historians and genealogists alike.
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For a complete guide to St. Luke's history:
Pick up your copy of "A History of St. Luke's Anglican Church - Victoria, British Columbia, 1800 - 2000".
Editorial Committee: Rosemary Bauchman (Chair), Rosemary Watts, Steven R. Boothroyd.
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