Although the year of 1862 is taken as the foundation year of Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church Clunes there were services held in Clunes earlier.
An effort was made in 1859 but owing to a gold rush to Back Creek (now Talbot) the proposal was temporarily abandoned. Efforts in the following year were more successful and a group was formed.
A newspaper of January 1861 indicates that during that month a Rev. John Strongman (DV) took services in the Clunes Council Chambers and the schoolroom at Mount Beckworth followed on the next Sunday by Reverend Downes, then of Learmonth and later first Minister of the Clunes Charge. It was April 1862 before the church was built in Service Street.
Services in connection with the opening of Saint Andrew’s Church were held on Sunday the 13th of April 1862 and the Reverend John Downes of Lake Learmonth preached morning and evening. A social gathering to further mark the opening was held on 14th of April.
John Downes was soon called to the Clunes charge and on Friday, 11th May 1862 was inducted. He was the first permanent Presbyterian minister.
The Downes family lived at a temporary manse until 1864 when a permanent manse was built on the church land. The site was chosen in January 1864 and work began soon after.
John Downes continued as minister until his death at the manse on 29th of May 1866, aged 63 years and 10 months. He had been a minister for nearly 44 years.
Upon hearing of John Downes death, his friend John Geillie in Hobart wrote:
“He was ever solicitous about the welfare of the young, establishing a weekly Bible class at Saint Andrew’s. With him the Sabbath School was an especial one holding weekly meetings with the teachers for mutual culture, and seldom omitting to address the scholars on a Sunday afternoon.
“Some ministers endear themselves to young folk very quickly. Mr Downes did so. His memory will ever be cherished by this writer and others…”
John Downes was a very active minister and was very sympathetic towards the townspeople’s problems.
He and the congregation were ready to oppose transportation to Western Australia: “If necessary we will join in a voice of Thunder against the fearful perpetration of wrong”.
His son-in-law, Charles T Sutherland was First Mayor of the Borough of Clunes.
In 1877 the Reverend Dr Elder Gray BA DD became Minister and remained until his death in 1905. About this time alterations were made to the manse by the building of a large kitchen and other conveniences.
The Reverend Dr Gray was succeeded by the Reverend R M Legate who remained only 10 months before transferring to Suva, Fiji.
In 1907 the Reverend J Legge became minister and remained until 1916. During his ministry extensive additions and alterations were made to the church property.
In 1907 a large vestry was erected at the rear of the church. The Ladies Guild in 1908 provided a new carpet and pulpit carpet in the church and in 1912 completely refurnished the church
During this period the verandah was erected around the manse.
In 1907 the Reverend J Legge became minister and remained until 1916. During his ministry extensive additions and alterations were made to the Church property.
In 1909 efforts were made to build a Sunday school but for various reasons the work had to be postponed until 1912 when a large hall was erected at a cost of £400 and dedicated at the Jubilee celebrations that year. In 1913 the piano was purchased and in 1914 the Kindergarten Room was erected. This building was erected by voluntary labour.
In 1916 the Reverend R A Green became minister and during his ministry Coghills Creek was included in the Clunes charge, services being held there every Sunday afternoon. It is likely the church was rendered between 1922 and 1925.
The Church was painted both inside and out between 1953 and 1957 with new toilets constructed.
The first meeting of the session of the enlarged charge with Clunes, Talbot, Evansford and Coghills Creek was held in November 1965.
A meeting of the Presbyterian and Methodist congregations was held in June 1970 to consider combining the two congregations. Agreement being reached in the affirmative.
In March 1971 the secretary gave a report on the month about services with a combined congregations which was to continue during 1971 and was later reported that the union with the Presbyterian and Methodist congregations would officially commence on the January 1st, 1972.
A congregational meeting was held in Clunes on July 25th, 1974, to discuss the proposal to amalgamate the Clunes and Learmonth Charges. The current Charge of Clunes, Coghills Creek, Talbot and Evansford proving unviable.
A new Charge of Clunes, Coghills Creek, Waubra, Learmonth and Evansford was constituted in November 1974.
The Board of Management was informed in January 1998 of the proposal by the Wesley College to establish a campus in Clunes on Uniting Church Property and neighbouring land.
The new kitchen and toilets were completed in 1999 with financial input from the Uniting Church and Wesley College.
The foundation stone of the Wesley campus was laid on November 6th, 1999, with the official opening of the campus held on April 16th 2000.
The Reverend G Wells was inducted into the new Parish of Creswick, Scrub Hill, Miners Rest, Clunes and Coghills Creek on March 3rd 1999.
Following Rev Wells turn of Ministry, Pastor Joy Robinson was appointed to the parish in February 2006 and retired on April 29th 2012.
