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(Information from Auburn Uniting Church website).

The Congregation now known as Auburn Uniting Church began life as a Wesleyan Methodist preaching place in 1853, when the first service was held under a gum tree near the corner of Auburn and Riversdale Roads.

In the Hawthorn area of Melbourne, two existing Methodist congregations, and one Congregational, merged to form the new UCA Parish of Hawthorn, with services continuing to be held in each place.  Eventually, the former  Congregational members left to form their own Uniting Church congregation of Augustine, and the former Denham Street (West Hawthorn) preaching place closed, leaving Auburn as the sole congregation of the Parish of Hawthorn.

 Auburn Uniting Church continues the evangelical practices of the former Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian churches within the Uniting Church in Australia. 

The Buildings now known as the Auburn Uniting Church complex were built in 1888-91 to the design of Alfred Dunn (born Devon, England, 1865; died Kew, Victoria, 1894) in the American Romanesque style.  Their unique qualities have been recognised by the National Trust (classified 1987); Heritage Victoria (added to the Heritage Register 2003); and by the Australian Heritage Commission (placed on the Interim Register of the National Estate 2003).  The complex is unique in that all buildings were built by the same builder, in the same style, designed by the same architect, within a space of only two or three years – a remarkable achievement for a single congregation when Melbourne itself was less than 60 years old.

The main building in the complex is, of course, the Church, occupying the corner of Oxley Road and Hepburn Street, its 30m high tower visible for miles around. (Curiously, the tower, while resembling a Venetian campanile, has no bells, as the Wesleyans did not believe in ringing bells to summon the faithful to prayer.)  The observation deck, some 15m above ground level, provides an excellent view of the city skyline and surrounding suburbs, and is open to the public from time to time. 

The Church is in the Methodist auditorium style, with no internal columns to obscure the view, and the pews arranged in amphitheatre style to allow every member of the congregation to both see and hear the preacher and the organ and choir. Apart from its encouragement of fine praise and preaching as part of church life, its superb acoustics attract many musical groups to give concerts in the auditorium.

The Hall was built in the Methodist Model Sunday School style, with a series of classrooms radiating from a central superintendent’s desk.  It has since been modified, with the provision of a stage, a kitchen and smaller offices, but evidence of the original plan may still be seen.  The Hall is well used during the week as a meeting place for many community musical and social groups. The Eileen Pawsey Room (formerly known as the Parlour) was renovated and dedicated in 2004 to the memory of Eileen Pawsey (nee Whitehead), a former parishioner and benefactor of the Church. It is available for meetings and musical activities.

The other building on the Oxley Road frontage is the Manse, sometimes known as the Parsonage.  This has been the home of the Minister and his family for most of the past 115 years.  Although it has lost its two-storey verandah, it remains largely intact, its six bedrooms a reminder of the time when families were large and servants ubiquitous.

The former caretaker’s cottage in Hepburn Street, while lacking the grand scale of the Manse, nevertheless has a certain rustic charm, currently awaiting restoration and rejuvenation of its kitchen and bathroom facilities.

The former stables and coach house now serve as garages and storage facilities.