'Light and Life' A History of the Anglican Church in Gippsland Compiled by I.T. Maddern pg 60
Page 60 The Parish of Sale, Established 1854
Even as early as 1849, the Reverend Willoughby Bean, in his first inspection of his Parish of Gippsland, noted in his diary that, if a causeway could be built over the Flooding Creek Morass, the little township of Flooding Creek (Sale) would be the central place of the Parish of Gippsland. His judgment was proved correct, 53 years later, when Sale became the See Parish of the newly created Diocese of Gippsland.
The Parish of Sale came into being in 1854, when the Reverend P. K. Simmons was appointed there. There was no church until 1858, and there was no vicarage for a year or two. Mr. Simmons and his family lived at the nearby squatting station of Mewburn Park, held by Mr. John Johnson, and 12 miles from the township.
Through Mr. Johnson's generosity, the Glebe Land was acquired, on the Maffra Road, and two miles from the township.
Flooding Creek became Sale officially in 1850, named after General Sir Robert Sale, the victor and hero of the Battle of Jellalabad, Afghanistan in 1841, but mortally wounded at the Battle of Moodkee in the Punjab, India, 1845.
The foundation stone of the first Anglican church in Sale, St. Paul's, was laid on Monday, 12th April, 1858 by John Johnson, M.L.A. of Mewburn Park. On Sunday, 13th March, 1859, Bishop Perry preached in the new church, which his wife described as "a very pretty and convenient red-brick building not as yet pewed", to a congregation of 200 people.
This first St. Paul's Church was situated in Raymond Street. Sale was beginning to grow rapidly, and by 1865, the church was enlarged at a cost of £1,700. The foundation of the new section was laid by John King of Nambrok, on Wednesday, 8th November, 1865. However, even by 1860, Sale was still a small place, and
Mr. Simmons had a huge area to serve, stretching from Bairnsdale in the east to Bennett's Hazelwood Station (now Morwell) in the west. Services were held at Sale on alternate Sundays.
The Reverend P. K. Simmons left in 1862, and was replaced by Archdeacon T. C. B. Stretch from Geelong. He became the first Archdeacon of Gippsland, and "had charge of the large district northward, and the superintendence of the whole of Gippsland". It seems, therefore, that by 1862, Sale already had been given precedence over the original centre of the Port Albert complex of townships.
The Parish of Rosedale was established in 1866, the Parish of Bairnsdale in 1867, and the Parish of Stratford in 1868, which meant that the incumbent at Sale was relieved of ministering to the outlying areas in all directions, and could devote his energies to Sale itself and the nearby centres like Maffra.
The Church of St. Paul.
The first Church of St. Paul, Sale, was licensed in 1857, and was replaced by the second Church of St. Paul, 5th November, 1884.
This church, with extensions made in 1907 and 1908 became the Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Gippsland in 1902, and the Cathedral of the Diocese in 1920.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Light and Life 1977 pg 49
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Sale
There is some doubt as to the exact year when the first St. Paul's Church, Sale, was opened. In the Jubilee Booklet published in 1904, we are told that "the first section of the old church was commenced in or about 1856". This first St. Paul's Church was situated in Raymond Street. Sale began to grow rapidly from then on, and by 1865, the church was enlarged at a cost of £1,700. Captain John William Jones of Fulham had laid the foundation stone of the first section of the church in 1858. The foundation stone of the new section was laid by John King of Nambrok on Wednesday, 8th November, 1865. Again, we have no evidence of when this work was completed, but we can assume that it was in 1866.
In August 1882, the land on which stands the present Cathedral and the old Vicarage was purchased for £1,150. The foundation stone for a new church on this site was laid by Bishop Moorhouse on 3rd December, 1882, and this second St. Paul's Church, Sale, was opened on 5th November, 1884, with Bishop Moorhouse preaching at both services. This building cost £3,389.
The pipe organ, which is older than the church, was bought from Mr. Fincham at a cost of £290 and installed in October 1884. Of course it has been modernised and improved since then.
The old church in Raymond Street continued to be used as a church hall until 1913, when it was demolished to make way for the Divinity Hostel, which opened on Thursday, 12th August, 1914 - eight days after the outbreak of the First World War.
When Gippsland became a diocese in 1902, the Parish Church of St. Paul, Sale, was renovated and embellished to serve as a temporary or Pro-Cathedral for the bishop of the Diocese - the Right Reverend Arthur Wellesley Pain.
Bishop Pain was installed by Dean Vance, administrator of the Diocese of Melbourne, before an immense crowd in the Pro- Cathedral, on the 10th July, 1902, and preached there for the first time on Sunday, 13th July.
The church was renovated and redecorated in the late 1920's at a cost of £2,000 and was officially dedicated and re-opened as the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Sale, on the 1st November, 1929.
In 1974-75 considerable work was done in restoring and renovating the Cathedral. Alterations were made to the entrance, the two old vestries near the main door were removed and a new open 'fellowship area' created. The Chapel was moved to the open area by the West Door and the former chapel area was converted to a small vestry. One row of choir stalls on each side of the chancel were removed to give greater spaciousness to that area. The Cathedral was redecorated and recarpeted and new lighting was installed. These restorations were completed in time for the Enthronement of the present Bishop in February 1975.
75th Jubilee Celebrations. The 75th Anniversary of the Diocese - the Light and Life celebrations - reached their climax with a Thanksgiving Service in the Cathedral on Sunday, 10th July, 1977, which date commemorated the Enthronement of Bishop Arthur Wellesley Pain on 10th July, 1902. Representatives came from throughout the Diocese, the preacher was the present Bishop, the Right Reverend Graham Delbridge; the Governor, Sir Henry Winneke and Lady Winneke attended the service and His Excellency read a lesson.
