Baptist Beginnings in Newcastle

Early Days of Mayfield

History of MBC

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1857 Hinton Baptist Church

The first Baptist church service in Australia was conducted in the long room of the Rose and Crown Inn, at the corner of King and Castlereagh Streets, Sydney.

The first Baptist Church to be opened in the Hunter District was at Hinton. In January 1856 Rev James Voller, pastor of the Bathurst Street Church, visited the district and called local Baptists together. The people met in a shed belonging to a Mr J Newman, however when this proved too small they moved to the Temperance Hall. Rev Philip Lane from Parramatta was called as the first Pastor on 3rd August 1856. A site was donated on 12th August 1856 and a church was built and officially opened on 5th July 1857. This original church has continued up to the present time.

Newcastle Baptist 

Work was commenced in Newcastle about the year 1860, when William Gibbs, David Morgan, Thomas Evans, David Young and David Howells held prayer meetings at the latter's house at the Glebe. It was soon decided to build a church in Pitt Street, Newcastle (now known as Queen Street). In 1861 Rev George Whiteford became the first pastor of the church. When the land upon which the church was built reverted back to the owner, services were conducted in the Oddfellows' Hall situated on Laman & Darby Streets.

Islington Baptist Church

Islington became a separate church in 1888, after the commencement of a Sunday School some two years earlier.

Wallsend Baptist Church

In 1865 a new church was opened at Wallsend, and Rev Philip Lane shared his time between there and Newcastle. During the same year the Welsh Baptist Church at Glebe was opened, and also a new church building in Sydney Street was dedicated.

Newcastle Baptist Tabernacle

Meanwhile back in Newcastle, land which was purchased in 1887 saw the dedication of a new Tabernacle in 1890. In 1906 members of the Glebe Welsh Baptist Church transferred to the Tabernacle.

Lambton Baptist Church

At Lambton the first Baptist church service was conducted in a small cottage home in De Vitre Street in 1868. In the following year the Welsh Congregational Church offered the use of their abandoned church building. Two other Baptist churches in Lambton at the time were the Particular Baptist Church, which commenced in Dickson Street in 1875, and the Welsh Baptist Church, which commenced in Elder Street in 1879.