Buckland's first Church of England

A letter written by Chaplain William H. Breton of Richmond in December 1836 stated that there was no clergy in the district and Divine Service had not been performed by a clergyman for seven years. A formal request was again made in 1842.

The population of Buckland (Prosser's Plains) grew rapidly when the Probation Station was established in the 1840s. The first recorded service was performed by Rev F.H. Cox in March 1846 in the local Police Office, recorded as a licensed Chapel situated on the corner of East and Narin Streets.

By October 1846 a small stone Sunday School situated to the north east of the current church had been built and was then used for services. This building was replace with the new St John the Baptist church.

See No 27 for further information.