Hannah Felsbourg
14 March 2025
St John’s Camberwell will commemorate the 70th anniversary of a fire that destroyed their church by supporting a synagogue which recently suffered a similar fate.
The church will direct its offering from Sunday’s commemorative service to Congregation Adass Israel, whose Ripponlea synagogue was firebombed in December 2024.
The gesture recognises a shared experience of religious buildings targeted by arsonists, with St John’s having been almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1955.
The Reverend Aaron Ghiloni said Christians should stand alongside those harmed for their religious beliefs, knowing that all were God’s children.
In a statement to the congregation, the vicar and churchwardens said the donation was appropriate as it resonated with the church’s own experience 70 years prior.
The statement said while governments had a responsibility to protect all citizens, faith communities could work to build solidarity governments were unable to accomplish.
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Dr Ghiloni said the 70th anniversary commemoration would honour the resilience of the church community that faced devastation but chose to rebuild.
“They could have merged with another church, but they chose to continue meeting and worshipping in the church hall during those years while rebuilding,” he said.
Robin Carter, who was 12 when the fire occurred, remembers seeing the burnt shell of the church from her tram on the way to school.
“Windows were blackened and the roof was gone. It was a really powerful memory that I’ve never forgotten,” Ms Carter said.
She said hundreds of parishioners turned up the next day to see the damage and rally support for the rebuilding effort.
Memorial plaque in St John's Camberwell. Picture: Supplied
Ms Carter said the church community had immediately decided to rebuild, setting up the hall as a temporary worship space by the following Sunday.
She said parishioners cleaned approximately 30,000 bricks from the rubble to reuse in the foundation of the new church.
Many also pledged to donate money for the next three years to pay for the construction of the new church building.
Read more: A philosophical response to an accidental fire
The rebuilt church, designed by renowned architect Louis Williams, was completed in November 1957, just two years after the fire.
Ms Carter, who has been a parishioner of St John’s for over 80 years, will speak about her memories of the church fire and rebuilding at the commemorative service.
An article from The Argus dated April 22, 1955, recorded the fire was set by John Thomas McPhee, who told police he lit fires because of the thrill of seeing the firecarts.
Mr McPhee was responsible for burning down three churches and two other buildings, causing £122,160 in total damages, with St John’s suffering £100,000 of that amount.
The commemorative service will include historical displays, photographs, and an 11-second colour video of the church fire captured by a local resident.
The service will be held at 10am on March 16 at St John’s Church, 552 Burke Rd, Camberwell.
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