Glen Park Gospel Church >> History >> Pebble in the Pond

This month (Written 1994) the Glen Park Gospel Mission celebrates 70 years of service to the community. In many ways the Church has always been a small group, but has over the years exerted an influence for good in the lives of many people. It really has been..

It was a warm summer afternoon on Sunday 24th January 1924

A group of six little girls aged from seven to eight years had gathered on a grassy hillside, under the shade of the stunted eucalyptus trees that grew in a fenced off block of land next to the Grovers' home in upper Glen Park, Eltham North. The property was owned by a Mrs Davis. In those days this part of Eltham was known as Glen Park.

This small but unique gathering was the beginning of the work of the Glen Park Gospel Mission. It began as so many churches do, with a Sunday School.

Early Days

One of the small girls was Dorothy, the daughter of Sarah Grover. Sarah Grover and Katy Davis, assisted by other helpers provided the teachers. Dorothy was affectionately known in the area as 'Girlie Grover'. Other young founding members at that first Sunday School class were Phyllis Sheppard of Upper Glen Park Road, Rita Downing whose father owned the store, ran the Post Office and transported people to the Eltham Railway Station in a covered wagon, Grace Lawson (now 92) who lives on the top of the hill at that time next to Mrs. Barnes, Joyce Grant who lived with her grandparents in a big house in Glen Park Road, and Thelma Banks who lived across the road from Zillman's also in Glen Park Road. Within a few weeks, there were new faces. Violet Watson and Ruby Wilson joined the group

The School grew rapidly to 30 and after the warm weather was over, the children met in the Grover's home, a brown stained house with a high wooden fence. The house is still there. Soon the Grover home became too congested and negotiations with the local MP, Mr Everard resulted in the Sunday School moving into a Guest House called 'Rest-a-while'. Rest-a-while served as temporary premises for about eighteen months while the new hall was being built.

Rest-awhile, about 200 metres up the street from the Grovers', belonged to Mrs. Barnes. It had been rented from her by the Education Department for thirty two pounds, ten shillings a year when the Glen Park State School first started on the 23rd May, 1924. It was made of fibro-cement, had an attic, a large verandah and was surrounded by a white picket fence.The floor consisted of scrubbed boards. One room had been enlarged to accommodate the school, and was able to accommodate about 50 people. It was in this room that the first Sunday School Anniversary was held. The church hall was finally opened about October 1925.

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