Our History

On August 10, 1930, Archbishop Mannix laid the foundation stone for the original church of St Anne in Kew East. The Church was originally part of the Parish of Sacred Heart Kew.
It was declared a separate parish in January 1937 when the first Parish Priest, Father Considine, was appointed.

To accommodate an expanding population, St Joachim’s Church in Kew North was opened on May 10, 1953 under the inspiration and drive of the second Parish Priest, Father J McNamara. As part of this development, a section of the Parish of Sacred Heart was transferred to St Anne’s.

Meanwhile. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School was built and commenced operation in 1931. It was staffed by the Sisters of St Joseph who travelled each day from East Melbourne.
In 1941, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions took over the running of the school. A lay principal was appointed in 1975.
Over the years, additional adjacent land was purchased for the school.

In 1940, to accommodate the growing population in Balwyn North, Father Considine organised the building of the first school hall of St Bede. The hall also served as a church and a school which was again staffed by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.

In 1950, St Bede’s became a separate parish and Father Kevin Broderick was appointed the first parish Priest. A new school building was completed in 1953. A new, larger church building was opened on December 15, 1961. Over the years, all the churches and schools have continued to grow with significant support and dedication of parishioners.

A ‘reunification’ after 65 years

From the beginning of 2013, St Anne’s Parish, including the churches of St Anne in Kew East and St Joachim in Kew North, was partnered with St Bede’s Parish in Balwyn North. This historic ‘reunification’ after some 65 years provides great opportunity for parishioners across both areas to benefit from a larger community.
The combined Parish and its Parish Pastoral Council can now more effectively use resources to meet the pastoral needs of its parishioners in a rapidly changing local community.

To date more than 8000 people, including some 1600 families, engage in Parish life through our churches and Parish primary schools. Both Parish schools are experiencing significant growth over recent years.

As a combined Parish we have embraced a joint mission to:

“Celebrate, Educate and Live out our Faith in Jesus.”