United Reform Church

The United Reform Church, built in 1871, is located on the High Street in Melbourne. It is constructed of rock-faced stone with stone dressings, featuring flush stone bands at impost level on the east and west elevations, a ceramic tile band at a similar level to the north elevation, and a stone plinth. The roof is slate, with crested ridge tiles, bands of hexagonal slates, small gabled vents with trefoil-headed openings, stone coped gables on moulded kneelers, and coved eaves bands.

The church features a nave with transept and chancel bays, and a small tower in the north-east corner. The north elevation has an eared gable flanked by clasping buttresses, and rock-faced arches over the windows. A central triple lancet window with plate tracery is flanked by single chamfered lancets. Below, a stone inscription commemorates the laying of the memorial stone in April 1871. Above the lancets is a plate tracery rose window set in a rock-faced circle with four ashlar keyblocks; above the rose window is a small blind lozenge-shaped niche. The two-stage tower, attached and slightly recessed on the east side, has a chamfered lancet to its north side and a similar pointed doorcase to its east side, along with angle buttresses. Each side of the tower above has a central blind quatrefoil in a circular surround with a continuous hoodmould. The corners cut in above form an octagonal base for the spire, which features gableted blind trefoil-headed niches on four sides. The east elevation has three chamfered lancets, each with plate tracery, with buttresses between. The transept bay to the south has clasping corner buttresses, a two-light plate tracery window facing east, and a quatrefoil window above. The west elevation is similar to the east, but with one additional lancet. The south elevation features a lower, canted chancel bay with a hipped roof and quatrefoil windows on the angled sides.

Inside, the church boasts an original arched braced roof supported by carved corbels with pierced ironwork spandrels. A continuous band of ceramic tiles runs at impost level. The pointed arch into the chancel bay is double-chamfered and supported by column corbels with carved capitals and bases. The chancel contains a large painted contemporary organ at the back and benches with pierced arcading to the front and bench ends, featuring foliage poppy heads. Metal railings with carved stops mark the front of the wooden rail. A timber pulpit is located to the west, featuring pierced trefoils on the front panel. A stone font to the east also features carved trefoils. To the west of the pulpit is a cinquefoil-shaped alabaster wall plaque dedicated to Rev Henry Bannister, who built the church.