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The foundation stone of St Peter’s Anglican Church was laid on the 1st of May 1866 on the corner of Anne and Bourke streets at Woolloomooloo (now Darlinghurst) by the Governor Sir John Young (1807-1876) and was officially opened on the 25th of July 1867 by the Bishop of Sydney, Frederic Barker. In 1986 the parish was merged with St John's Darlinghurst to form the Parish of East Sydney. The church was deconsecrated in 1993 and the building purchased by Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School (SCEGGS) Darlinghurst.

St John’s Church is a heritage-listed neo-gothic building which was opened in 1858. The spire was designed by Edmund Blacket and was added in 1871. In 1986 the parishes of Darlinghurst and East Sydney were merged to form the Parish of East Sydney with St John’s Darlinghurst and St Peter’s Woolloomooloo. St Peter’s was deconsecrated in 1993 and the building sold to SCEGGS Darlinghurst. The parish includes the 3rd wealthiest and 5th poorest suburbs in Sydney. St John’s Church operated a number of community outreach programs including PJ’s café & drop-in centre, and since 1996, Rough Edges safe space for homeless and disadvantaged people. East Sydney Community Services was sponsored by St John’s and ran the 118 AIDS hostel along with HMS Care Force from 1987 to 1990. The hostel provided accommodation and support services for people who were waiting for the results of their AIDS test.
Rev. John McKnight was Rector from 1984-1989, succeeded by Rev. W.J. Lawton 1989-1999

Mary Maria Andrews was born at Dry Plain Station (near Cooma, NSW) in 1915 to Albert and Ann Andrews. The family moved to Mittagong in 1925 then Sydney in 1927 for educational purposes following the separation of her parents. Mary was educated at Homebush Intermediate High School and later Hornsby Girls' High. She underwent training as a General Nurse at Gladesville Mental Hospital from 1933-1935, . studied at Sydney Missionary and Bible College from 1935-6 and was a resident at Deaconess house from 1937-8 at the recommendation of the Church Missionary Society of Australia (CMS), to which she had applied as a missionary to China in 1937.
Sailing to China in September 1938, she engaged in language learning at the College of Chinese Studies in Peiping (which was under Japanese occupation at the time) and later in Lin Hai, where she performed missionary work until she was forced to leave in late 1943 in fear of Japanese troops. She worked in Lahore, India, during 1944, and returned to Australia on furlough in 1946, during which time she was 'set apart' as a Deaconess. She returned to China in June 1947, working as a missionary in Shaohsing until she was forced to leave due to pressure from the Communist government in 1951.
Following her missionary career she continued to be heavily involved in CMS Candidates and General Committees and was a committed supporter of the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) and served on their Candidates and Pastoral Committee.
She began work as the Principal of Deaconess House in 1951, and was commissioned as Head Deaconess in the Diocese of Sydney in early 1952. As Principal, she oversaw a dramatic expansion of the institution in both physical size and occupancy. She held the position until her reluctant retirement in 1975. Many of the women who trained at Deaconess House continued to correspond with her, confide in her and shares the joys and trials of ministry with her until her life's end.
She then took on the role of part-time chaplain to three retirement villages - Goodwin Village, Woollahra (where she also resided); Elizabeth Lodge, Kings Cross, and St John's Village, Glebe. Not only did she conduct Bible studies and hold devotional meetings with the residents but she also encouraged them to give generously to missions, other Christian work and organisations for the aged. Additionally, she increased her involvement in a number of ecumenical and women's associations and was a fixture at these for the remainder of her life. Material found in her papers suggests that she supported the Healing Ministry at St Andrews Cathedral, Basilea Schlink of Darmstadt and that she attended the Billy Graham Crusade in 1979.
In 1980 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her Services to Religion.
Mary Andrews throughout her career and ministry was a strong proponent of greater inclusion of women into church life. She was actively involved in the events leading up to a number of milestones, including an increased prominence of the Deaconess order, the inclusion of women in the Anglican synod, and the ordination of women as Anglican Deacons. Late in her life she was fiercely in favour of the ordination of women as priests, and was a member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW).
She had a healthy interest in a wide range of Christian beliefs and recorded broadcast interviews of Chrisians from Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, and various other Christian denominations from Australia and abroad.
Recreationally she enjoyed traditional hymns, English Cathedral music and when time permitted attended performing arts particularly 'classical' music. In fact she entered into correspondence occasionally regarding the programs of concerts and the choice of operas if she thought they were unsuitable. She also had a life-long interest in photography and left behind an exhaustive documentation of the work of Deaconess House, the organisations that she was involved with, her many overseas trips, significant occasions in the ministry of former students and friends and of women's ministry in general.
She died on the 16th of October 1996, a few weeks after the 50th anniversary of her 'setting apart' as a Deaconess.

Now called the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa, it is not recognised by the Anglican Communion but maintains strong links with the Diocese of Sydney. The established Church of the Province of South Africa was formed in 1870. In 1938, with help and advice from Archbishop H.W.K. Mowll, the Church of England in South Africa adopted a federal Constitution. In practice the Church is organised as one Diocese with a Bishop and Area or Assistant Bishops. Bishop Stephen Bradley was an Australian who came to South Africa in the 1930s and was Presiding Bishop from 1965-1984.

The Most Rev. Wm. Saumarez Smith encouraged the Sunday School teachers of the diocese to form an association. The inaugural meeting of the SSTA was held on January 29 1909, at St Mark's, Granville, with the Rev. A.E.J. Ross acting as chairman. This was closely followed by the first SSTA Conference which was held on the February 17 1909, at St John's, Parramatta, presided over by the Ven. Archdeacon Gunther. The first committee consisted of the Rev. A.E.J. Ross, Mr W.P. Noller and G.H. Lewis, with Mr LC Colman as Hon. Secretary. The association gradually grew and from 1929 has been associated with the Diocesan Board of Education which assisted with teacher training and kindergarten instruction.

Gordon Smee studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before studying for the ThL at Moore College, graduating in 1935. He was ordained deacon in 1936 and priest in 1937. From 1936-1939 he was the curate at Mortdale, then in 1939 was appointed assistant minister at St Andrew's Cathedral. Between 1939 and 1943 he was the chaplain to the Children's Court. From 1943-1950 he was Rector of St John's Woolwich, 1950-1952 Rector of St Luke's Liverpool, and 1952-1968 Rector of Holy Trinity Orange. From 1967-1968 he was honorary canon of All Saints Cathedral, Bathurst. He retired in 1968, and then from 1988-1994 he was the honorary curate of St John's Molong.
(Cable Clerical Index)

Rex Meyer was a student at Moore College, he was ordained in 1942, and served his first curacy at St. Michael’s Wollongong. He also ministered at Balmain, Ultimo, Rozelle, Roseville and Lane Cove, and others, as well as a stint with Bush Church Aid. Rex was Editor of The Australian Church Record in the 1970s and served as Chaplain to Rozelle Psychiatric Hospital 1965–81.