St. John the Baptist's Anglican Church, Ashfield, Sydney

St John's, Ashfield
St John the Baptist Anglican Church
The northern side of the church building. The central rendered section (nave) is the original church building. The sandstone section on the left (transept and chancel) was completed in 1875. The tower on the right was added in 1901.
St John's, Ashfield Location in Greater Sydney
33°52′54″S 151°07′40″E / 33.8817°S 151.1278°E / -33.8817; 151.1278Coordinates: 33°52′54″S 151°07′40″E / 33.8817°S 151.1278°E / -33.8817; 151.1278
Location	Alt and Bland Streets, Ashfield, Sydney, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Denomination	Anglican Church of Australia
Website	stjohnsashfield.org.au
History
Founded	9 September 1840 (1840-09-09)
Founder(s)	Joseph Kidd Walpole
Consecrated	19 August 1845 (1845-08-19)
Associated people	William George Hilliard (rector who later became the Bishop of Nelson.)
Architecture
Status	Church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Local Government
Designated	20 December 1985
Architect(s)	Edmund Blacket
Years built	1841-45
Administration
Deanery	Christ Church Inner West
Archdeaconry	South Sydney Region
Diocese	Sydney
Clergy
Rector	Andrew Katay (since 2005)

St John the Baptist Anglican Church is an active Anglican church located between Alt and Bland Streets, Ashfield, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1840, on land donated by Elizabeth Underwood, the church building is the oldest authenticated surviving building in Ashfield, having been built at the time when subdivision increased the population density sufficiently to turn Ashfield into a town. It was also the first church built along the Parramatta Road which linked the early colonial towns of Sydney and Parramatta. The earliest remaining parts of the building are one of the first Sydney designs by the colonial architect Edmund Blacket, who later became renowned for his ecclesiastical architecture.

The expansive church grounds contain a cemetery dating back to 1845 that contains the remains of many notable Ashfield residents. Australia's only memorial to Australian Air Force Cadets occupies a prominent position near the entrance to the church. The St John's site has been listed on the Local Environment Plan Heritage Schedule, and the Register of the National Trust of Australia.

St John's is one of three churches, along with St Albans, Five Dock, and St Oswald's, Haberfield, which make up Christ Church Inner West, operating within the parish of Ashfield, Five Dock, and Haberfield, as part of the South Sydney Region of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. The church has had 18 rectors, including William George Hilliard who later became the Bishop of Nelson. Andrew Katay has been rector since early 2005.