Church of England in Taralga.

The first recorded church service in Taralga district was some 168 years ago when Rev'd.(later Dean) Sowerby held a service at Richlands in 1838. It was Rev'd. Sowerby's practice to visit the area twice a year. Visiting and holding services at Lockersliegh, Arthursleigh, Bannaby, Richlands, Strathaird and Chatsbury on the same trip that took a week to complete. By 1850 Rev. Richard Leigh and Rev. T. Kemmis were conducting services in Taralga every three months.

Bishop Mesac Thomas visited Taralga in 1865. An account of his visit was in the Goulbum Herald and states:- "This village was favoured yesterday with a visit from the Lord Bishop of Goulburn, accompanied by Rev. R.Leigh, clergyman for the district. Mr. Miller very kindly placed the lower floor of his mill house as the Bishops service, in which he conducted divine worship, assisted by Rev. Leigh.

Mr. Miller with the assistance of a friend or two got the mill cleaned for the occasion and by various contrivances had the place well seated. The congregation was the largest we have seen in Taralga, numbering a little less than 300 souls. A patent weighing machine served his Lordship for a pulpit.

The congregation donated one hundred pounds ($200) at that service towards the cost of building a church. Land was purchased from Macarthur's for twenty five pounds, and on the 18th October 1866 Mrs.Mary Thomas laid the foundation stone for the first church of St. Luke. Rev. Leigh continued to hold regular services at the home of Mr. Thomas Taylor until the building of the church was completed.

Rev. W.M.Martyn was appointed lay reader of St. Luke's in 1877 and ordained priest in 1879. His stipend was forty pounds, seventeen shillings and five pence. Rev. Martyn spent his entire career as a clergyman in the Taralga parish, he retired in 1905, just before the new church was built.