On Sunday 26 March 2017 the Armenian Church Council held a cocktail party to launch the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s establishment in Australia. The event paid tribute to the many contributers to the Church of Holy Resurrection over the past 60 years holding in special honour the memory of the pioneers of our community, the foundation members of the first Church Council in 1953: Messrs Stepan Panikian, Vahan Hanessian, Armen Apcar, Golo Edgar and Archdeacon Mackertich Hacobian, also Reverend Aramais Mirzaian who became the pillar for the emerging Armenian settlement of the 1960’s.
As the longest-surviving Church servants, Mr Loris Kanjian was recognised for his contributions to the design and construction of the Armenian Church structures and Mr Krikor Batmanian, with his late brother John as the most recent benefactors of the Holy Trinity Church in Wentworthville.
What started from a small Presbyterian Church in Surry Hills became the first Armenian Church in Australia consecrated in 1957 by Bishop Terenig Poldaian. It was named the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection in tribute to Mr Haroutiun Aginian’s benefaction.
