A brief history of The First Serbian Orthodox Church School Community of St Sava Sydney Australia

After the Second World War, there were a number of displaced people of Serbian nationality. 
Many of these people were staunchly anti-communist and had no desire to return to Yugoslavia 
under a communist regime. In due course, many of these emigrated to Australia. A sizeable group 
of them gathered in the Warriewood-Mona Vale area of Sydney's northern beaches.

The founding members of The First Serbian Orthodox Community, St Sava, Warriewood-Mona Vale 
met at the Buffalo Hall in central Sydney to form the Community on 28th February 1949.  At 
that meeting Sava Srzentic made an oral declaration that he intended to donate a parcel of land 
at Vineyard St Mona Vale. 

The creation of this dignified intention was adopted quickly however with the dilemma - 
to build a church or a church school hall for multi purposes like religious, cultural 
activities and family requirements. For practical reasons opinion weighed towards building 
a church hall.  This edifice was built on the land donated by a noble Serb from the ranks 
of the early settlers Sava Srzentic whose family arrived in the Mona Vale area in the 1930's. 

Bestowed on Sava Srzentic was the glory at the inaugural general meeting to be the first 
president of the executive committee for the church. The foundation stone of the future church 
was laid on the 30 December 1951.

The building of the Church Hall lasted about two years. Thanks to the donations in money and 
voluntary work the hall was completed at the end of 1953 and consecrated and opened for use in 1954. 
Under the arch of an Orthodox edifice Serbian arrivals to the Mona Vale-Warriewood area were granted a 
church, school, theatre and a place where they would celebrate Slava, christenings, weddings and all 
other ceremonies that make up the religious life of our orthodox people.

This first church hall was the centre of all spiritual life of our people in this part of Sydney 
for a period of nearly two decades.

The growing demands of the Serbian community and its Holy Church required in later years to take another 
step for better and more advantageous conditions for greater spiritual and cultural life. For this 
reason the Committee in 1981 decided to look for a more suitable larger site where the increased 
demands of the community could be met. By September 1981 land was found at Wilson Ave Elanora Heights. 

The land at Elanora Heights (4 ¼ acres) was acquired in 1981 for $92,500. Parishioners donated $42,500 
and the balance borrowed from the Westpac Bank. Plans were submitted to the local council to build a 
Church and School Hall. 

In 1986 the committee decided to sell the church hall and land at Vineyard St and move to Elanora Heights. 
On 9 November 1986, Bishop Longin consecrated and blessed the foundations of the church. Construction of 
the Church lasted about five years and was finally completed and consecrated on the 9th Feb 1991. The 
School Hall was started in late 1990 and within six weeks the steel structure and roof were erected and 
provided a temporary shelter for the celebration of the Consecration of the Church, which was attended 
by five Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The School Hall was completed in 1996. 

The 1990's saw the disintegration of Yugoslavia, which resulted in thousands of Serbian refugees many who 
have found their way to our local community.  Today the Church and Hall at Elanora Heights cater for young 
and old alike. There are folk dancing and singing groups, a church choir, English and Serbian language classes 
and Bocce teams that compete on a regular basis.