Built of handmade bricks using local clay, the Gothic Architecture of this Church,
complete with flying buttresses, is an historical landmark...
The foundation stone was laid in February 1861 by the Warden of Castlemaine Captain J.C.Bull.
After Captain Bull laid the foundation stone he was given a copy of the "Jubilee Volume" and a copy of this and other
documents are buried beneath the stone. Strangely the foundation stone which is located at the far left of the entrance has
no inscription. The red brick chapel with stone cornices was designed in the Gothic style with a seating capacity of
between 200-300 worshippers. It was believed to be the only church on the gold fields and one of the few in Australia with
flying buttresses. The buttresses supported a belfry from which the church bell tolled to the gold miners and their families for
Sabbath services. A gold fields newspaper of the day  said at the opening of the chapel "the curves of these ornamental but
necessary appendages contrast pleasingly with the square outline of the walls.
The Jubilee Primitive Methodist Church was officially opened on June 2 1861 at a cost of 535 pounds.
On February 12,1902the last recorded minutes of the Chewton Jubilee Primitive Methodist Church were written down
and they are now held in the archives section of the Uniting Church of Australia
THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH WAS FOUNDED IN ENGLAND IN 1811
Not originating out of secession or division, but arose in connection with, but for the most part outside the Wesleyan
Methodist  Church. It developed out of earlier unofficial Methodist movements, primarily in 1800 when Hugh Bourne began
an important evangelistic movement near Mow Cop, Staffordshire. Bourne was greatly influenced by American Methodist
Lorenzo Dow, who in 1807 introduced the "Camp Meeting" into English Methodism at Mow Cop. All day open air meetings
were held to reach those not attracted to the ordinary  work of the church.
The camp meetings were continued mainly by Hugh Bourne who was finally expelled from the Wesleyan conference in
1808. In 1810 a new community of "Camp Meeting Methodists" was formed and in the same year William Clowes who had
carried Bourne's earlier work to Tunstall, was also expelled from the Methodist church. In 1811 the two bodies united under
the name Primitive Methodists. The denomination took its name from a speech by John Wesley in 1790 in the Chester
Circuit when he declared that he was a "Primitive Methodist". Primitive Methodists were also known as "RANTERS".
The Primitive Methodists conducted evangelistic meetings, founding missions in Australia and New Zealand in 1843.
The first minister, Henry Woodward arrived in Victoria, Australia,  in August 1848. The first class meeting was held at Mr.
Lord's residence in Greeves Street, Fitzroy  Melbourne Australia on January 14.1849.
MOUNT ALEXANDER GOLD FIELDS ,CENTRAL VICTORIA
By the early part of 1854 several members and preachers had gone to the Mount Alexander gold fields. Forest Creek had 14
members and Campbell's Creek 11, who were all actively engaged in evangelistic work. In April 1854 the Rev. M. Clarke
visited these tent townships and on a slight hill saw a building made of slabs and covered with canvas. In front, a large blue
and white flag floated in the breeze. Inscribed on the flag were the words "Primitive Methodist Tabernacle". Inside the
building a class meeting was being held. Mr. Clarke stayed on the gold fields for two weeks and during this time land was
selected to build a church at Campbell's Creek. A temporary structure was erected on Old Post Office Hill Chewton. In 1856
a hired local preacher was sent to minister on the gold fields. The areas of Daisy Hill, Green Gully, Fryers Creek, Joyce's
Creek and Steel's gully were also missioned and churches built . Following a land Grant, a church was also erected in
Castlemaine.
In 1858 the Rev. Mr. Clarke returned to the area spending four years missioning Vaughn, Daylesford, Newstead, Sandon,and
other local outposts.
In 1860 a place of worship was built at Vaughn. The Jubilee churches  erected in  Chewton in 1861 commemorates the
first 50  years of Primitive Methodism. Hence the name Jubilee Primitive Methodist Church.
Early on the Tuesday evening of December 4, 1860 a trustees meeting was held at Steel's Gully. It was decided to
"proceed forthwith" to erect a place of worship on the ground purchased from Captain Trewartha for 37 pounds 10 shillings.
The building was to have foundations of stone, walls of brick and the roof shingled. The dimensions of the building were to
be 30'x40' with walls 14' high.
There was to be a porch with an inscription stone and belfry. The 9'' thick buttressed walls were to be combined with Gothic
windows. On December 15 the previous minutes were altered. The building was now to be 28'x36' built of brick instead of
stone if approved by the architect.
The door and window sills to be slate and the architect was to be informed that only one door was to be placed in the porch
with a small window each side. The isles inside the church were to be 3' wide and the inscription was to be of slate.
A share list was to be prepared to raise money among friends for the building.
On January 15, 1861 at a meeting at Steel's Gully arrangements were made to take delivery of 10.000 bricks to be used in
the foundations.
On January 21, a trustees meeting  in Castlemaine, accepted tenders for the foundation and the architect.
C.S.V.Spence was appointed the project architect. It was also decided that the foundation stone was to be of freestone.  
On January 1, 1902  the Primitive Methodists separated from England and became part of the
Methodist Union.