It is located in a prominent position, the highest point in Richmond, on Church Street.

St Ignatius' Church was designed by English born architect William Wardell who had already made a name for himself in England and was also responsible for many of Melbourne's most important early buildings including St Patrick's Cathedral.

[1] The members of the predominantly Irish working class parish managed to save £700 towards construction, a large sum at the time.

Construction of the remaining sections of the church took many years due to financial constraints.

The Catholic Parish of Ignatius is administered by the Australian Jesuits on behalf of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.