Victor James

[11] He briefly entered politics as a candidate against Harold Holt[12] for the Federal seat of Fawkner in 1937[13] and opposed participation in WWII.

He was a popular and energetic minister, attracting a large following to the church, including university students to its Young People's Society.

The vibrant intellectual atmosphere and freedom of the church also attracted a number of "free spirits" and "oddball" individualists.

[16] Victor James was born in Pontypool, Wales, son of a dentist, druggist and Calvinist Methodist lay preacher, but strongly influenced by his neighbour, a shoemaker and student of Darwinian evolution, who encouraged him to question Biblical authority.

Though he was at pains to point out that his participation was from personal conviction and not on behalf of his congregation, it drew unwelcome attention to the church, which in 1949 split along political lines.

[26] In 1952 James invited Stephen Fritchman,[c] pacifist and minister of the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles to address the congregation on the occasion of its 100th anniversary service.

[29] With the smaller congregation and departure of its more generous supporters, maintenance of the old building in Cathedral Place became insupportable, and in 1964 James's congregation built the Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church at 110 Grey Street, East Melbourne,[26] 37°48′40″S 144°59′06″E / 37.8112°S 144.9849°E / -37.8112; 144.9849 opposite Mercy Hospital.

James left the ministry in 1969 and was succeeded in 1972 by Terrence[d] Stokes,[30] previously known for his involvement with the Victorian branch of the Society of Organists.

[31] Perhaps his first foray into public activism was in 1949, when he was one of 23 clergy who signed a public letter of protest against the proposal of a large section of city councillors to ban one John Rodgers, director of Australia-Soviet House, from holding a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall,[32] and efforts by the RSL to disrupt such events.

Charter members included Doris Blackburn MHR, Leonard Mann, Frank Dalby Davison, Eleanor Dark, William Hatfield, Canon W. G. Thomas (secretary of Anglican Board of Missions), Jessie Street, Dr. Eric Dark, Dr. R. C. Traill, F. J.

Later address was 124 Glenfern Road, Lysterfield Hartley and Dickie were awarded the 1965 Joliot-Curie gold medal by the World Peace Council.