The presence of the Catholic Church in Glenorchy goes back much further than the declaration of the Parish of St John the Baptist on 5th May, 1956. Bishop Robert Willson arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1844 as the first Catholic Bishop of the colony and soon began celebrating Masses at the Glenorchy Probation Station.

On 25th May 1858, just four years after Glenorchy was declared a Municipality, the foundation stone of a church to be dedicated to St John the Baptist, was blessed. In March of the following year, the small sandstone, Pugin style church, designed by architect, Henry Hunter, and situated on the corner of the Main Road and what is now Grove Road, was blessed and opened by Bishop Willson. 

One hundred years later, when the congregation had outgrown the little sandstone church, a small vertical board church dedicated to St Monica, was blessed and opened in Chigwell and in 1960, a new church-hall in Regina Street became the main centre of worship. The congregations of these two churches have built up the parish which has been administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco since the year 2000. 

The presence of the Salesians of Don Bosco at Boys’ Town, in Glenorchy, preceded the formation of the parish by ten years. Boys’ Town became Savio College in 1956. The Dominican Sisters founded Holy Name College for girls and St John’s Primary School in 1960. In 1973, these three foundation schools merged to become Dominic College, which today provides co-education from K-10 for over 900 students.  The Glenorchy Campus of Guilford Young College for years 11 and 12 students, situated adjacent to St John’s Church has resulted from further development within the Catholic Education System.

The two local Catholic Colleges have a close association with the parish which is a vibrant, hospitable and multicultural community. Enquiries regarding the parish can be made to the parish office and will be welcomed.