St Barnabus Anglican Church in Balwyn Road built in 1872, was the earliest church in the Canterbury area. The churches in the photos below were mostly built in the 1890s and were later replaced by more substantial buildings. Their early congregations met in public halls or private houses until these churches were built and had to pay them off during the severe mid 1890s depression. In some cases they were a church-plant by an older congregation in an earlier established suburb. There are no Catholic Churches in Canterbury.