Scandinavians in Melbourne are in uproar over the possible sale of the heritage-listed Swedish Church in Toorak against the will of local congregants.

The Swedish Church Abroad has owned Toorak House on St Georges Road since 1956, but the Lutheran denomination’s leadership in Sweden decided three years ago to sell properties overseas as membership declined.

Swedish Church Australia was recently told that church governors in Sweden now planned to discuss Toorak House’s future at a meeting in November.

But local churchgoers argue their current Melbourne home is irreplaceable and are rallying to save it, starting with an online petition that has garnered more than 2300 signatures since last week.

Kjell Andersson, 83, arrived in Australia as a teenaged sailor in 1959 and quickly foun

See Full Page