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The first wave of Lebanese, then called Syrian, immigration was in the 1880-1890s, when work was found in hawking and peddling goods in the country areas of the eastern states of Australia and in Dunedin. The Antiochian Orthodox faithful in Australia took part in the construction of a community church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Surry Hills, Sydney, and to the Holy Annunciation, East Melbourne, with the Greek and Russian Orthodox faithful. Priests [[Priest]]s able to speak Greek and Arabic and, sometimes, Russian, were later provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Services were done in different old-world languages, servers of the parishes were from various immigrant backgrounds, and icons [[icon]]s were donated by people from all Orthodox ethnicities.

Problems overseas created local catastrophes. The 1898 deposition of the Greek speaking Patriarch of Antioch, and the subsequent 1899 election of an Arabic speaking Patriarch of Antioch, caused an adverse reaction on the part of hellenophonic patriarchates. The [[Patriarchate of Constantinople ]] awarded the jurisdiction of overseas parishes to the newly-recognised [[Church of Greece]] in 1908, with the stipulation that services be in Ecclesiastical Greek.

In Sydney, the effect was virtually immediate; in Melbourne, a priest who could speak Arabic was there until the 1920s. In response, the Syrian communities took to meeting in individual homes, only going to the Greek Orthodox [[parish ]] for necessities, mainly baptisms, weddings and funerals. Some of the Antiochian Orthodox, in lieu of another alternative, chose to send their children to Anglican or Protestant Sunday schools. However, neither the now-Greek Orthodox parish nor various protestant groups could meet the needs of the Antiochian Orthodox: it was obviously necessary to found Antiochian Orthodox parishes.

In 1913, Father [[Nicholas Shehadie]] was sent to Australia as Exarch to determine the extent of the problem and to find possible solutions. While this was intended to be temporary, World War I intervened preventing Father Nicholas from returning to Lebanon where his family resided. Hence, his stay became permanent. He realised the need for a [[church ]] for the Antiochian Orthodox, and determined to build it. Divine Liturgy was held in parishioners' homes until that time.

In 1934, Exarch Nicholas Shehadie, suffering from chronic asthma, reposed in his early 70s. Then his second son, [[Michael Shehadie|Michael]], became a priest. During the time of his presbyterate at the Church of Saint George, the government revoked the church lease, resumed the land for housing development, and demolished the church. Fr Michael vigorously pressured the government to provide a new site, and in 1950 they were granted land at the corner of Walker and Cooper Streets in Redfern, where the church - now a [[cathedral ]] - stands today. However, Fr Michael never saw it built. In 1951, aged 56, worn out by the battle with the state government, he reposed.

In 1953, V Rev [[Malatius Hussney (Sydney)|Malatius Hussney]] was appointed Patriarchal Exarch and [[rector ]] of St George. During his time as rector, the foundation stone for the new church was laid, with the first services in 1954. He was succeeded by Archim. [[Anthony Woolf]], who was Patriarchal Exarch and rector 1957-61. Following the death in Cairo of Archim. Anthony, Rev Fr Anthony Chidiac was appointed to serve the parish of St George in Redfern. He died in a motor vehicle accident on [[October 19 October ]], 1962. In January 1963 a visiting priest from Kousba, Lebanon, V Rev Exarch Emilianos Shehadie served the parish until 17 July 1963.

On [[June 18]], 1964, Fr Nicolas Mansour arrived in Sydney from Beirut, Lebanon and commenced duties as [[parish ]] priest with a liturgy on Sunday [[June 21]], 1964. Soon after his arrival, the church was consecrated by Bp Dionysios (GOA), and in 1967 the church hall and presbytery were completed. However, the spread of Antiochian faithful all over New South Wales was too much for one parish priest.

At the request of Fr Nicolas, the Church of Antioch sent Archimandrite Gibran to Australia to find out how to solve the problem. On Archim. Gibran's recommendations, the [[Holy Synod ]] elevated the Exarchate of Australia and New Zealand to a patriarchal diocese. Archim. Gibran was consecrated a [[bishop ]] and appointed [[Patriarchal Vicar]] of the new [[diocese]].

The first services were held in Saint George Anglican Mission, the beginning of a long and amicable relationship between Anglicans and Orthodox in Victoria. In March 1932 the community purchased a church, where Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church stands today, using four £125 donations from John Batrouney, Joseph & Walter Davis, and Alex Malouly. The iconostasis, based on the iconostasis of the [[Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Tokyo, Japan)|Holy Resurrection Cathedral]], Tokyo, was completed by Palm Sunday, 1932, when the first service was held in the Church. At the first council meeting of May 1932, it was decided to name the church after St Nicholas. The church was consecrated on [[October 1 October ]], 1933 by Metropolitan [[Timotheos (Evangelinidis) of Rhodes|Timotheos]], the head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand. The consecration, attended by Rev. F.E. Maynard (Anglican) and the Greek and French consuls, was chanted in Arabic, English, Greek, and Slavonic.

In 1963, Fr [[Gabraeel Fadel]] arrived to serve at St Nicholas, and the parish entered a period of consolidation. Fr Gabraeel left in 1967, to be replaced by Fr [[Malatius (Essam) Hussney|Malatius (Essam) Hussney]], who was [[ordination|ordained ]] in 1968. Fr Malatius worked for the second wave of Lebanese immigrants to be actively involved in the running of St Nicholas.

Mrs Anthony Idour wrote to the [[Patriarch ]] of Antioch, through the [[Bishop ]] of Tripoli, and permission was given to proceed with building a church. A committee headed by Jack Idour raised 480 pounds in just over 6 months, paying for the building. Generous donors included Acton Adams of the Moa Flat Station, and Bishop Nevill of the Dunedin Anglican Diocese.

In 1971, an Anglican priest in New Zealand decided, seeing the trend of Anglicanism away from its traditional roots, to convert to Orthodoxy, and was ordained in September 1972 by Bp [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]]. Fr [[Jack Witbrock]] served as [[rector ]] of St Michael's, Dunedin, for the next 12 years.