The history of the church goes back to 1872 when Jesuits purchased land in Walpole Street. On 14 February 1875 Archbishop Gould had laid a foundation stone for a school.

Among the earliest Masses celebrated in Kew was one in 1864 at 'Yarra Bend Asylum. In 1865 Bishop Goold said Mass there. In the early years, the Jesuit Fathers were in charge of the 'Mission'. Fr Nolan SJ was the driving force behind the Mission but other Jesuits associated with Kew were Fr Dalton SJ, Fr Mulhall SJ, and Fr O'Flynn SJ. Before the Chapel-School was built on the corner of Walpole and Walton Streets, Kew Catholics went to Mass at Richmond, Collingwood, and after its opening in 1869, the Church at Hawthorn.

By 1899 the land for the current church was purchased after a donation by Mr James Crotty of £3,000.00. The first Church was to be used as a school on weekdays, and as a Church on Sundays.

December 15th 1918 saw the Foundation stone of the current church laid by Archbishop Mannix. There were 5,000 people in attendance. Dimensions of the church are 139 feet long, 77 feet wide, 48 1/2 feet high and it could seat 850 people. The cost of construction was £15,000.00.