The name “Glebe” comes from the fact that the Anglican Church formerly controlled the glebe on which it was built. The Glebe was a 400-acre (162-hectare) piece of land granted by Governor Arthur Phillip to Reverend Richard Jhonson, the First Fleet’s chaplain, in 1790.

Originally from England, architect Edmund Blacket lived in Glebe in the 1800s. In 1858, Blacked constructed Bidura, his family’s residence on Glebe Point Road, following traditional Victorian Regency architectural plans. At the intersection of Glebe Point Road and St Johns Road, he was also the architect of St. John’s Church. Between 1868 and 1870, the church was constructed.