SCRUB Hill 1869, a bluestone Presbyterian church in a past life, sits on the Ballarat Daylesford Road in Newlyn surrounded by not much more than potato farms.<\/p>\n
The church built in 1869 was deconsecrated about four years ago when the farmer\u2019s wife across the road was the only parishioner.<\/p>\n
Six months later Jennie Wilmoth and Jenni Draper, self-described as two chicks who blew in from the city, bought the church.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were afraid that we wouldn\u2019t be high on the list with the locals,\u201d Ms Wilmoth said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put our heads down and worked really hard on the place and it turns out we are the flavour of the month because we saved their church,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the farmers on their tractors now, when going past, toot their horns and wave to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Draper was a financial controller for a large private company in Melbourne and Ms Wilmoth was in graphic design before they bought and renovated the building.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe both like a project and applied all of our skills to the church and found more that we didn\u2019t know we had and with the help of the tradies learnt a lot,\u201d Ms Wilmoth said.<\/p>\n
Every tradie who came to work with them over the four months of refurbishment had a story about the church.<\/p>\n
Ms Wilmoth said it was amazing that everyone had a connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne would say my Nan was married here, another had gone to Sunday school here and someone said my best mate got married here,\u201d she said. \u201cJen would make a cake every day, we\u2019d have a list of things to do, we\u2019d make it fun and work with them and we paid them at the end of each day.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was their formula for the first four months of ownership and renovations, putting in gas, storm water drains and pipes, electricity and NBN and getting rid of the bats and the mice.<\/p>\n
Ms Draper had the vision of what they wanted to end up with as the church had always been the central hub of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an exercise to re-invent it in a way, but with a commercial viability,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were very keen, because it was part of the community, we wanted it to stay part of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past three years they\u2019ve hosted concerts, art exhibitions, the longest lunch, weddings and funerals.<\/p>\n
A couple from the area will celebrate their joint 90th birthdays at Scrub Hall later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have both booked in to have their funerals here as well,\u201d Ms Wilmoth said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve done a viewing with all the family and they agreed that yep, this is where they want to hold their funerals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both women consider themselves the custodians of a magical piece of history.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very happy with the result, its been hard work but very rewarding,\u201d Ms Draper said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SCRUB Hill 1869, a bluestone Presbyterian church in a past life, sits on the Ballarat Daylesford Road in Newlyn surrounded by not much more than potato farms. The church built in 1869 was deconsecrated about four years ago when the farmer\u2019s wife across the road was the only parishioner. Six months later Jennie Wilmoth and […]<\/p>\n