Queenscliff landmark seeks funding for restoration

THE parishioners of the Queenscliff Anglican Church are appealing to the local community for its support to complete a multi-stage restoration of the historic St George the Martyr church.

Built of limestone in 1863, the church opened for its first service in February 1864 and has served as a place of worship for the township for more than 160 years.

The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as a building of architectural, historical and social value to the state and provides what many consider a breathtaking example of early English Gothic-styled architecture.

Perched atop the highest rise in the borough, St George remains one of Queenscliff’s most prominent landmarks and today safekeeps much of the town’s history.

A committee, comprised of both parishioners and community members, has been established to help raise funds to restore the church, with restoration works currently split into a total of eight stages, at an estimated cost of almost $5.5 million.

It’s a significant undertaking first sparked approximately five years ago when the church’s bell tower was damaged by cockatoos.

Committee member and church warden, Sally Hawkins, said the damage became an occupational health and safety concern and the church was deemed unsafe.

“We realised if we didn’t start doing a restoration of some kind, eventually this church would actually not be able [to] hold services,” she said.

A grant was secured through the state government’s Living Heritage fund, enabling Stage 1 of the required works – the repair and stabilisation of the bell tower.

This was followed by the completion of internal masonry and bell remediation works for Stage 2 of the project, funded by the Diocese in the form of a loan.

The committee is now looking to complete Stage 3 of the project, estimated at more than $400,000, which involves conservation works to the tower’s façade.

From there, the committee hopes to address the issue of rising damp within the church, a challenging Stage 4 task likely to require more than $1.5 million to complete.

Ms Hawkins said to be able to keep the church operating and to preserve the history it holds, the committee needs the community’s support.

The church is open to the community every day, with residents and visitors to the region encouraged to come inside and experience its history, from its stunning stained-glass windows to its National Trust classified Fincham organ.

“[The church is] not just a place for worship, although that was predominantly what it was built for,” committee member Val Lawrence said.

“It’s a repository of the early history of the borough and that’s important for everybody who values history to make sure its preserved.”

She said the committee was hoping to make the community aware that a visit to St George had a lot to teach about the history of the borough, not just of the church, and allow them to feel ownership of the restoration project.

“Our focus is bringing community and the church together. It’s something that wasn’t happening in the past and it’s very much a focus for us now,” Ms Hawkins said.

“We want it to be welcoming, and a place that is open to the community.”

The committee said the restoration project will not “happen overnight” and remains eager in its hope to connect with benefactors interested in supporting the preservation of the church.

As part of the committee’s fundraising efforts, the church and the nearby Old School Hall will continue to host a variety of community events and activities, and the school hall remains available for hire, with a musical performance taking place tomorrow (Saturday, July 13), followed by a whiskey tasting and dinner on July 27.

For more information, head to queensclifflonsdaleanglican.org