Calling on Heritage Victoria

In 2010 a submission was made by Anne Beggs Sunter, well known historian and lecturer at Federation University, to Heritage Victoria about the importance of the Carngham Uniting Church.

A comprehensive assessment of the church was made by Ms Beggs-Sunter and it was submitted and received by Heritage Victoria on the 29th January 2010.

And nothing has been heard since.

Regular appeals have been made to Heritage Victoria, especially more recently with the threat of the Carngham Uniting Church facing sale. Now with congregation numbers rising the church is more and more returning to its role as a focal point for the community, and the question returns again to being “what is Heritage Victoria doing?”

While being listed on the register is no security to preventing sale, the listing means our energised community can seek grants and apply more comprehensive fundraising strategies.

We’re now lifting our voices up to demand that Heritage Victoria pay attention to the church on the Snake Valley - Carngham goldfields. In the last will and testament of Mr Philip Russell published in the Leader in Melbourne 27th August 1892, the wealthy grazier and pastoralist dedicated a signficant sum to the building of a new church and manse “to be as nearly as possible the same design as Scots’ Church in Collins Street”.

Now we just need the will to protect our country community church as much as there is will to protect Scots’ Church on Collins Street.