Wednesday, July 25, 2012

MP keeping the faith in historic church

Water Minister Peter Walsh recently bought St Mary's Church in Kingower, which was founded by his great-great-grandfather, Reverend William Hall in 1871.THERE are some small holes in the stained-glass windows, the internal walls need to be repaired and repainted and the parapet needs some prompt attention.

The grounds are flat and extensive, but freely fertilised by grazing kangaroos.

An enthusiastic real estate agent - you could imagine - might describe the charming 141-year-old church in Victoria's goldfields as a renovator's dream. 

But unlike many other small churches sold in country Victoria in recent years, Kingower's St Mary's, recently sold by the Anglican Church, will not become somebody's dream home or weekender.

Instead, it will be listed on the register of MPs' pecuniary interests - perhaps the first church to be listed on it - after Water and Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh bought the property under the hammer last month.
Mr Walsh bought the church, in the small township of Kingower, to preserve the history of both his family and the district. His great-great-grandfather, the Reverend William Hall, founded it in 1871. 

The granite and sandstone church, which remains in solid order today, has been described as the ''biggest and grandest'' of seven country churches designed and founded by Reverend Hall in the 1860s and 1870s.

The seven churches were just a part of the contribution Reverend Hall made to the district.

He established three schools, was a member of the roads board, a foundation councillor of the Korong Shire, and later, the shire president. He was also a pastoralist with large land holdings.

Mr Walsh, who is Catholic, told The Age that the decision to buy the small Anglican church, about 60 kilometres north-west of Bendigo, was a ''no-brainer''. It may have cost a bit more than he expected it would, he confessed, but he was happy to part with $140,000 to buy it nevertheless.

Mr Walsh grew up in Fernihurst, more than an hour's drive north of Kingower, but can remember as a child ''being dragged along'' to services at St Mary's as part of annual family reunion celebrations in Kingower.

''When you get older, you appreciate the history,'' he said. ''It is 150 years of history. It doesn't happen very often that you actually have the opportunity to preserve it.''

Mr Walsh envisaged that the building would be used as a ''community meeting place'' and possibly for weddings.

Kingower resident Mark Gilmore, who lives opposite the church and was an altar boy in it as a youngster, welcomed Mr Walsh's move. Mr Gilmore's family also has a special connection to the building: his great-great-grandfather James Gilmore was a bricklayer on its construction.

The Anglican priest in charge of the local parish, Reverend Jan Harper, said the church was ''beautifully built with loads of history. For Peter Walsh to buy it is probably the best possible outcome. It's still going to be a community building.''