Latest news with #UnitingChurch
Herald Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Melbourne historic church could fetch $5.5m
A landmark Armadale church linked to a former Victorian premier and coffee house baron has been listed for sale with $5.5m+ price hopes. Wealthy businessman and land owner James Munro laid the heritage-listed Uniting Church's foundation stone in 1886. Mr Munro, who served as Victorian Premier from 1880-1882, purchased the land at 86B Kooyong Rd for the house of worship to be built upon. RELATED: Catholic Church selling Melbourne terraces opposite St Patrick's Just heavenly: Holy listings boom across Vic as churches sell up Presbyterian Church lists $3m landmark Alma and Barkly church Designed by the Melbourne architecture firm Terry & Oakden, the Early English Gothic-style church features a nave, transept, apsis, organ, tower and spire, and seven car spaces. The 1438sq m site is also home to an interconnected building that has been converted to an office and is leased out on a short-term basis to a commercial tenant. CVA Property Consultants' managing director Ian Angelico and director Daniel Philip have the General Residential zoned-listing. 'The church is definitely a landmark,' Mr Angelico. 'The architecture is just magnificent, the stained glass windows are absolutely stunning.' He is expecting potential buyers to include community and religious groups, developers and owner-occupiers. 'There is scope to develop because of the very high ceilings, that would be subject to planning approval and the building would have to remain intact because of its heritage status,' Mr Angelico said. 'It could also possibly become an auction house or something similar.' Stonnington Council heritage documents state that the church is of historical significance for reasons including its association with Mr Munro. Alongside his political career and many business interests, he established several coffee palaces – accommodation and dining venues that did not serve alcohol – in locations including Melbourne, Geelong and Broken Hill in the 1800s. He was a partner in a company that bought Spring St's Grand Hotel, later Hotel Windsor, and turned it into a coffee palace. The church is 220m from Armadale train station and on the corner of High St's shopping strip. A post on the church's website stated that 'the hard decision to close' was made due the congregation's declining numbers and finances needed to support a minister and other expenses across the next five years. A church spokesperson said their last service was held in May, with congregation members joining other nearby places of worship including the Toorak Uniting Church. The Armadale site has roots going back to 1876 with the establishment of a Sunday school by the then-Toorak Presbyterian Church. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Inner city site with $150m tower proposal sells Barber in Melbourne's west says farewell after six decades Mass bird deaths outside Melbourne shopping hub
Sydney Morning Herald
28-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
When tragedy strikes, meet people where they are to help them heal
Where is God after murder in Bourke Street, or devastating fire or flood, after a senseless accident or a plane crash at Essendon? In these places I learnt the language of anger and doubt, betrayal and pain. As the late, great cartoonist and poet Michael Leunig once said to me: 'When there are no words, the heart speaks to the heart.' In 1989, I became a pastoral care chaplain, and over the last 36 years chaplaincy has reshaped my faith understanding. Fifteen years ago, I became a volunteer with Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry (VCCEM), whose mission is to offer 'compassion in times of crisis'. VCCEM is part of Victoria's emergency response network. Responding to people whose world has been upended by trauma calls for learning a new language. A language offering compassion, acceptance and hope in the face of despair, doubt and questions about the meaning of life. A transformative moment was shared with a young Muslim woman. Over several months, I had greeted her in the language of her faith and then she asked me to pray with her. How important is the language of our faith! I began our prayer to Allah. Somewhere in that shared prayer I experienced a moment of amazing grace. Recognition that this prayer was not me praying for her, rather it was two women of faith sharing a moment of prayer before the God of many names. Loading I was born into a Scottish Presbyterian family, transitioning to the Uniting Church and finally to the Baptist tradition of my father. I know the hymns, the language and the traditions of the Christian faith. But I no longer live within a denominational tradition. I am a Christian because I was born into a Christian family in a largely Christian country. My ministry invites me to meet people where they are. To listen to their story in a way that facilitates their own recovery from the trauma that has reshaped their life. I believe God meets us in the ordinary events of life through the caring phone call, the meal at the door or the company of a gentle presence.
The Age
28-06-2025
- General
- The Age
When tragedy strikes, meet people where they are to help them heal
Where is God after murder in Bourke Street, or devastating fire or flood, after a senseless accident or a plane crash at Essendon? In these places I learnt the language of anger and doubt, betrayal and pain. As the late, great cartoonist and poet Michael Leunig once said to me: 'When there are no words, the heart speaks to the heart.' In 1989, I became a pastoral care chaplain, and over the last 36 years chaplaincy has reshaped my faith understanding. Fifteen years ago, I became a volunteer with Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry (VCCEM), whose mission is to offer 'compassion in times of crisis'. VCCEM is part of Victoria's emergency response network. Responding to people whose world has been upended by trauma calls for learning a new language. A language offering compassion, acceptance and hope in the face of despair, doubt and questions about the meaning of life. A transformative moment was shared with a young Muslim woman. Over several months, I had greeted her in the language of her faith and then she asked me to pray with her. How important is the language of our faith! I began our prayer to Allah. Somewhere in that shared prayer I experienced a moment of amazing grace. Recognition that this prayer was not me praying for her, rather it was two women of faith sharing a moment of prayer before the God of many names. Loading I was born into a Scottish Presbyterian family, transitioning to the Uniting Church and finally to the Baptist tradition of my father. I know the hymns, the language and the traditions of the Christian faith. But I no longer live within a denominational tradition. I am a Christian because I was born into a Christian family in a largely Christian country. My ministry invites me to meet people where they are. To listen to their story in a way that facilitates their own recovery from the trauma that has reshaped their life. I believe God meets us in the ordinary events of life through the caring phone call, the meal at the door or the company of a gentle presence.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Uniting Church wanted secrecy around its move to evict ex-homeless couple
The Uniting Church tried to keep secret the details of its move to evict a formerly homeless couple from a Brisbane property, arguing media coverage could thwart its development plans and ruin a local real estate agent. The church has obtained a warrant in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to force its tenants to leave the Mitchelton property, where it plans to develop a new 92-lot subdivision "so that the current housing crisis can be further alleviated". Disability pensioner Michael Guettler and his partner, Maria Hall, have rented a former farmhouse on the site since 2022, when a social worker found them living in their car. A church spokesman said it had provided the couple with "temporary affordable housing [and] to afford them transparency, the development application and relocation of the dwelling on the property have always been part of this arrangement". Documents filed in the tribunal show the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q) repeatedly applied for orders to limit public scrutiny of its push to evict them. On April 2, the property agent acting on the church's behalf, Grants Real Estate, sought a non-publication order because "the landlord does not want this QCAT case to affect the outcome of the development application". "We also wish to respect the tenant's [sic] privacy as they are in a vulnerable situation," it said. Mr Guettler said he thought the church had tried to "protect their brand from a corporate point of view" because the eviction would put the couple "at risk of becoming homeless again". After the tribunal refused on April 10, the church applied for a closed hearing, citing concerns about media reporting. "Should the media attend the QCAT hearing, this could negatively impact the outcome of the property development application," it said. The application claimed publicity could also harm the property agent, which was a "small family business of two part-time employees, a father and daughter, with a small rental portfolio of less than 30 properties". "Any form of negative press could severely impact this business and may cause the business to close, which would impact the welfare of Emma and Rob Grant," it said. "We request that this hearing be closed to all members of the public including the media. "Whilst we understand that we cannot prevent the media from reporting on this case, we wish to limit the information that is made available to them due to the reasons outlined above." The tribunal refused that application on May 2. The church was "aware of this matter progressing through the QCAT process and empowered our property managers to act on the church's behalf as the landlord to reach a resolution", its spokesman said. The tribunal granted a warrant of possession on May 26, paving the way for the couple's eviction next month. They are yet to secure alternative accommodation in a rental market with a 1 per cent vacancy rate and a social housing waiting list of almost 48,000 people. The church, which bought the 21-hectare site for $3.5 million in 2020, assessed "the site's potential for other uses … including aged care and social housing, however it was deemed unsuitable", the spokesman said. It now stands to make a windfall from a new 92-home estate in Mitchelton, where the median price for houses over the past year has been $1.23 million according to Tribunal filings said the church was "aware that the tenants are in hardship, and as such, the lease has already been renewed three times on compassionate grounds". "Unfortunately, due to the development of the property, and the demolition application, the owners are not in a position to renew the lease for a further term," it said. Its property agent had "made many efforts to assist the tenants in finding a new home", citing emails to the couple listing rental vacancies on real estate websites. The church spokesman said its agent had also offered help with "rental applications and references, and the church has been offering ongoing social support". Mr Guettler denied the church had offered any help. He said the couple, who paid $280 a week in rent, understood that the church was "not under any obligation to rent to us if they don't want to". "But what I'm saying is that the overarching delineation between private rental and renting from a church is that the image of the church in society is one of compassion and sharing and caring and inclusivity," he said. "And we don't feel that the inclusivity is alive at the moment and not once have they come here to ask how they can help us. A day after QCAT signed off on the eviction notice, a report emerged of the church's sale of a 12-storey Brisbane city office block for $48 million. Its trust bought the building for $40 million in 2007. Set up to fund the church's charitable works, the trust held almost $400 million in assets including investment properties, according to its last filings with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Its charity status entitles it to discounts on development fees and its voluntary board is chaired by a former Macquarie Bank private wealth manager, Allan Hanson. It has also provided land for affordable housing projects with the Queensland government, including on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and at Warwick, about 150 kilometres south-west of Brisbane. Mr Hanson and other members of the board did not respond when contacted by the ABC. The church spokesman said it was a "leading provider of health and community services to thousands of Queenslanders". "We offer a broad range of assistance for vulnerable people and are committed to helping people flourish," he said. "The current situation highlights the overwhelming need for more affordable housing to be brought online as quickly as possible in Queensland."
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
'Fiercely loyal': The people who keep this tiny town's heart beating
Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Beyond the silos and green spaces of this beautiful country town lies an infectious community spirit. The tiny town of Geranium in South Australia, near the Mallee Highway, has had its population shrink to double digits, but there are families still there who treasure it. "It's a really unique little community in that it's fiercely loyal," said resident Margaret Smith. Read more in The Senior The town's Community Hub bought the Geranium Primary School from the state government for $1.10 earlier this year after it had closed due to dwindling enrolment numbers. Since the purchase, an Op Shop has opened at the site in the old technology area, and there are plans for a cafe to start soon. A gym and yoga classes have been run from the school already. Geranium Community Hub secretary Anne Bond grew up in the town, with her great-grandparents moving to a farm there in 1910. Mrs Bond recalls seeing numerous families on farms in the town and neighbouring areas, with community life revolving around sporting clubs, and the school becoming a focal point in the district. She said there was a lot of grief when the school closed, but there was a strong community response. "That brought a lot of people together to support that dreaming of what we could do with the school," she said. "We felt that we can make it a meeting place." In the town, there is a bowling club that hosts meals plus several games, a community pool that runs in the summer, an antique shop, a post office, Uniting Church, a space for free camping and a a Soldiers Memorial Park - a nice space to "meditate and have afternoon tea", said Mrs Bond. Geranium is part of the Southern Mallee district, where farming became a big part of the region's development after railway services started in the early 1900s. According to the 2021 Census data, Geranium's population was 83, down from 240 in 2006. There are several volunteers who donate their time to keep the town's spirit and connectedness alive. Adam Morgan is a fourth-generation farmer in the town with his wife, Tanja, and they have three children. "I've lived here all my life... I love farming here, but also enjoy the small community," he said. The Geranium Community Hub chair said keeping the school in community hands has given people a place to gather, including for working bees and local events. "School has always been somewhere where people have been able to go," he said. Margaret Smith opened the Op Shop at the school shortly after the sale. "It's a really good connecting place for locals," she said. Ms Smith and her husband David - who is involved with the local Uniting Church - moved to the town about 40 years ago. They have barley, wheat, canola and sheep on their farm, plus David breeds Merino rams. The couple's five children were students at the school and Ms Smith worked there for a time, including as a teacher and a pastoral worker. She recalls families rallying together for school and other community events, and noted how even today, lots of people put their hand up for various causes. "Everyone sort of pitched in... there's a real loyalty [here]," she said. Rosemary Howard is the editor of The Guardian, the town's newsletter and has lived in Geranium with her husband Peter since 1968. Their children went to the town's school and their son lives next door, where he has cattle, dorper sheep and crops. Mrs Howard had noticed people had been moving to the town in recent years in search of quietness and cheaper housing. Socially, she said the bowling club's dinners attracted people far and wide, and she loved having a coffee at the Op Shop recently with people who had just finished a yoga class. "It's always been a friendly town," she said. "It really is just a very friendly, welcoming place." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
