By DANIELLE GALVIN
A SLICE of Yannathan’s history is up for sale – for a meagre $100,000.
The Uniting Church building has been a part of the small town’s history since 1890 but in the last week, the property has been put on the market and its future is uncertain.
Louis Gardiner played the organ at the church for 50 years, and although she moved to Warragul two years ago, she said it’s a shame to lose the local gem.
Her grandparents were the first people married in the church – the same church where she married her husband in 1953.
“It does go back a long way – my children went to Sunday school there and I played the organ there for about 50 years,” she said.
“It does make me feel very sad but it’s happening all over the place, numbers are declining in churches.
“In the last couple of years, they combined with the Anglicans in Lang Lang which was quite successful where there was a service held once a quarter at Yannathan. But we could see it wasn’t going to be viable to be maintained by one minister.”
Ms Gardiner said she was sad that the building wouldn’t be utilised for something in the community, rather than go to a private owner.
The final service at the church was held in November last year.
The reserve is set at $100,000 and the property is expected to be sold at auction on Saturday 19 January at 11.30am.
Auctioneer with 1st Choice Estate Agency group Simon Sheldy said the property had just gone on the market.
“We are expecting a reasonable response – given the reserve is so low,” Mr Sheldy said.
“It’s one of those quirky little things that comes up – it should make for a really interesting auction.”
The move towards building a church was made in 1890 based on a spirit of co-operation between three local denominations, Presbyterians, Methodists and Church of England.
A site was donated by Joseph Carson “of sufficient size for two large buildings”.
It was surveyed during October 1890 and within three weeks, tenders were called for a timber building to hold 150 people at a cost of around 145 pounds.
Dedicated volunteers kept the church running, and significant renovations were carried out in 1941, 1947, 1953 and again in 1957.
“The church was comfortably filled at the turn of the century and through the two world wars,” Mr Sheldy said.
“Since then, attendances have followed the worldwide trend of declining numbers and now the building is to be sold.
“Similar church buildings that have been sold have often taken on new and interesting lives as tea rooms, restaurants and reception rooms, art galleries, health and well-being spas, as well as impressive residential dwellings.”
