A church hall, which was previously used by many local children and community groups, is receiving a much-needed facelift in a bid to restore it to its former glory.
Roleystone Community Church Hall was hand-built in 1913 and has stood the test of time until recently when some of the old asbestos was accidently broken, resulting in the building needing to be shut down for repairs.
Pastor Joe Attwater describes the church as a nostalgic reminder of the Roleystone community’s heritage and early pioneers who singlehandedly worked together to build the iconic structure.
“It is quite the stereotypical heritage church of its time with white painted timber cladding on the outside and a steep gable corrugated roof, several metres high,” he said.
The works include removing the asbestos professionally, restoring the timber and cladding, installing new walls and new electrical work.
The total cost for the refurbishment is expected to cost between $50,000 and $100,000.
Pastor Attwater said he would love to see children enjoying the building again before next winter.
“The building gets used frequently for many activities such as Sunday School, Girl’s Brigade, crèche, art, clothes swaps, even ballet,” he said.
“Roleystone Theatre, our dear neighbours across the road also use it for theatre rehearsal when they need to.
“It’s a meeting place where local families once prayed together and encouraged each other through hardships and today it is amazing that the Roleystone Community Church is still used for the same purpose.”
The Roleystone Community Church is located at 1 Croyden Road.
