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'Fiercely loyal': The people who keep this tiny town's heart beating

The Advertiser

a day ago

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.

Just heavenly: Holy listings boom across Vic as churches sell up

News.com.au

07-06-2025

Business
News.com.au

Just heavenly: Holy listings boom across Vic as churches sell up

Masses of Victorian churches and ex-places of worship are hitting the market as religious groups sell off properties worth up to tens of millions of dollars. Shrinking congregations and the cost of maintaining historic buildings are some of reasons behind holy listings booming in Melbourne and beyond. The past decade has seen denominations including the Uniting and Anglican churches farewelling multiple properties, many with seven- and eight-figure price tags – however others are far more affordable, especially in rural areas. While some cathedrals are sold as a commercial investment, many are converted into homes featuring soaring ceilings, stained glass windows and original church bells. And they're often snapped up by home buyers seeking their own character-filled slice of heaven. In Geelong, the circa-1861 St George's Presbyterian Church is for sale with $18m price expectations. Commercial real estate agency Colliers' Chris Nanni has the 8317sq m CBD listing. In December, the Presbyterian Church sold its historic 1886 St Kilda cathedral in Alma Rd after it hit the market with a $3m asking price. For buyers with a smaller budget, the 150-year-old Holy Trinity Church on Albert St, Sebastopol, Ballarat, is available for $900,000, also through Colliers. The Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania moderator David Fotheringham said the faith group had listed for sale about 80 Victorian churches across the past five years – including about 20 churches within the past 12 months. 'In some cases, individual congregations have decided to move from older buildings which are expensive to maintain into other property arrangements, or members have decided to join other congregations,' Reverend Fotheringham said. Other times, congregations have worked together to sell a property in order to renovate or develop another site. Repairing and rebuilding costs for heritage-listed churches have significantly increased across the past five years, while insurance costs for such buildings also have an impact, Rev Fotheringham added. Apart from supporting redevelopment, church sales' proceeds assist the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, an association of Indigenous Australians within the church; grants' programs; and regional ministries. A Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne spokesman said that for them, closing a church within the Melbourne's metropolitan region was rare. Belle Property principal Rob Waller has the listing for not one but two 1870-era regional Victorian churches that have been converted into houses. Owned by different vendors, they're located at 22 Franklin St, Guildford, and 105 Main Rd, Campbells Creek – and priced at $1.275m and $1.525m respectively. Mr Waller said that unlike past decades, when farmers would buy dirt-cheap old churches to store hay, the religious structures were now highly sought after. 'They're strongly contested as homes, weekenders and short-term rental accommodation,' he said. Converting a church into a home was usually more affordable than building a home with massively high ceilings and intricate details, he added. Closer to Melbourne, BigginScott director Michael Tynan is managing the sales campaign for a three-bedroom home located within a former church at 1/435 Punt Rd, South Yarra, with a $1.25m-$1.35m asking range. 'People love it because it has got beautiful character throughout and the beautiful facade with bluestone blocks that block sound from Punt Rd,' Mr Tynan said. In Gippsland, a circa-1930s church at 14 Buckley St, Seaspray, has been transformed into a five-bedroom house featuring an original belltower in the garden. Graham Chalmer's Sarah Bedggood's aunt and uncle own the home which is on the market with $895,000 price hopes. 'At Christmas, after a few celebrations, we enjoy ringing the bell,' Ms Bedggood said. She described the former Seaspray Church of The Epiphany as 'a bit of an icon in the town'. 'It's an opportunity to purchase something pretty unique,' she said. PropTrack data shows there were 7563 church-related listings at and across the past five years – although this includes properties that mention the word 'church' in their advertising copy, not just churches themselves. OTHER VICTORIAN CHURCHES AND EX-CHURCHES FOR SALE: 426-434 High St Rd, Mount Waverley This 3347sq m site features a former church and four-bedroom home. In the freestanding church there's a foyer, chapel with soaring ceilings, parquetry flooring, small office, kitchen and rest rooms. An added bonus is the location that's zoned to Mount Waverley North Primary and Mount Waverley Secondary schools. It's close to Huntingtower School, Avila College, Deakin University, shops, public transport and the Monash Freeway as well. BigginScott Glen Waverley's Qiao Tang has the listing, which has a $6.9m price tag and is for sale via expressions of interest. 23 Mitchell St, Nyora Known as the Old Nyora Church, this building is on the market with a $490,000-$530,000 asking range. Listed with Barry Plant director Joanne Gillard, the character-filled church is marketed as a 'heavenly haven' with features like ornate leadlight windows. 'Stunning timber floors run throughout, perfect for sliding around in your socks like you're auditioning for a '90s music video,' the listing describes. And the 1400sq m block means 'you'll need a GPS just to mow the lawn'. Outside, there's a vintage toilet connected to the town's sewerage. Nyora, in the South Gippsland region, is about 84km southeast of Melbourne. 143 Clyde Hill Rd, Russells Bridge Built in 1861 as a Presbyterian church and converted to a three-bedroom house, this picturesque home has a $890,000-$970,000 asking range. It boasts plenty of original features such as cathedral ceilings, exposed trusses, dado walls and polished timber floors. Outside, the Gothic Revival architecture includes double-leaf entrance doors and lancet windows. The kitchen showcases a 600mm electric oven, induction cooktop and dishwasher. Set on 2011sq m, the abode is about 20 minutes' drive to Geelong and one hour to Melbourne. Buxton Geelong North director Tony Moorfoot is managing the sales campaign. 403 Yallook Church Rd, Dingee More than a century old, this former church in a northern Victorian town is a standout thanks to its vestry, exposed beams, buttress walls and high-pitched roof. Now a three-bedroom house, it's completely off-grid with a 6000 gallon rainwater tank, 2000kWhr solar system and back-up generator. The building has also been rewired, repainted and fitted with a new insulated roof and pine ceiling. in recent years. The home is about 30 minutes' drive to Bendigo and five minutes' to the Dingee pub and general store. Property Plus Real Estate Agents' Greg Fathers has the listing, which has a $455,000 asking price. 14 Ford Street, Beechworth A circa-1873 Baptist church that has been repurposed as a two self-contained residences that's for sale with $980,000 price hopes. The original church residence has a kitchen, open-plan dining and living area and a loft-style main bedroom with a built-in wardrobe and ensuite. Additional highlights include stained glass windows, a shaded courtyard, underground wine cellar, two outdoor toilets and a double garage. Garry Nash & Co's Isabel West is overseeing the campaign.

Approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas extension to 2070 slammed by religious leaders

News.com.au

01-06-2025

Business
News.com.au

Approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas extension to 2070 slammed by religious leaders

Faith leaders say they are 'deeply troubled' by the Federal Government's decision to approve the extension of the North West Shelf gas processing facility to 2070. On Wednesday, Labor approved a 40-year extension of the country's largest gas plant. While Environment Minister Murray Watt's decision to grant the approval for Woodside's North West Shelf extension in Western Australia's Pilbara has been praised by industry and unions, others have condemned it due to the threat to the Murujuga cultural heritage. President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Charissa Suli told reporters in Perth on Sunday, she is 'profoundly disappointed' about the approval of the North West Shelf gas processing facility. 'As a daughter of the Pacific, I have witnessed first-hand the devastating impacts of climate change on culturally rich but environmentally vulnerable nations in our region,' she said. 'These nations — many of which are home to Uniting Church partners within the Asia-Pacific — contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer the greatest consequences. 'Why then is approval granted to an old, polluting facility to continue emitting vast volumes of climate damaging emissions of a magnitude many times greater than the emissions of all the Pacific nations? This is not loving thy neighbour.' Rev Mitchell Garlett from the Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress added he is 'very disappointed' that the decision was made without 'close consultation with the relevant Traditional Owners'. 'The connection we feel to Country is not just a physical thing but a spiritual connection that is deeper than what we see with our eyes,' he said. 'It is heartbreaking that reconciliation is spoken of but our brothers and sisters voices are not being heard, and the land continues to suffer for so-called progress.' Rev Dr Ian Tozer added they are 'deeply concerned' by the threat to First Nations cultural heritage sites, including 60,000-year-old priceless petroglyphs at the World Heritage nominated Murujuga rock art site. 'It is vital that these ancient sites, so precious to Australia's First Peoples and to our history, are not further damaged by industry,' he said. Meanwhile, Woodside has said the approval would support thousands of jobs and supply affordable energy to Western Australia. The project has supplied 6000 petajoules of domestic gas, powering homes and industry in Western Australia with enough energy to power homes in a city the size of Perth for approximately 175 years, the company said.

‘Heartbreaking': Gas extension decision slammed

Yahoo

01-06-2025

Business
Yahoo

‘Heartbreaking': Gas extension decision slammed

Michael moved to a Uniting Church farmhouse in Brisbane to escape homelessness. Now his landlord is evicting him to build more houses

The Guardian

31-05-2025

Business
The Guardian

Michael moved to a Uniting Church farmhouse in Brisbane to escape homelessness. Now his landlord is evicting him to build more houses

When Michael Guettler moved to Hungerford Farm, in Brisbane's north-west in 2022, he thought he was finally safe from homelessness. The home, at the centre of a 28-hectare former chicken run, is just an uninsulated 'four-bedroom shack', he says. At $280 a week it was all he and his partner could afford; they were without other options, so they were happy to stay. But on Monday, the Queensland civil and administrative tribunal signed off on an eviction notice for their landlord, the Uniting Church of Australia. Guettler believes they will be forced back into his car by the church's decision. He says despite the church billing itself as 'a strong advocate for social and affordable housing and ending homelessness', the decision was 'unchristian'. 'Where does Jesus fit into all of this?' he says. Guettler and his partner have been caught up in a fight over the historic lot at 76 Kooya Road, Mitchelton. The church plans to remove the house to make way for a 92-dwelling estate. Many locals oppose the scheme. If approved, it would mean the subdivision of the last of what were once many farms in Mitchelton. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Guettler claims he and his partner have been offered no alternative housing to the Mitchelton estate and cannot find anywhere on the private market they can afford on the disability support pension. This is a claim the Uniting church denies. 'The property managers operating on behalf of the Uniting Church have offered ongoing assistance with suitable alternative properties, rental applications and references, and the church has been offering ongoing social support,' a spokesperson for the church says. Brisbane's rental vacancy rates are near record lows at just 1%. The couple, meanwhile, have been on the social housing waiting list for about six years along with 47,818 other Queenslanders. 'We've got an application approved with the Department of Housing – which is as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike,' Guettler says. Development was the last thing on the mind of Greg Hungerford, the former owner of Hungerford Farm. His family had called 76 Kooya Road home since the 1920s as the suburb rapidly grew around them. Once just a scattered handful of semi-rural homes at Brisbane's north-west edge, the 1950s arrival of the car turned Mitchelton into one of Brisbane's fastest-growing suburbs. Unlike other landholders, the Hungerfords resisted selling, continuing to run their free-range poultry farm into the 70s, selling eggs to their increasingly numerous neighbours. Surrounded by suburbia on three sides and the Enoggera army barracks on the fourth, it remains untouched by development today. Curlews, bandicoots and even kangaroos continue to visit regularly. Greg Hungerford, who inherited the property, described it as 'like paradise in the city'. He died in 2015. In his will he directed his lawyers to sell the land to the Brisbane city council, that it 'be protected from commercial development, that its environmental and natural values be protected' and that it be converted into parkland 'for the benefit of the public in general'. The trustees were released from any obligation to obtain a fair market rate for the land; one of its few conditions of sale was that the park be named for his mother, Pearl. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion A spokesperson for Brisbane city council says it attempted to buy the site but 'sadly the executors of the will did not agree'. Instead, in 2020, it was sold to the Uniting Church of Australia property trust. The church reportedly considered converting the huge field into something like an aged care home but decided against doing so. In 2022, it submitted plans for a housing subdivision to Brisbane city council. Calling themselves 'Friends of Hungerford Farm', scores of neighbours wrote to the council to oppose the church development application. Many homes in the area display corflutes calling for a 'better deal for development at 76 Kooya Road' organised by the federal MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown. The Greens MP says the site lacks public and active transport access but is 'ideal for mixed-use development, maximising the benefit to the community'. A spokesperson from the Uniting Church in Australia's Queensland synod says 'the development application is now in its final stages'. 'The current situation highlights the overwhelming need for more affordable housing to be brought online as quickly as possible in Queensland.' As a tenant, rather than an owner, Guettler believes he has virtually no rights in the face of development. Brisbane's median rents for a house have increased from $461 to $752 since the beginning of the pandemic. The city passed Melbourne to become Australia's third-most expensive city and then Canberra to be second-most, both in 2024. Prices continue to increase, due to record-low development approvals. Guettler's tenancy will be terminated on 30 June, with a warrant of possession issued for 1 July. Guettler says he feels overwhelmed, anxious and stressed about returning to potentially being homeless. 'We're a first world developed country, it's really becoming so shameful,' he says.