In-Spire-ing Work Takes Place At Goulburn Uniting Church

In-Spire-ing Work Takes Place At Goulburn Uniting Church

Worshipers at Goulburn Uniting Church have been unable to worship at the church building for years, after the church’s spire was damaged in a 2014 storm.

The church’s new spire is now in place, bringing the building one step closer to being reopened.

The congregation’s minister Rev. Julie Lawton-Gallard told local newspaper The Goulburn Post that the past four years had been “excruciatingly long”.

“The church is the people but there’s something about that place,” she said.

Services have been held at Craigs Hill Chapel on Middle Arm Road since the closure. Repair work has been delayed at every stage.

While the church congregation has appreciated the use of the chapel, Rev. Lawton Gallard said that it had been “painful” on families who could not use the church building for funeral services.

The church building was “condemned” by the local council in 2015 after experts deemed that the spire needed to be demolished and rebuilt.

Work in tiling the spire is expected to take a further six weeks. The steel spire frame, which measures five metres squared at the base, replaces a timber one. When frame cladding is complete, a new lighting weather vane will be placed on top.

It is unknown as to when services will resume at the church building. According to Rev. Lawton-Gallard, the church congregation will hold a service of celebration when the building is ready.

Originally built in 1871, the church steeple is believed to be Goulburn’s oldest. Without the original plans for the spire, heritage architects had to start from scratch.

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor

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