The upcoming auction of a historic church will see the end of an era, says one local couple.
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For 79-year-old Eileen Targett and her 91-year-old husband Neville, Tantawangalo’s St John’s Church has been a large part of their lives, and its February 3 auction will be a sombre day.
“It’s been difficult to think it’s not there anymore,” Ms Targett said.
“It has left a big hole in our life.”
Ms Targett said many community members were against the decision by the Anglican Church of Australia’s Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Stuart Robinson, to sell the land in order to fund work around the parish.
“People wrote to the Bishop, but it didn’t change his mind,” Ms Targett said.
“A lot of people were against it being sold, but some of those people aren’t local anymore, and have moved to places like Bega.
“The decision was made for us, they decided it was time to sell because there wasn’t enough support for it.
“We’re sad about it, but life goes on, and if we were younger it may be different.”
Reverend Lou Oakes said all the money from the auction will be spent locally, and said there are plans for St Peter’s Church at Candelo to be used by local musicians for rehearsal, recording and performing after work has been completed.
She said the space will also become part of the next Candelo Village Festival.
“To sing unaccompanied inside the church sounds wonderful,” she said.
“It is a significant building in the village, so we’d really like to get people coming in and using it.”
Estate agent Guy Higgins, who will be auctioning the 0.61 hectares of land, said the selling of churches is rare, and the buyer will have the option to convert the historic building into a residence.
“It is in pretty original order, and it’s been wired, so it’s got electricity,” he said.
“It is northerly facing with stained glass windows, and I believe the bricks were formed on site, which was common in those days.”
Mr Higgins said he was expecting the property to sell for over $200,000.
Ms Targett said a number of people had shown interest in making a bid.
“There is a local interested, but they’re not sure they’ll have the money,” she said.
“There was also a guy from Canberra who said he’d always dreamed of buying a church and doing it up.
“We just hope someone buys it who respects it, but you have no control over it.”