The Concrete Church, Queenstown

02/09/2024

A gentleman named Duncan Grant is documenting the history of all the old churches in Tasmania. This is the one about this place

a blog about churches and history in Tasmania

08/11/2022

On Saturday the 5th of November 2022, the Queenstown community was welcomed back into the old hall for the album launch of the Teri Young Trio. This was the first public event in the space since I became the custodian of the place in September 2021. It was heartwarming to be able to share the space and I was told some local history of the place was shared.
The original plan was to have the gig in the The Concrete Church, Queenstown, but the bees were swarming inside so the contingency plan came into play.

I first saw Teri perform at the Linda hotel at the Unconformity that never was. Her lyrics and voice are potent in the most beautiful way. Teri and her clever dog Derwent have set off on a journey and we wish them all the very best on their adventures

31/07/2022

Breathing new life back into this old wooden door from 1897. The West coast region of Tasmania holds the record for the second highest annual rainfall in Australia, so getting this done last summer while the wood was dry was a priority.

I'm new to any kind of restoration work as this is the first property I've ever owned. It's satisfying to be able to sink my teeth in to a project to bring it back to life, with some expert help I might add.

More details and updates available in the blog

13/07/2022

Bit late to the Blog party, but apparently they're still a thing. This one is an unfolding story about buying a Heritage listed concrete church and wooden hall in Queenstown, Tasmania.

Follow the journey as the rejuvenation process is documented over the coming years...or centuries... There's quite a bit to do.

I respect that this place was an important part of the community for well over a century, and would love to know more about the history of this dear old place. If you have any stories to share, I'd be interested to listen.

There's also an Instagram account if you prefer pictures, with link to blog in bio

Blog:

Concrete church queenstown

13/07/2022

Article about original sale of the Queenstown Uniting Church from The Advocate, 2020

The Uniting Church has been owned by the church for more than 120 but now needs a new...

13/07/2022

On August 8th, 2021, I visited Queenstown to view a few properties listed for sale. The church was a total curveball, but I fell in love with it. I was with a friend who had experience in the restoration of old run-down buildings, and she cemented my decision that buying it was a good idea.

After chasing the real estate agent down the main street, I signed the papers that day at the Empire Hotel. As anyone who has been fortunate to buy their first property knows, it's an exhilarating and terrifying experience.

After being vacant for several years, it needs some love to breathe new life back into it. It was first sold by the church in 2020, and unfortunately it had been stripped of almost all the original fittings and churchy stuff, except for some lovely light shades, and organ and some Sunday School artworks.

I've started a blog to documents the slow evolution of the place, with links to a few articles along the way.

If you have any stories to share I'd be very grateful to hear them. I respect that this building has been an important part of the community for many years and am interested in learning more of its history and stories.