Holy saviour: Historic church saved from scrap heap

A Townsville home removal company has gone on a holy crusade to save a century-old North Queensland church from being demolished.

A century-old Hughenden church has been saved from the scrap heap and transported to Townsville by a local home removal company.

The St Andrew’s church and neighbouring hall were loaded on the back of three trucks earlier this month and driven almost 400km to the Renewable Homes storage yard in Roseneath.

Renewable Homes director, Jo Veneman said the hardwood timber buildings were constructed in 1908 and became privately owned after the church was deconsecrated in 2016.

Ms Veneman said she was contacted by the owner a year ago to sell the buildings from the site at 18 Resolution St, Hughenden.

St Andrew's Presbyterian church in Hughenden the year it was built in 1908. Picture: supplied

“It was on our website for a year and no one wanted it … so they were going to demolish it,” she said.

Ms Veneman said she couldn’t stand by and watch history being consigned to landfill so she jumped into action to rescue the buildings.

“I’m supper proud I was able to save something from landfill that future generations will be able to appreciate,” she said.

“They’re part of our pioneering history.

“It’s horrible to think of it being destroyed and all the precious timbers going to waste.”

Ms Veneman said it took a month to get the paperwork in order, seven full days to prep the buildings for transport and 10.5 hours to move the church and hall the 390km to Townsville.

A 100-tonne crane was used to remove the church roof and place it on one truck, put the building on another and put the hall on a third truck.

Jo Veneman and Kevin Nolan of Renewable Homes in front of the old St Andrew's church they relocated from Hughenden to their storage yard in Roseneath, Townsville. Picture: supplied

A team of 13, including the crane driver, truck drivers and police and industry pilots, completed the removal with Ms Veneman behind the wheel of the truck carrying the hall.

Ms Veneman said they had regular stops to allow traffic to pass, blown truck tyres and a long wait for a train while navigating the two-lane Flinders Highway.

“The bridges out west are way too narrow so we had to stop and lift our hydraulic trailers to lift (the loads) over about six bridges,” she said.

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Ms Veneman said many Hughenden locals stopped by during the prep part of the job.

“The town was quite emotional about it leaving and we felt the same way,” she said.

“They were sad to let it go because we were taking a part of their community away … but we only took it because it was in danger of being demolished.”

The exterior of the St Andrew's church in Hughenden before it was transported to Townsville. Picture: supplied

Ms Veneman said many of the church’s character features were sold off prior to the building removal.

“I would love to reach out to the Hughenden community and get the pews, the alter and the old cross back,” she said.

“We’ve also put feelers out to ask if anyone has photos of the inside so whoever takes (the church and hall) can have them as a reference to restore the inside.”

The St Andrew's church from Hughenden loaded up for transport by Renewable Homes. Picture: supplied

Ms Veneman said she hoped someone would buy both buildings and restore them.

“I would love for it to be used commercially and appreciated by the whole community,” she said.

“That way people from out west who got married (in the church) could still visit it.

“I’d love to see it used as a cafe or a wine and cheese venue – it’s certainly big enough and has about 8m high ceilings so artwork could easily be displayed.”

Ms Veneman said the church was for sale for $190,000 and the hall for $78,000.