Scrub Hill, Newlyn: Restored country church graces market
A little slice of heaven is for sale in country Victoria. It’s used as a wedding venue and hot spot for local events, but the options for the new owners are endless. Have a look at the beautiful spaces.
A little slice of heaven on earth has graced the market in country Victoria and could be the answer to your prayers.
Scrub Hill, a picture-perfect bluestone church in Newlyn, a small town between Ballarat and Daylesford, has hit the market with a $1.3 million price guide.
The property at 1713 Ballarat Daylesford Rd is home to an 1869-built church and timber-lined Sunday school building from 1879.
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Owners Jennie Wilmoth and Jenni Draper purchased the property four years ago and have divinely restored the buildings to create an idyllic community venue, which hosts weddings, music events and other functions.
“We bought it four years ago from the Uniting Church and before that it was the Presbyterian Church,” Ms Wilmoth said.
“At first we didn’t know what we were going to do with the church, being agnostic.
“We decided whatever we did, we wanted it to be available to the community and we made that happen through regular events and anything the locals might come to.”
Ms Wilmoth said no fees were charged for the events, instead the money went to the artists, musicians or organisers.
The “bread and butter” that paid the bills were weddings, according to Ms Wilmoth.
“It’s such a happy place – we would like to find someone who finds it as beautiful as we do,” she said.
The grounds include different sections including the open paddock, two forests and English lawns.
The former house of God offers soaring timber-beamed ceilings, green and yellow diamond leadlight windows and original Baltic pine floorboards, all of which have been painstakingly restored by the couple.
Ms Wilmoth said there were plenty of options for potential buyers, including transforming the property into a dream home or weekender, or continuing the business.
“For anyone, however they want to live, it can happen here,” she said.
“There are so many things you could do with it.”
The property was named after one of seven local volcanoes, which was across the road. Impressive gardens including numerous rose bushes are said to be so lush thanks to the soil.
“Volcanic soil – put anything in the ground and it grows like the clappers,” Ms Wilmoth said.
McQueen Broadhurst director Kim McQueen said it was an iconic venue for the region.
“Musicians come from far and wide and say (the church) has the best acoustics of any venue they have played at,” she said.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for people who want to further renovate the church for residential use or to run a business from there.
“It’s unique to get not only a beautiful bluestone church but a site that has been so meticulously restored.”
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Originally published as Scrub Hill, Newlyn: Restored country church graces market