Karen Van Der Stelt of LJ Hooker, Batemans Bay will be auctioning Nelligen’s historic former St Joseph’s Catholic church on May 12th Karen told the Beagle "Since listing yesterday the phone has been running hot. This really is a unique and rare property and has generated a lot of interest already" Anyone interested in more details of the property can find them HERE
'Stairway to Heaven .......'
Originally St. Joseph's Catholic Church designed circa 1896 in late Victorian Gothic with Moruya granite base footings and operating copper bell tower and spire. The building has lovingly and painstakingly undergone a complete internal refit creating an awe inspiring home with an amazing ambience. It is situated on 1,558m2 with lovely cottage style landscaped gardens and a North/West placement with stunning expansive views of the Budawang Mountains. The previous owner had a DA for a 3 bedroom home to be built at the Southern end of the property which could be reinstated (STCA). Zoned RU5 (Village) the property has newly installed automated sewerage system, gas and water connection. Rates are approximately $1,245.60/yr. The ground floor has beautiful hardwood flooring throughout and open plan guest bedroom. The kitchen, with all cabinet doors carved in Bali, has been elevated to the original altar space. The second bathroom/laundry is located in the original Vestry. Two newly installed sets of French doors lead East and West to outdoor terraces. The original stained glass windows invoke the Church's original heritage. The Mezzanine floor, accessed by a spiral staircase with decorative iron balustrades contains the main bedroom, bathroom, wardrobe and study space. Situated on the Clyde River, the quaint Historic Village of Nelligen offers local Coffee shop/takeaway, boat ramps, parklands and a daily ferry river cruise. Approximately 6 minutes along the Kings Highway to Batemans Bay Shopping and Caf precinct, Marina and foreshores , Nelligen is 2 hours to Canberra or 3 hours to Sydney. This really is an idyllic locationcall to inspect this unique property. THE HISTORY OF ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH, NELLIGEN 1872-2018 The original St Joseph's Church was a wooden structure built in 1872 by the Roman Catholic diocese. The total cost of the building, plus altar and internal furnishings, was 200 By 1894, due to the increasing congregation, tenders were called for a new, larger brick church with the winning tender awarded to Mr William Isley of Braidwood. Moruya granite was used for the foundations and a working bee, made up of members of the local Egan, McCauley, Roughley and Byrne families, dug and fired the clay for the bricks from the old Nelligen Racecourse. The corner stone was laid on 24 October 1895 and the church officially opened in 1896. The building, designed in a late Victorian Gothic, has an unusually slender operating bell tower and spire. The triple brick walls ensure a comfortable temperature throughout the year . The last official service was a funeral mass for Horst Jagow in April 1976, however many wedding parties have since chosen the church and grounds for both service and photographs. In 1976 a damp course was fitted and due to water damage, the internal plasterwork was removed. The diocese then decided to stop the restoration work and the church lay empty and abandoned before being purchased by a Perth couple who replaced the vandalised stained glass windows, installed the wooden floor and ran i t as a successful art gallery for many years. The church has been on the State Heritage Register since 1997. Anyone interested in more details of the property can find them HERE
