Union Church (Australia)

For other uses, see Union Church.

In Australia, a Union Church is a church building owned and maintained by a local trust and available to multiple denominations.

Such churches were once common in rural areas.^[1] Some were available to all denominations and even to other religions, others specified particular beliefs, such as the Nicene Creed. Many still exist and are in regular use.^[2]

Existing Union Churches

New South Wales

Araluen Union Church

There is a Union Church at Araluen. It was built, in 1911, on land donated by William Mundy, on the condition that the building could be used by any denomination. It is used currently for Anglican and Uniting services on alternating weeks.^[3]

Caloola Union Church

In Caloola, New South Wales, this is still maintained by a Trust, and has a historic cemetery.^[4] It opened and was dedicated in 1865.

As of 2021, four interdenominational Sunday services are conducted each year, with clergy from several denominations attending each.

Meroo Union Church

^[5]

Mangrove Mountain Union Church

^[6]

Moonan Flat Union Church

The Union Church in the village of Moonan Flat, in the Upper Hunter Valley, New South Wales, is used for Anglican and Uniting Church services.^[7]

Neurea Union Church

The small Union Church at the locality of Neurea, south of Wellington, is currently in recess, but not officially closed.^[8]

Queensland

In Queensland, union churches are often titled using words such as "non-denominational", "undenominational", "united" and "community".

• Caboonbah Undenominational Church
• Purga United Church
• United Welsh Church, Blackstone
• Community church, Mount Mee
• Hemmant Christian Community Church
• Ravenswood Community Church

Historic Union Churches

New South Wales

Awaba Union Church

There is a small disused Union Church building at Awaba, New South Wales.^[9]

Beckom Union Church

There is a disused Union Church building in the village of Beckom.^[10]

Brocklesby Union Church

The building that was formerly the Union Church, at Brocklesby is now privately owned.^[11]

Burraga Union Church

There was a Union Church at Burraga.^[12][13]

Cooks Myalls Union Church

There is a Union Church at the locality Cooks Myalls, north-west of Parkes, It is probably disused.^[14]

Craven Union Church

The building that was formerly the Union Church, at the locality of Craven, south of Gloucester, is now privately owned.^[15]

Girilambone Union Church

A Union Church was opened at Girilambone, New South Wales, in January 1913.^[16][17] It was in use until at least the mid 1930s.^[18]

Glen Alice Union Church

There is a Union Church building at the small settlement of Glen Alice. Its status is uncertain, but it was in use in 2014.^[19][20]

Glen Innes Union Church

The building that was formerly the Union Church at Glen Innes is now privately owned.^[21]

Gulgong Union Church

The first church in Gulgong, New South Wales was a Union Church, built around 1870. It was a pole and bark building that stood in Medley Street, probably opposite where the Memorial Hall stands today. After the various denominations built their own churches, the building was used, for a time, as the town's Catholic school.^[22]

Larbert Union Church

There was a Union Church building at Larbert, New South Wales, from around 1878 to some time in the 1970s. All that remains are its steps, foundations and the adjoining cemetery.^{[23][24][25][26]}

Marrangaroo Union Church

The heritage-listed stone building at Marrangaroo, was once a Union Church. It was opened in 1897, by Joseph Cook. Half the iron for the roof was donated by Lithgow ironmaster, William Sandford. Title was ceded to the Anglican Church, in 1972, and it continued to use the building until around 1980. In 1983 the building was used as a library block for the Gateway Christian School. It reopened as a church, 'Marrangaroo Prayer Chapel', from 1989 to 1997. It is now privately owned.^[27]

Rydal Union Church

There is a Union Church in Rydal, opened in 1899.^[28][29] Its status is uncertain.

St John's Union Church, Running Stream

There is a now disused Union Church, with a small cemetery, at the locality of Running Stream, off the Castlereagh Highway to the south of Ilford, New South Wales. It opened in 1906, although it seems that the associated cemetery predates the church building.^[30][31][32]

Turill Union Church

The building that was formerly the Union Church at the locality of Turill, south-west of Cassilis, is now privately owned.^[33]

Walcha Union Church

There is a disused Union Church at Walcha. It opened in 1885.^[34]

Yathella Union Church

There was a Union Church at Yathella, a locality between Junee and Wagga Wagga. According to its plaque of its foundation stone, now located in the Broadway Museum in Junee, the stone was laid on 15 October 1937.^[35] The building was subsequently relocated to Kooringal, but has since been demolished.^[36] There was also a public school at the locality from 1880 to 1936.^[37]

South Australia

Renmark West Union Church

Made from the union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches. The Church began operating in June 1918 in the Renmark West School with Rev. E. W. Sanders (Methodist) and Rev. A. E. Francis (Congregational) and built their own Church on donated land, starting on 6 November 1919, and opened on 31 October 1920. The Church continues operating today under the Uniting Church of Australia and celebrated its Centenary in November 2019. Services are conducted by the Renmark/Loxton resident Minister every Sunday at 8:30 am.

References

1. "History | Mangrove Mountain Union Church". mmuchurch.org.au. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
2. "Non-Denominational | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
3. "Union Church Araluen". www.anglicanparishofbraidwood.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
4. "Caloola Union Churchyard, Caloola, New South Wales, Australia | BillionGraves Cemetery and Images". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
5. "Meroo Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
6. "Mangrove Mountain Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
7. "Moonan Flat Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
8. "Neurea Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
9. "Awaba Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
10. "Beckom Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
11. "Brocklesby Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
12. "BURRAGA METHODIST CHURCH". Lithgow Mercury. 9 December 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
13. "PRESENTATION AT BURRAGA". Lithgow Mercury. 17 April 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
14. "Cooks Myalls Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
15. "Craven Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
16. "Girilambone". Western Herald. Vol. XLIX, no. 84. New South Wales, Australia. 25 January 1913. p. 5. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
17. "THE CHURCHES". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10, 510. New South Wales, Australia. 30 January 1913. p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
18. "PURELY PERSONAL". Macleay Argus. 27 August 1935. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
19. "Glen Alice - Union Church - 2016-05-23". Mapio.net. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
20. "Easter church service times". Mudgee Guardian. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
21. "Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
22. Maxwell, Eileen (1959). Written in Gold - The Story of Gulgong - Yesterday, To-day and To-morrow. Gulgong: Mudgee Guardian.
23. "PAST HISTORY OF THE CHURCH". Braidwood Review and District Advocate (NSW : 1915 - 1954). 14 December 1948. p. 1. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
24. Maddrell, Roslyn. Braidwood District, Post Office and People. Braidwood, N.S.W. pp. 160, 206.
25. "Arnprior | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
26. "Australian Cemeteries Index - Cemetery 1690 - Larbert". austcemindex.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
27. "Marrangaroo Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
28. Design, UBC Web. "Rydal Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
29. "Rydal Union Church First World War Roll of Honor | NSW War Memorials Register". www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
30. Design, UBC Web. "St John's Union Church | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
31. "Running Stream". Australian Cemeteries Index. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
32. "St Johns Union Church Running Stream". Australian Museums and Galleries. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
33. "Turill Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
34. Design, UBC Web. "Walcha Union Church - Former | Churches Australia". www.churchesaustralia.org. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
35. Foundation stone of Yathella Union Church, Broadway Museum, Junee, NSW. The inscription reads, 'YATHELLA UNION CHURCH This stone was laid by C.R. Moss OCTR 15TH 1937 '
36. Elphick, Graham (5 August 2018). "Wallacetown was a bustling hive of activity". Southern Cross. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
37. "YATHELLA". nswgovschoolhistory.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 16 July 2024.