A Sunshine church is being returned to its century-old glory in a restoration project costing more than $110,000.
Slovakian Baptist Church secretary Peter Vika said the initial restumping of the building was needed to maintain its structural integrity.
“As part of this larger restoration, the asbestos cladding has been removed from the original timber boards,” Mr Vika said.
“We then repaired the walls and replaced the roofing.”
Work on the church started last November and is due to be completed towards the end of this month.
“We’re just finishing the electricity works, installing heating and cooling, and polishing the floors,” Mr Vika said.
The Sydney Street church funded most of the project itself, but it also received $2000 from the Brimbank heritage assistance fund for the restumping.
The Brimbank council’s heritage assistance program is aimed at lightening the load for owners wanting to restore, repair or maintain heritage buildings.
Brimbank administrative chairman John Watson said the fund reflected the council’s commitment to conserving the area’s historic sites.
“Maintaining a heritage property in good condition can be a financial challenge,” he said.
“[We] play a role in facilitating the conservation of these important buildings by providing grants to private individuals and community organisations to help with the restoration and maintenance of their heritage properties.”
Round seven applications to the heritage assistance fund close on October 17, with $20,000 available to be shared among recipients at a maximum of $2000 each.
Applications: www.brimbank.vic.gov.au
