St Clement's Church is a historic former

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

building located at 5958 Great Alpine Road,

Eurobin Eurobin is a locality in the Ovens Valley, northeastern Victoria, Australia, situated approximately midway between the towns of Myrtleford and Bright. Known as Black Springs until 1870,Robertson, K. (1973). ''Myrtleford: Gateway to the Alps''. Rig ...

Alpine Shire The Shire of Alpine is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of and in August 2021 had a population of 13,235. It includes the towns of Bright, Dinne ...

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

. It is listed as a heritage site by the Alpine Shire Council,Alpine Shire Council - Eurobin - Heritage Citation Report - File No. AS0313, retrieved from https://www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/Eurobin.pdf and is the only remaining community building in Eurobin.Robertson, K. (1973). ''Myrtleford: Gateway to the Alps''. Rigby.

History

The construction of the church began on 6 February 1910, and was funded by the local residents at an estimated cost of £200.*Ovens and Murray Advertiser* (19 March 1910) (Pg 3) "Myrtleford - from our own correspondent"*Preacher's Record Book* (March 1910) (copy of original record provided by Alpine Anglican Parish) It was dedicated by Bishop Thomas Armstrong (bishop) on 11 March 1910, with the first service held two days later on 13 March 1910 by Reverend James Leslie Watt.*Church of England* (22 January 1954) *The Church of England Messenger* (Pg 14) "Obituary - Canon J. L. Watt" and attended by 40 people. The church served as a centre for worship and community events until its final service on 21 March 1971, led by Reverend George Austin Rigby and attended by four people.*Preacher's Record Book* (March 1971) (copy of original record provided by Alpine Anglican Parish) Following its deconsecration in 1971, the church and its land remained unused until they were privately purchased by Rupert and Josephine Saines in 1982.D'Arcy, E. (February 2010) *The Myrtleford Times* "From Crafted Church to Home, Eurobin Landmark to Turn 100" In 1986, the Saines family built a brick house on the property, located some distance behind the church.Shire of Bright - Project Building Specifications 86/269 - (6 October 1986) Under their care, the church hosted various community gatherings, including weddings, baptisms, and funerals. After Rupert and Josephine passed away, the property was sold and the title transferred to the current owner on 22 February 2021.landata.online (Accessed 14 July 2024) Title History Search Statement "00735307400092024071410510001.pdf" In April 2024, restoration efforts began to repair significant wood rot, termite damage, and peeling paint on the building's exterior, aiming to restore the church to its former state while observing the heritage overlay requiring the exterior paint to remain in its original colour.

Architecture and construction

St. Clement's Church is a small weatherboard building of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

style, topped with a tin roof. Architecturally, it is representative of the small, rural churches common throughout Australia in the early 20th century. The church's construction includes Baltic pine for the weatherboards and ceiling,

jarrah ''Eucalyptus marginata'', commonly known as jarrah, in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with rough, fibro ...

for the floorboards, cedar (

Toona ciliata ''Toona ciliata'' is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Names It is commonly known as the red cedar (a name shared by other trees), tone, toon or toona (als ...

) for the interior walls, and walnut (

Juglans Walnut trees are any species of tree in the plant genus ''Juglans'', the type genus of the family (biology), family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are referred to as walnuts. All species are deciduous trees, tall, with pinnate leaves , with ...

) for the altar rail. While Baltic pine remains accessible, jarrah, cedar, and walnut are now considered rare and costly, adding to the historical value of the building's materials.Mackintosh, A. (29 October 2021) *ABC News*, "If not native jarrah, where does WA get its hardwood?" Retrieved fro

/ref>Vader, J. (1987). *Red Cedar: The Tree of Australia's History*. Reed Books, Sydney, NSW. The structure is divided into four main areas: the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of Early Christian art and architecture, early Christian and Byzantine architecture, Byzantine basilicas and Church architecture, churches consisting of the entrance or Vestibule (architecture), ve ...

(entryway),

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

, and vestry (

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

), and features distinctive stained glass windows in pink and green.

References

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External links

St. Clement's Church, Eurobin Facebook page
– Updates and photos of the church's restoration and renovations
St. Clement's: The Church That Couldn't Wait

A Sacred Relic Returns: The Tale of St. John's Pulpit and St. Clement's Church

The Quest for Bread and Wine: A Childhood Memory at the Altar Rail
Churches in Victoria (state) Anglican churches in Australia Former churches in Victoria (state) Anglican churches in Victoria (state) Alpine Shire