Christ Church Hall, formerly Loyal Pambula Lodge, MUOOF; Presbyterian Church; St. Columba's Uniting Church; Quondola Street, Pambula.

Current status*:	Unlisted. Formerly included in Schedule 6 of the Bega Valley Shire Council’s Local Environment Plan.
Name of item:	Christ Church Hall
Former name/s:	Loyal Pambula Lodge MUOOF Lodge Room; Presbyterian Church; St. Columba’s United Church.
Item type:	Built
Item group/collection:	Religion
Item category:	Church Hall
Street number:	32
Street name:	Quondola Street
Suburb/town:	Pambula
Local Government Area:	Bega Valley Shire
Property description:	Lot 1, DP 237308
Owner category:	Church
Current use:	Church hall
Former use/s:	MUUOF Lodge Rooms; travelling salesmen’s show room; Manchester and drapery store; religious worship;

* Refers to the site's inclusion in Schedule 5 of the Local Environment Plan.

Southerly aspect of St. Columba’s, Pambula, 2006. © Angela George, 2006. Northerly aspect of St. Columba’s, Pambula, 2006. © Angela George, 2006.   St Columba’s, Pambula, showing entry porch, finial and bargeboard details. © Angela George, 2006.

Significance:

Statement of significance: The use of this small building has encompassed a number of community and religious organisations, as well as use by both local and travelling businessmen. This social significance is one that continued virtually uninterrupted from the time of its initial construction of 1913/14 right up until the present day. Further, its place in the development of the commercial community combined with its association with religious and community groups adds to its cultural significance. Visually speaking, it makes an important contribution to the local townscape and streetscape, being located as it is on a main road entering and exiting the town from the southern side. Manner of construction is historically in keeping with the tradition methods used over the years in the Pambula district. Retaining as it does its original weatherboard construction with traditional bargeboards and finials, the building is therefore significant from the point of view that it represents a very typical example of the traditional architectural style and building materials used within the Pambula township.

Level of significance:

Local

Description:

Designer:	Unknown.
Builder:	James Dowling
Physical description:	Small weatherboard built structure with CGI gable roof with entry also of weatherboard construction and CGI gabled roof. Decorative white scalloped bargeboards and turned finials to front and back roof line. Two four pane timber framed double hung sash windows on both sides of building. The structure is currently set on large church grounds between the stone built Anglican Christ Church and the weatherboard built former Anglican rectory. The building is in a typical vernacular Pambula architectural style.
Physical condition:	Excellent.
Construction date/s:	1913
Modifications and dates:
Further comments:	Relocated from its original site at 7 Quondola Street in about 2008.

The wedding of Joyce and Joseph

Lyons at the Manchester Unity

Hall, 1947. The façade of the

building is largely unaltered today.

From the George Family Collection.

History:

Historical notes: The weatherboard building located at 32 Quondola Street was originally erected further up the street as the meeting hall of the local Oddfellows Lodge.   On August 4, 1893, the Pambula Voice stated that it was contemplated to start a branch of the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows Lodge in Pambula. The following week, the Voice announced a meeting of all those desirous of forming a branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. This was held at the Pambula School of Arts on Tuesday August 15, 1893, and on the motion of Messrs Francis and Fuller, the organisation was established. The same month, a further meeting was held, when a number of intending members paid their initiation fees and signed the requisition to the head lodge asking for a dispensation. This was received from the Sydney District Lodge in September and the same month the Loyal Pambula Lodge IOOFMU was duly opened, with about 12 members being initiated. Early the following year, it was reported that the organisation was continuing to make steady progress, with “…one or two members being enrolled at almost every meeting.”   After many years of meeting in the School of Arts and other local buildings, members decided in October 1913 to proceed with erection of their own lodge room on land they had previously purchased in Quondola Street. In November 1913, the Pambula Voice reported that Mr. James Dowling was making rapid headway with erection of the Oddfellows Lodge Hall building, and in January 1914, it was officially opened, after which a banquet was held in the School of Arts to celebrate the event.   For many years, the Oddfellows organised a range of events locally, in particular sports days, cricket and football matches, as well as social functions.   By the late 1940’s, however, the lodge as an organisation was no longer using the building and it was from time to time used by travelling sales men in which to display their goods. Around this time, Mr. Eric Coorey, proprietor of the Rural Distributing Store, was also using the building as the drapery portion of his business.   Following damage to the Anglican Church at the bottom of Quondola Street and until their present structure was erected, it was also used for weddings and other services by local residents of that faith.   The little weatherboard building moved into the next phase of its life after it was purchased from Manchester Unity by the Presbyterian Church. Dedication of their new house of worship took place on Saturday March 13, 1965, after which an afternoon tea was held to mark the occasion. More recently, with the amalgamation and formation of the Uniting Church, the building was been used by that religious denomination, and was known as St Columba’s Uniting Church.   In about 2004 it was decided by the Uniting Church to sell the property, going under auction in January 2005 at which time it became privately owned. The building was afterwards transferred to the Anglican Parish and in about 2008 was relocated to their church property on the corner of Quondola and Bullara Streets, Pambula. It is now used as a hall by the local Anglican Christ Church.

Christ Church Hall, 2014.

Christ Church Hall in the background behind the church building, 2014.

 

From left: Former Anglican rectory; Christ Church Hall; and Christ
Church, 2014.

Themes:

Australian theme:	New South Wales theme:	Local theme:
3: Developing local, regional and national economies.	Commerce – Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services.
3: Developing local, regional and national economies.	Industry – Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods.
3: Developing local, regional and national economies.	Technology – Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied science.
8: Developing Australia’s cultural life.	Leisure – Activities associated with recreation and relaxation.
8: Developing Australia’s cultural life.	Religion – Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship.
8: Developing Australia’s cultural life.	Social institutions – Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities.
8: Developing Australia’s cultural life.	Sport – Activities associated with organised recreational and health promotional activities.
9: Marking the phases of life.	Birth and Death – Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead.

Application criteria:

Historical significance SHR criteria (a)
Historical association significance SHR criteria (b)
Aesthetic significance SHR criteria (c)
Technical / Research significance SHR criteria (e)
Rarity SHR criteria (f)
Representativeness SHR criteria (g)
Integrity:

Heritage Listings:

-

-

Information sources / bibliography :

Baddeley, Alma and Ben, Pers. Comm. Bennett, Vida, Pers. Comm. Eden Magnet. Eden Magnet and Pambula Voice George, A. C. (“Bubby”) (comp.) “History of Pambula – Old Records Early Days” Higgins, Jule, “Pambula’s Colonial Days” Moore’s Almanac and NSW Country Directory NSW Lands Title Office Pambula Voice newspaper Whelan, Betty, Pers. Comm.

Author and date:

© Angela George. All rights reserved.

June 2015.

 

Weatherboard cottage - Little Gahan Street, Pambula

While the exact history of this cottage at 5 Little Gahan Street is presently unknown, it is one of several examples of weatherboard buildings in the Pambula township. The buildings at 1 (LEP Item No. I250) and 3 (LEP Item No. I748) Little Gahan Street are quite similar in appearance. The three were probably constructed around the same time and probably date from the Victorian era.

5 Little Gahan Street is currently the focus of research and this page will be updated when further information is available.

Bellbird Creek Bridge - Princes Highway, near Eden.

Current status*:	Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register; but not currently included on Schedule 5 of the Bega Valley Shire Council’s Local Environment Plan.
Name of item:	Bellbird Creek Bridge.
Former name/s:	RTA Bridge Number 6000
Item type:	Built
Item group/collection:	Transport - Land
Item category:	Road Bridge
Street number:
Street name:	Princes Highway (4.63 km north of Eden)
Suburb/town:	Eden
Local Government Area:	Bega Valley Shire
Property description:	(Lat: 37° 01' 30"S Long: 149° 54' 25"E)
Owner category:	State Government
Current use:	Bridge
Former use/s:	Bridge

* Refers to the site's inclusion in Schedule 5 of the Local Environment Plan.

Significance:

Statement of significance: This bridge is a minor component of the historically significant route of the Princes Highway. It is a simple functional structure constructed, as were many others, in the 1930s by the Department of Main Roads (DMR) as part of the State Highways improvement programme aimed at bringing the State's roads up to a standard suited to motor vehicle traffic, a programme which as a whole was a significant activity in the State's cultural history. The bridge is of a highly unusual design and has some social significance as its construction was energetically sought by the community.

Level of significance:

Local

Description:

Designer:	Main Roads Board
Builder:	Messrs Denhlom and Davison
Physical description:	The bridge spans a stream at the bottom of a steep valley which remains heavily wooded, with bellbirds still a dominant sound. The structure is a single span reinforced concrete bridge consisting of a slab which chamfers twice to join with the vertical abutment walls, effectively creating an arch. The roadway fill runs across the structure to a depth of approximately 1 m, with stone pitching to retain it. The bridge has been widened in similar form to the existing, giving increased width on the upstream side. This widening is not topped by stone pitching. Guardrail runs in the fill across both sides of the bridge, and the close growth makes its existence almost unnoticeable.
Physical condition:	In 2003 the structure was described as being in in good condition “…although there is some abutment fill on the downstream side which appears to have moved towards the waterway, but without constricting it. Approximately 30 m downstream of the existing bridge there are stone mounds which may have formed part of the approaches to the previous wooden culvert.”
Construction date/s:	1934
Modifications and dates:	Widened in 1979.
Further comments:

 

History:

Historical notes: A road route linking the settlements on the south coast of New South Wales between Wollongong and Eden was well established by the mid-nineteenth century, appearing on an 1858 Post Office Department map of postal roads. (DMR, 1976, p. 37) The approximate route of the current Princes Highway was declared the 'Main South Coast Road' through the Local Government Extension Act of 1906. An 'opening' and naming of the Princes Highway took place at Bulli in 1920. (DMR 1976, pp. 64 and map opposite) Between 1932 and 1939 the Princes Highway between Sydney and Batemans Bay (174 miles) had been completely reconstructed and surfaced in bituminous macadam. Work on the section between Batemans Bay and the Victorian border, including around Moruya, was well underway by 1939, but not yet complete. Several extensive deviations had been constructed, adding 35 miles of completely new road and many new concrete bridges (as many as 22 concrete bridges between Nowra and Batemans Bay). (DMR 1976, p. 160-1) It was in this context that the bridge over Bellbird Creek was constructed in 1934. This bridge was one of more than 1,000 bridges built by the DMR between 1925 and 1940, a period in which their engineers were adapting existing standards of bridge design to meet the requirements of improved motor vehicle performance - they were generally wider than previously with an improved load capacity. The principal types of bridges constructed in this period were: concrete slab; reinforced concrete beam; steel truss on concrete piers; and timber beam bridges. (DMR, 1976, pp.169) Concrete was favoured in many instances because it was perceived to be a low maintenance material. In July 1933 a move was made by the Eden Advancement Committee for the renewal of the culvert of Bellbird Creek. The culvert had been swept away by a flood sometime previously and it was suggested that action be taken to remedy the situation, as the crossing was proving very troublesome to the mail and other cars, and if much rain fell they would be isolated. A Main Roads Board official had stated the previous year that it was the worst hill between Sydney and the border, with the exception of Bulli Pass. In September 1933 the bridge remained unrepaired and many tourists complained about the delay in commencing construction of a bridge at Bellbird Creek. (Bega Valley Historical Society, RTA File 1/32.1202) Searches of the Eden Magnet by the Bega Valley Historical Society indicate a high level of community concern about the crossing between July 1933 and July 1934, and much relief following the completion of this small bridge and others that had been damaged during the same period of flooding. In December 1933 tenders were invited for the construction of a reinforced concrete bridge and paved earthwork approaches to Bellbird Creek near Eden and in January 1934 it was reported that Messrs Denholm and Davison had secured the contract and were arriving during the week to commence work. In June 1934 final touches were being given to Bellbird Creek Bridge and approaches by Messrs Denholm and Davison. In July 1934 it was reported that the replacement of the old flood-destroyed wooden culvert at Bellbird Creek near Eden, with a modern reinforced concrete structure, had removed one bugbear to travellers on the road. (Bega Valley Historical Society)

 Themes:

Australian theme:	New South Wales theme:	Local theme:
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements

Application criteria:

Historical significance SHR criteria (a)	The limited historical significance of the bridge over Bellbird Creek is related to its role as a minor component of the historically significant route of the Princes Highway. It is a product of the general upgrading of the road system that took place in NSW in the mid-twentieth century when more than 1,000 bridges were upgraded to cope with increased vehicular traffic on NSW roads.
Aesthetic significance SHR criteria (c)	Modest, although the multiple chamfers are suggestive of an arch.
Social  significance SHR criteria (d)	Correspondence to the Eden Magnet for the year July 1933 to July 1934, indicates a high level of community concern about the crossing and much relief following the completion of this small bridge and others that had been damaged during the same period of flooding.
Rarity SHR criteria (f)	No exact equivalent in New South Wales. Guthries Creek, Charlottes Pass (RTA Bridge No. 6206) is similar but with only one chamfer per side.
Representativeness SHR criteria (g)	Representative of modest crossing of the period.
Integrity:	Moderate, widened in like style to original.

Heritage Listings:

Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

 Information sources / bibliography :

RTA General File 1/32.1202 Eden Magnet The Roadmakers, Department of Main Roads, 1976

Author and date:

All information taken from NSW State Government listing, database No. 4309550

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=4309550