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:

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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.