Labour of love: Historic church in Young on the market after 12-month restoration

In the quaint NSW town of Young lies an unmarked stone building built in 1918 – a place where people once went to find comfort in prayers and worship, and now a charming home 11 kilometres from the town’s central business district.

Earliest records show the Wondonga Church at 1123 Olympic Highway was owned by the Uniting Church in Australia until 2007 when it was sold to a private buyer for $75,000.

Norton Realty listing agent Mat McKnight said the first owner added an extension to the rear of the property with the intent of renovating but, in the end, decided to list it on the market.

It was then that picture-perfect property caught the eye of Paul Lymbery and his partner, Alison Croshaw, in December 2018 who had the grand vision of restoring the church back to its former glory.

The couple stumbled across the home and fell in love with the original sandstone building, and wanted to transform it into a “forever home” for themselves.

“When we bought it, it was a gutted shell. I’m a landscaper by trade and I’ve done a lot of stonework. I particularly like stone masonry, so this sandstone church was a big hit with us,” Lymbery said.

It was a labour of love for Lymbery and Croshaw, who are sadly parting ways with the property and moving to the North Coast of NSW due to health reasons.

“The plan was to live here forever so for the past 12 months, we had the whole building fitted out and repaired,” he said.

“We did absolutely everything. It wasn’t something that was just slapped together to look good … every piece was carefully thought through.”

With previous renovating experience on a 1950s house in the South Coast, Lymbery dedicated the last year to revamping the building and breathing new life into its four walls.

With high ceilings and timber floorboards that run the length of the chapel, one can only imagine the hymns that once echoed throughout the church.

Where the congregation once gathered in the pews is now occupied by an open-plan kitchen and living room.

“We wanted to keep the integrity and age of the building, and didn’t want to modernise it too much,” he said.

“We liked renovating the main church area which is now our living, dining and kitchen areas. I spent a lot of time restoring the old windows because they had to be pulled right apart and put back together, and quite a lot of glass panes were replaced in the process.”

While the building has been updated and restored, the church’s original period features have been lovingly retained including the archways, the gothic-style windows and exposed sandstone. 

The extension contains two generously-sized bedrooms with built-in wardrobes and a bathroom fitted with antique handles and faucet to keep its original beauty.

The facade is still reminiscent of the church it once was, decorated with ornamental trees and a gravel driveway with a concrete edge.

Among the renovations, a six-kilowatt solar system was installed with a 4.8-kilowatt battery back-up, an open fireplace and two split-system airconditioners keeping the property cosy and warm in winter and cool in summer.

Lymbery said the people of Young had been so friendly during their time in the small town and this was something he would dearly miss.

“We hope the next owner will maintain the home as we did and keep the integrity of the church,” he said.

McKnight said buyers could potentially reinvent the building as a bed and breakfast, list as an Airbnb or live in it as their own unique home.