Aussie buys a cemetery and scores creepy new career

After a campaign pitched at $150,000-plus buyers, an Aussie has inked a deal for a unique new address and career – in what you could say is the dead centre of a Tassie town.

A glorious Gothic Revival church and cemetery in the grounds has sold in tiny village and the buyer will become the cemetery manager, the listing explains.

Any changes to St Mary the Virgin Church – built in 1848 – at 31 Church Road in Gretna will need to be checked off with Heritage Tasmania and the Central Highlands Council.

The estate sold on May 10 for an undisclosed sum.

SOLD - $125,000

31 Church Road, Gretna TAS 7140

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The picturesque and affordable property, which has connected power, does need a handyman’s work and is not for the faint hearted, the listing advises.

Offers of more than $150,000 were sought when it launched on the market – a figure which is less than a tenth of the current Sydney median house price.

“The romantic notion of owning a historic Gothic Revival church in the country is a reality here in the picturesque rolling hills of Gretna and the small community it rests within,” the listing, on the books of EIS Property, says.

“From a bygone era, built in 1848, this Church of St Mary the Virgin and surrounding ACTIVE cemetery (to be managed by the new owners), offers an unique opportunity to explore how you might convert/use this very special former church (STCA) to highlight the historic and heritage significance of the property while respecting the families and community who may visit and have loved ones resting inside the cemetery grounds.”

STCA refers to subject to council approval.

The property covers more than 8000 square metres in the island’s verdant south east. The town of Gretna, at the last census, had only a touch more than 200 residents.

The buyer will take on the role of managing the operational cemetery, 45 minutes from Hobart.

However, it won’t be as simple as stepping into the position when the vendor and buyer sign the contract – a condition is that the buyer must apply for a cemetery manager’s license from the government regulator, which is the industry standard.

Prominent Tasmanian woodcarver Ellen Nora Payne is responsible for the ornate furniture in the building, which features soaring leadlight windows with “cusped heads” and an intricate web of exposed beams.

The median house price in Hobart is $712,648, according to Domain data.