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From gin bars to offices, there are many ways to breathe new life into these historic buildings.
On Maude Street in central Shepparton, a Federation-era church and Sunday school are about to go to market.
With stained glass windows, high ceilings and even a pair of castellated turrets, the listing will pose a unique but characterful challenge for agents David Napoleone and Rocky Gagliardi.
As attention turns towards Australia’s regions, many small communities around the country are preparing for change.
According to Napoleone, senior sales executive at Burgess Rawson and the company’s go-to church expert, historic places of worship have a part to play in the transformation of communities around the country.
“From my experience in selling places of worship, I do find that the local communities want to see these buildings repurposed and given a new lease on life,” said Napoleone.
“As long as the charm and character of the buildings are retained, a change of use has typically been well received.”
In his time, Napoleone has sold places of worship to a wide array of buyers – from childcare organisations and community groups, to developers and even a local Facebook page.
His current listing in Shepparton has seen a wave of changes in recent years. In 2022, the former Uniting Church went to auction “with very strong, competitive bidding” and was ultimately bought as a joint venture with the aim of converting it into a hospitality venue.
One building was to be turned into a restaurant, and the other was to become a whisky and gin bar.
Now, the vendors have had a change in circumstances and the two properties are up for sale, with planning permission for building extensions and a change of use already in place.
“The extension permit is a fantastic bonus as typically heritage overlay buildings are quite difficult to have permit approvals,” Napoleone said.
“We are marketing as ‘buy one or both’, so it really depends on the buyers out there and what their requirements are for occupation or investment.”
Napoleone and co-agent Gagliardi feel optimistic about the listing, but selling churches is not for the faint of heart.
“An in-depth knowledge of what can be changed and how is crucial when selling these buildings,” said Napoleone.
“The main challenges with church buildings are typically the heritage overlays and whether they are simply an overlay, or if they are formally listed on the heritage register. The level of historical significance to the local community, state or country will dictate the level of repurposing that can be achieved for these types of buildings.”
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