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Watch short videos on some of our successful grant projects. Learn about why these places are important to the community, and how the grants enabled important work to be done.
Former Benalla Migrant Camp (H2358)
Learn about conservation planning for the former RAAF base and migrant camp site, and the people who lived there.
Benalla Migrant Camp was established in 1949 as part of a large immigration program launched to increase the Australian population. It operated as a transitional centre for migrants and provided accommodation, a kindergarten, school, hall, hospital, shops and a gymnasium. The site’s many structures are now used by several community groups.
In 2017 the Benalla Rural City Council was granted $20,000 to prepare a conservation management plan for this important place. The plan will help to guide the future management and maintenance of the site.
Learn more about Former Benalla Migrant Camp
Former Methodist Church (H0523)
Learn from Judith Doughty, manager of Quercus Beechworth, about what this restoration will mean for the community.
Built in 1857, the Methodist Church was the first permanent church building on the Ovens goldfields. Today the building is a much-loved community centre, offering a range of activities including community food programs, educational activities and community gardens.
In 2018 $55,000 was awarded to Quercus Beechworth to undertake conservation works to the place. This includes repairing extensive water damage in the nave. The grant will ensure this historic building continues to serve as a meeting point for the local community.
Learn more about Former Methodist Church
St Mark’s Anglican Church (H2158)
Learn about the logistical challenges of replacing 144 deteriorated concrete louvres in a 22-metre-high church spire.
St Mark’s was built in 1927-28 to the design of Rodney Alsop. The building is used as a place of worship for the local community. The Church also runs an active outreach program, providing English language classes for migrant groups, as well as music and play groups for children.
In 2018 St Mark’s Anglican Church was awarded $75,000 on a matched-funds basis to replace the louvres to the spire. The spalling concrete louvres were creating a significant safety concern, and may have resulted in damage to the stained glass windows. The grant will prevent further damage and enable the church to be appreciated by generations to come.
Learn more about St Mark’s Anglican Church
Former Reid’s Coffee Palace (H0469)
Learn about the culture of the coffee palace, and the rehabilitation work to the interiors and exteriors of this important building.
One of Ballarat’s most imposing and iconic landmarks, the building dates from 1886 and is representative of the city’s grandeur and opulence during the gold rush.
In 2016 UnitingCare Ballarat received a $700,000 major building project grant for urgent conservation works. The works will help UnitingCare Ballarat to continue providing low-cost accommodation and support programs for those facing financial and social hardship.
Learn more about Former Reid’s Coffee Palace
Abercrombie House (H0404)
Learn about the conservation of the interiors of Abercrombie House, and how this work can tell us about the people who lived there.
This prefabricated iron cottage was manufactured in England and exported to the colonies in the 1850s. The cottage is part of the National Trust’s portable iron houses site in South Melbourne. It is a rare survivor of its type with intact interiors and wallpapers.
In 2017 the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) received a $95,000 grant for urgent stabilization works.
Page last updated: 15/03/23