Lily Tuck
After nearly four years of restoration work, the Chewton Wesleyan Church is now available to book online. Dating from 1861, the building at 205 Main Road has been through a number of phases, serving the local community as a Wesleyan and later Uniting Church, before becoming a community centre under the former Shire of Metcalfe and eventually coming into the care of Mount Alexander Shire Council. The council had considered selling the building in 2017 after it sat vacant for years but reversed the decision following strong community advocacy.
In its 2021/22 budget, the council committed funding to restore the building to a safe and usable condition, with works completed in early 2025. In August last year, the community was consulted on the preferred future use of the space. Responses pointed strongly toward a flexible, publicly accessible venue with potential for arts, wellbeing, civic and cultural activities. At the 17 March council meeting, the decision was passed to open the Church as a multi-use bookable venue, managed through the council’s online booking platform.
Among the discussion on the hiring fees, jokes between Councillor Maddock and Mayor Heydon were exchanged about the use of the space for a wedding. “Ambitious to have a wedding in under an hour,” Mayor Heydon said.
If you have the gumption, give it a try; hiring opens today. The first available date is May 15.
Hire rates are $60 per hour for commercial bookings, with a maximum daily charge of $360 for six hours.
Prospective hirers should note the building currently has no heating or cooling, and one unisex accessible toilet. Council has flagged that further facility upgrades may be considered in future budget rounds. For enquiries, contact events@mountalexander.vic.gov.au