About Churchie
Circa 1904 Carpenters Gothic Bush Church
We wish to acknowledge the Wiradjuri Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters of the Shire in which this beautiful property is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people. The area of Muttama, nearby Cootamundra and Gundagai was known by its traditional inhabitants the Wiradjuri people for a strong connection to ‘Gudhamang’, a species of freshwater turtle you can still see in nearby creeks today. The name Muttama means “I like it, I take it” in the local dialect.
The Village of Muttama sprung up as a settlement at the peak of the Southern Highlands gold stampede in the late 18th and early 19th century. Muttama Uniting church (Little Churchie) was built by the congregation in 1903 and consecrated that year. When the gold reefs ran dry, sheep grazing became the main local industry. In the following decades transport opened up in the region and small local church congregations consolidated to larger towns.
Locals say that Little Churchie had regular services until her retirement in the late 60s, for years she sat, her paddock providing shelter for many species such as sheep and the native birds that still visit daily.
To this day, Little Churchie remains a monument to times past, celebrating her 100th Anniversary in 2003.
In 2010, the church and its grounds were privately sold by the Uniting Church of Australia and in September 2015 she was sold again to us, Bart, Chrissie and little Cocoa. It was Love at first sight, and we bought her within 4 days of seeing the advertisement.
Over the last 7 years, Little Churchie has been a beautiful sanctuary for our family. She has provided us with the room to grow a permaculture garden, plenty of space to build creative workshops, and an escape from the overcrowded city rental market.
We decided from the out set to preserve rather than restore the Church. Had we stayed longer we planned to build a seperate council approved dwelling to avoid altering the structure of the Church.
As the new owner you would have the option to follow our path or develop (STCA) the Church as a residence.
For Bart, Little Churchie filled the practical criteria of his work as an art director for Film and Television.
Lots of workshop space for his creative large scale design, and the ideal location midway between Sydney and Melbourne and just over an hour to Canberra.
For Chrissie, it was the nature filled playground she needed to cultivate her passions for gardening, while also fostering an environment for her to create and even establish a new business making Carpetbags.
For our 10 year old daughter Cocoa, the ample garden space meant she could finally have pet chickens (which she had been wanting since she was a toddler).
We moved here thinking it would be our forever home, and while we are so very proud of what we’ve built over the last 7 years, we are now drawn North to be closer to family.
We love Little Churchie in all her quirky splendour, and want her to be passed on to someone who will care for her beautiful old bones, continue to cultivate her rich soil, and enjoy her many delights.
If this is what you’re looking for, and you are a cash ready buyer, we invite you to contact us for further details.
Inspection is by appointment only.