St John's Anglican Church - Bolong

The St John's Anglican Church, Bolong (Fullerton) is part of the Parish of Binda and the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn. The present church  building, was opened/dedicated in October 1951, replacing an earlier structure, opened in May 1864, the ruins of which can be found about 1.9 kms north of the current site (see separate entry - 2583). By the 1930s the old church building was needing major repairs and fundraising began for a new church to accommodate the needs of a growing congregation. World War II slowed the progress of building the new church, but in August 1946, church wardens requested permission from the Diocesan Council to sell 34 acres of their land and apply the proceeds towards the cost of building the new church. The land was sold privately, with the church retaining a few acres at the cemetery and old church site. The foundation stone for the present church was laid in October 1946, on a two acre block of land, donated by Harold Croker, further up the hill towards the main road. Building progress on the new church was slow, possibly due to post-war building material shortages and relying on volunteer labour to do the work. In February 1947, a severe storm caused extensive damage to the old church and the church committee hastily arranged to use the nearby Kempton Hall for their Sunday services, and this arrangement remained in place until the present church building was opened¹.  More historical information/photographs of the church/congregation are invited. Photographs uploaded 14/11/2022.

Note 1: For more of the church story and additional photographs see: (1) https://www.crookwellgazette.com.au/story/6511121/explore-the-ruins-of-st-johns-bolong/   AND  (2) Explored Visions by GD - facebook page (run by Greg Davis - who was also the author of the article in the Crookwell Gazette) - https://www.facebook.com/exploredvisions/photos/st-johns-bolong-cemetery-where-the-first-recorded-burial-is-from-1863/1004657596538821/