Austinmer Uniting Church celebrates its 101st anniversary

Generations of the Austinmer community have heard music stream out of the small church which holds Classics in the Chapel quarterly.

"The acoustics are so stunning here. It's a small church, and the acoustics are lovely," Reverend Roselin Fisher said.

The small Austinmer church on Moore Street was built in 1922 and over the weekend had its belated centenary celebrations.

A community gathered in the church on Sunday, April 16 with a key performance by soprano singer Louise Lavilles.

The community was not able to celebrate the centenary in 2022 due to repairs being conducted on the foundation pillars, funded by Wollongong City Council, Illawarra Presbytery and a GoFundMe.

"I thought now we must have [the celebrations] because it's out of respect for all that those people put in all that long time ago," Rev Fisher said.

Austinmer Uniting Church Reverend Roselin Fisher has been focusing on opening the church to the community, free of charge.

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"Of course, the church will always be a worship space on Sunday morning, but we try to promote the church more and more as a place for the community," she said.

"So my vision, our vision is that we will have people with cultural activities coming here."

One such example is the quarterly Classics in the Chapel event which invites musicians and singers to perform for the community.

"Music moves our souls and I think everybody would fundamentally agree with that," Rev Fisher said.

Among the attendees at the centenary celebrations was Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbury, a guest speaker. Mr Bradbery previously was a reverend for 23 years including 15 years at the Wesley Uniting Church in Wollongong known as 'The Church on the Mall'.

Reverend Fisher believes the mix of traditional and progressive values makes the church unique.

"It's a mix, so we have traditional hymns, but there is a focus not so much on ritual which can be the main focus of some church services, but more on biblical knowledge and historical knowledge," Rev Fisher said.

"So many of the stories can be useful today keeping the bible and Christianity and going to church relevant."

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the main religious belief for people in the Thirroul-Austinmer-Coalcliff community is secular beliefs, other spiritual beliefs, no religion.

There has been a decrease in people affiliating with Christianity from 58.7 per cent in 2011 to 41.4 per cent in 2021.

Reverend Fisher started working at the church in 2009, since that time her feelings about the church have only deepened.

"I think everybody that comes in even people who come in from the street just to have a look. There is a very peaceful feeling about this space," Rev Fisher said.

"When I came, I had a lot to learn didn't I? I had to learn a lot of the history."

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