The church built by early squatter in western Victoria to honour his wife has sold.
The squatter's touching love story came to light with Saturday's auction of the historic Anglican church at Spring Creek - between Hamilton and Portland.
Even though about 60 people attended the auction, there was only a single bidder who managed to snare the church for $145,000.
The well preserved timber building traces its construction back to 1894.
One of Victoria's early squatters, Cecil Pybus Cooke, built the church in honour of his wife Arbella, who predeceased him by two years.
They had met on the voyage from England, married within a month of arriving in Tasmania and celebrated a 53 year union.
Agent from Charles Stewart and Co. Leeson White said a vendor bid of $140,000 at the well attended auction was followed by the single winning bid of $145,000 for the church.
He said the buyer came from Geelong and had a connection to the area.
Although Mr White said there a lot of enquiries on the sale it did take a lot of planning to convert these old churches to homes.
As with many of these now unused country churches coming onto the market and aimed at the lifestyle market, that long history does come with challenges.
Other than navigating possible council planning issues, the St Philips church does not have water, power and sewerage.
But it does have that incredible history and is located on an acre block.
St Philips consists of a foyer and auditorium with timber floor and high ceiling.
It is surrounded by an established open garden.
It has frontage to the Myamyn-Macarthur and Lake Condah roads and is around midway between Hamilton (42km) and Portland (49km).
Squatter Mr Cooke was also involved in the building of the St Thomas Anglican church at nearby Condah as well.
He was just 26 when he was lured to the rich farming opportunities of the Western District after reading explorer Major Mitchell's glowing reports of the "Australia Felix" or lush country he discovered on his third expedition to Victoria.
On that same voyage, he met George Winter who was on his way to join his brother Samuel busy establishing the Murndal (Tahara) pastoral run near Hamilton.
Travelling with Mr Winter was his sister Arbella who quickly formed a relationship with Mr Cooke.
Soon after they left Tasmania for Portland, where the Henty's had established Victoria's first farms and Mr Cooke set up that much travelled bark hut.
He took up a sheep run at Crawford River and then later Pine Hills Estate near Harrow and on to Lake Condah Station.
Arbella died in May 1892.
The church's foundation stone was laid in March 1894.
Mr Cooke died at Lake Condah Station in September the following year, aged 82.
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Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
