Daylesford church offers The Block fans their own renovation challenge

A long-abandoned church close to the new site of hit renovation show The Block is offering buyers their own luxury renovation project.

The Victorian tree-change town of Daylesford will be in the national spotlight from next week as the 2025 season of The Block hits TV screens, with teams tackling five homes within the town’s new Middleton Field housing estate.

But just 600m away, in the heart of Daylesford, another epic transformation project is in need of a new custodian.

Once the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, the distinguished building at 19A Camp Street is classified as locally significant by The National Trust and has sat abandoned for decades, according to sales agent Gary Cooke from Jellis Craig Woodend, Castlemaine & Daylesford.

“It’s not often that old churches like this on a huge block of land – it sits on over half an acre – come to market,” he said.

“It’s typical of an old church, it sits high on the hill of Wombat Botanic Gardens, overlooking all of Daylesford …so it’s an amazing location.

“A property like this, it’s obviously quite unique, and certainly there’ll be an investor or developer that’s going to jump at it.”

Planning approvals are in place for a church conversion into two luxury accommodation units, as well as the construction of 10 architecturally designed holiday units to the rear.

Designed by renowned architects Clegg & Miller and built in the early 1900s, the brick church is noted in its heritage listing statement of significance for the composition of its west front.

“This is elevated high above the street and incorporates an open porch flanked by an octagonal bell tower with copper spire and a lower projection with pyramidal roof. The interior, which has a sloping floor, focuses upon the apse,” it notes.

Inside, a Victorian two-manual organ created in 1905 by organbuilder E Cornwall Cook holds a state heritage listing as the only surviving example of his work.

Aside from some broken windows, Mr Cooke said structurally the church was in good condition but needed renovations.

“There’s an enormous piece of vacant land at the back, which is even higher than the church so when you’re at the back of it, you’re looking over the church,” he said.

“It really is a grand old church sitting high when you walk up to the front entrance and turn around and look back on town, it’s pretty stunning.

“It just needs the right person to come along and put the investment into it and resurrect it.”

The church is being sold via expressions of interests until 1 August, with a price guide of $1.65-$1.75 million.

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