Born again: Traralgon Methodist Church saved from the tip by historical society

A Traralgon church that's been relocated twice since 1879 won't be making its final journey to the tip after all, with Latrobe City councillors backing a community-led rescue plan.

What happened: At a council meeting on December 15, Latrobe City Council unanimously voted to sell the Old Methodist Church at 41 Princess Street to the Traralgon and District Historical Society, ending years of uncertainty. 

The church had been slated for demolition after a council vote four years ago, which cited high restoration costs and lack of operational need.

• The previously allocated $86,000 in council funds for the demolition will now go to the historical society to kickstart restoration of the building.

Who owns the church?

The church building is owned by council, however the land the building is on is owned by the Victorian Department of Transport, for which the council had a lease agreement in place.

Now that council is seeking to sell the property, a new lease agreement will need to be negotiated with the state body VicTrack.

What is VicTrack? VicTrack is a state government body that manages Victoria’s rail land, buildings and infrastructure, and makes underused land and other assets available to lease.

The original motion stated the sale of the church to the historical society was contingent on the group successfully negotiating a contract with VicTrack before June 30, 2026.

• An amended motion put forward by councillor Darren Howe removed demolition as an automatic fallback option if the historical society was unable to negotiate a lease.

Council votes in favour of historical society plan

🗣️ Howe spoke in favour of the amended motion saying: “The future of the old Uniting Church has been uncertain for several years now; I hope that tonight’s decision will provide the certainty and peace of mind for our community.”

• “The community made it clear that demolition was not an acceptable option,” Howe said.

Traralgon and District Historical Society president Barbara Johnson told council the group plans to establish a museum and display centre, featuring the original fireplace from the town’s first Presbyterian manse and a 1902 Oldsmobile.

• Johnson noted that the building had been moved twice since 1879 before finally settling into its Princess Street location.

Councillor Dale Harriman commended the historical society for presenting a detailed proposal, which included a first-stage budget for exterior restoration.

Harriman urged other community groups and members to contact the historical society and get involved with the restoration.