A BALLARAT historian fears rare World War I stained-glass windows will be destroyed if the sale of the Barkly Street Uniting Church goes ahead.
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Dr Anne Beggs-Sunters said the historic triptych memorial windows had taken pride of place at the entry of the church, since church trustees funded and erected the memorial in 1919.
The windows are considered to be one of the most remarkable war memorial windows in Victoria.
But Dr Beggs-Sunter said the fate of the windows once the church is decommissioned is unknown.
The 1800s English Gothic-style front facade is believed to be protected by a City of Ballarat heritage overlay.
Dr Beggs-Sunter said if the building was to be sold into private hands, she wanted to see the Uniting Church relocate the windows to another church.
“It has to be somewhere where it remains a community asset and can be admired by the public,” she said.
Historical experts believe the windows were designed by renowned stained-glass window-maker William Montgomery.
“As we approach the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, the soldiers’ memorial window so graphically represents the sacrifice of war,”
Dr Beggs-Sunter said.
“It needs to be protected and given the national significance it deserves.”
The windows, titled The Call, the Victory and the Peace, were installed in honour of 34 young soldiers.
All of the men were members of the congregation when they died at war.
The centre window depicts a young solider bearing an Anzac badge underneath the British and Australian flags.
The image of the solider is surrounded by 24 crosses, a single dove and a bugle.
Dr Beggs-Sunter said the church was one of the most culturally significant buildings in Ballarat and to lose it would be “devastating”.
She said other historic aspects of the church were also under threat, including an 1800s pipe organ.
Uniting Church Presbytery of Western Victoria minister Reverend David Thompson said discussions were under way between the Uniting Church and the Ballarat RSL sub-branch on how the windows could be preserved.
Reverend Thompson said the church’s intention was to ensure the windows were protected in situ or relocated to another space in the city.
“The local RSL museum wouldn’t be able to accommodate it, so we need to find an alternative place for it,” he said. “It is completely our view to make sure it is preserved in some way.”
He said discussions were also under way on the church’s historic organ, with talks of possibly moving it to the St John’s Anglican Church in Creswick.
melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au