CHAPTER 27

Canberra Ñ Wattle Park

The second congregation of the Parish was Wattle Park. It was just across the border in NSW. It had a history of nearly one hundred years of continuous Methodist services. Its members were descendants of the pioneers who had settled in that area in the 1860s and 1870s. They were farmers, who grazed good quality merino sheep on their properties.

Some other members had moved on to small properties more recently, which were too small to support a family. They were called hobby farmers, as they either had a job in Canberra or were retired. Others came from the North Belconnen area, who preferred to worship in a church building.

The church building of Wattle Park was made of blue granite, mixed with orange and cream stones, to give it a beautiful appearance. It could seat, at a squeeze, about 100 people. It was a well-maintained property.

My induction took place in this church on 31 January 1981. As Wattle Park had always been linked with a larger church, first with Queanbeyan, and later with one of the Canberra churches, this was the first induction ever held there.

The congregation was more conservative than Melba, but its stability and solidity complemented it well. I had good support from its members, and it was very rewarding to serve them. I sometimes said, that Melba gave me the stimulus for innovations and experiments, whereas Wattle Park kept me sane.

The service started on Sundays at 11.15 am. It only took me about five or six minutes to get there from Melba.

The two congregations of Melba and Wattle Park had been joined into one parish just before we came to Canberra. They were so different in approach, activities and interests, that I didn't feel the church would benefit by merging all the committees. That meant that we had two Councils of Elders and two property committees with the appropriate meetings and activities. My diary became so full, that there was hardly an evening left where I could stay at home.

The top priority for Wattle Park became the preparation for the Centenary celebration of the church in 1982. A book was printed for this occasion, entitled "Wattle Park 1882 -- 1982", written by Ron Winch in cooperation with Beryl Southwell. 1000 copies were printed and it sold out within about a year.

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