Galong Uniting Church Celebrates Its Centenary

What a milestone. The Uniting Church at Galong celebrated its centenary on Sunday, April 17, exactly 100 years since the very first service was conducted there on April 17, 1902.

Of course, it was a Methodist Church in the beginning.

The celebration included a special Easter service conducted by Rev Keith Robinson and several people shared special memories.

The Southwell, Killick, Shaw and Woodhead families were well represented among the 56 people who filled the church.

After the service, everyone adjourned to the Galong Community Hall where they enjoyed a traditional Sunday roast lunch prepared by local caterer Glenda Burgess.

A wonderful display of memorabilia graced the walls and tables and sparked plenty of conversation about yesteryear.

Hilltops Mayor Margaret Roles attended the celebration with her husband John.

Mrs Roles welcomed those present and impressed on everyone the importance of heritage and celebrating important milestones such as the Galong Church centenary.

Garry Ward from Young cut the centenary cake.

Mr Ward was the oldest, at nearly 88 years, surviving grandchild of George Alfred Killick and Helen Bembrick Killick present at the celebration.

His grandfather donated the land on which the church was built and his grandmother laid the foundation stone.

As was the custom of the day, she was listed as Mrs G A Killick on the inscription.

Mr Killick’s parents were the first couple to be married at the church on April 18, 1923.

His mother’s bible, gifted to the couple on the happy occasion of their marriage, was on display.

Further reminiscences of Sunday School days and associations with the then Galong Methodist Church were shared by past and present Galong locals during the course of the celebrations.

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• Religion