For the past three years, Watermans Bay Uniting Church has held a Harvest Festival service on the first Sunday in May. Food that is collected is donated to Uniting Aid. This year there was an another reason to celebrate, as on 1 May 1976 – 40 years ago to the day – Euroka Village, as it is now called, was dedicated. Watermans Bay Uniting Church is part of the village complex.
The early history of the Methodist Church in Watermans Bay is quite a story. The first church opened on the corner of Margaret Street and Flora Terrace on the first Sunday in January 1938.
The block of land was donated by estate agent Mr Milner and the adjoining block was bought by Ladies Guild. Sunday school was conducted in the church each Sunday – numbers grew and a separate Sunday School Hall was built and opened in February 1955. As years went by it was felt the church could better serve the district by building accommodation for the aged.
The existing buildings were demolished, further land purchased as far as Ada Street. The complex was designed by John Jodrel who also was the overseer of construction. The project was completed and officially opened on 1 May 1976 by Rev AC Canning.
Because Watermans Bay Uniting Church had given their home for the project they were to have use of the recreational hall for church purposes for as long as it existed. There are some members of our current congregation who were present at the dedication 40 years ago and we were joined for the service and morning tea by some of the current residents of the complex.
Christine Thompson
Top image: The dedication of Euroka Village in 1976.