Christmas gift of hope

A Geraldton church has acquired – at well below value – a former Aboriginal mission to use as emergency accommodation for needy people.

Sun City Christian Centre will pay $300,000 – interest-free over 20 years – for the 750 hectare St Joseph’s school and hostel at Wandalgu, 150km east of Geraldton.

In its heyday, the centre was a community for up to 200 indigenous people.

It was owned and operated by the Catholic Pallottine order, but has been disused for years.

Sun City Care, an arm of SCCC, will run Wandalgu.

The new owners have already had “working bees” to renovate the rundown property, which includes a chapel, hostel and numerous rooms for activities.

“It’s not a gift, but the Pallottines have done us a huge favour,” said Sun City Christian Centre senior pastor Graham Fabian.

Geraldton businessman Max Correy – who organised talks between the two churches – said the Wandalgu property was valued at much more than it sold for.

“The replacement value was millions and millions of dollars, years ago. It’s a win-win. The Pallottines had run out of energy and manpower and Sun City has got a good deal. They will do a good job with it,” Mr Correy said.

Mr Fabian said the complex would be used for accommodating “broken people”.

“It will house people battling with life issues. It’s for people to find hope and dignity again and will be used by families to get back on track," he said.

“We needed somewhere where the dignity of people could be restored.

“We feed up to 500 people a week from here (Geraldton) and up to 1300 people a week come through in some shape or form.

"We presently don’t have any accommodation in Geraldton – we did lease a backpackers and are building an 18-bed facility but have nothing now. We desperately need some.”

He said SCCC had tried to buy the old Christian Brothers Agricultural School at Tardun, which neighbours Wandalgu.

Much of the land around the former co-educational school at Tardun has been sold to local farmers, some of whom were former students.

The buildings at Tardun have been sold privately.

“Tardun and Wandalgu were established for noble causes. It will be great to go back to that,” Mr Fabian said.