Auction bells ring for another historic church in western Victoria

The bluestone Scot's Uniting Church in Lake Bolac sold on-site at public auction on Saturday morning for $379,500.

It had been offered with a suggested price range of $400,000-$440,000.

Elders Real Estate auctioneer David Jennings sold the historic Glenthompson Uniting Church at auction last year for $300,000.

It was just 30km further west up the Glenelg Highway.

Charles Stewart agents had sold the historic bluestone Rokewood Uniting Church in 2021 with a price believed to be around $500,000.

Rokewood is about 90km to the south-east of Lake Bolac on the Glenelg Highway.

City folk chasing a lifestyle change in the country have been turning their attention to abandoned churches.

Country congregations have dwindled in number across the country and those who are left are increasingly elderly.

The congregations often cannot afford the upkeep of the old buildings and churches have adopted a policy of selling those deemed unviable to support other larger churches.

Scot's Church at Lake Bolac was built in 1878, Rokewood was built in 1866 and the Glenthompson church was opened in 1915 to replace a wooden structure which had been in use for 40 years.

All three are former Presbyterian churches with their construction supported by wealthy benefactors such as the early squatters.

Scot's Presbyterian Church in Lake Bolac was built in 1878 by stonemason Robert Helme on land donated by Josiah Park.

The Sunday School was added in 1940, the vestry in 1961 and the porch in 1964.

Methodist services were held in the church on Sunday evenings prior to 1918 and Church of England services were held until 1958.

Scot's became part of the Uniting Church after the "union" of several denominations in 1977.

Built of bluestone and brick veneer, the hall is steel clad.

It is located on a 8140 square metre corner block, with two titles and zoned township zone.

The church has timber-lined ceilings, baltic pine floorboards, some leadlight windows.