This collection of caches has nothing to do with the Church Micro series in the UK. Given that the Australian 2016 census indicates that No Religion and Jedi Knight are the fastest increasing classifications of the optional religion question "What is the person's religion?" it is not surprising that there is surfeit of empty churches that have been repurposed.
Bowden Way Memorial. Limestone rubble walls locally quarried.
Bible Christian Methodists were effective as pioneer missionaries among the farm labourers and miners of colonial South Australia. On 4th August 1851, amid the brick works of Bowden, Rev James Way, considered to be the father of the Bible Christian movement in South Australia, laid the foundation stone of a church that would later be known as the Way Memorial Chapel. The Bowden chapel was always regarded as the important ‘Mother Church’ of the Methodist movement in the new colony.
The first Chapel seated 160 people but in the age of skilled preaching and revivals the church grew rapidly. The building was extended a number of times and with an added gallery it eventually seated 450.
The congregation faced financial hardship and on occasions was unable to meet the minister’s stipend. T the last service of worship in the chapel took place on 12th June 1949.
Since that time the building has had an industrial history. For some time it was a paint factory. It was a source of the the green coloured paint that still can be seen on the exterior of the building. The building effectively became it's own advertising. More recently the site was used as a warehouse.
In 2015 the heritage property was acquired by a new owner who intended to restore it to its former glory for use as commercial office space. The building reopened in 2020 as a winery and occasional wine bar. The Bible Christian Methodists would not be happy.
Do not take the stamp in the cache. This letterbox stamp is not a swap.