The decision by the Anglican Church to sell St Oswalds Memorial Church in Broken Head has sparked widespread community concern, given that the 99-year-old church was gifted by residents as a dedicated memorial to three local men killed in WWI.
A meeting on Sunday was attended by descendants of the family of Arthur Beaumont Goard, a Broken Head dairy farmer, who was killed in action at the age of 28.
Memorial gifted to community in 1922
Mr Goard left a will that gifted one acre of land and 50 pounds for the establishment of the church.
The church memorial recognises Mr Goard and two other local men killed in action: Frederick Walter Flick and Frank Kimpton. St Oswald is the patron saint of soldiers.
The Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch have expressed concern and disappointment at the sale, and called for the recognised memorial to be ‘preserved in memory of their sacrifice’.
President Vi Hill says, ‘The Byron Bay RSL Sub-branch members are appalled that the sacrifice that these WWI men and the donation to the Broken Head Community in their memory could be sold off to raise funds foʳ such deplorable acts by their members not associated with this church.
‘The Byron Bay RSL Sub-branch members would like the church and land donated to the Broken Head Community to be managed by a local committee and remain as a memorial to these WWI Veterans who made the supreme sacrifice for their country.
Members from Sunday’s meeting also requested that the church ‘consider the ethics and morality of selling a property that was gifted to the community and stands as a memorial to local soldiers who lost their lives and has been maintained and sustained by the local community’.
Yet so far, those pleas have been ignored by the Anglican Diocese of Grafton.
An Anglican Diocese spokesperson told The Echo, ‘The Church was closed in June as part of a major restructuring program for the Diocese, which covers an area extending from the Qld Border south to Wauchope’.
‘The program involves the proposed closure and sale of a number of small churches and the amalgamation of the remaining churches into parishes or ministry areas based on larger more viable districts.
‘The first step in the restructuring program occurred last year with the amalgamation of three parishes to form the Parish of Byron and subsequently the Parish of Nambucca Valley has been formed by amalgamating two local parishes. In the Northern Rivers area, this has seen the closure and sale of a small church at Eureka and a church at Nimbin.
‘Low attendance’ at the church also contributed to the decision to sell, they said.
‘Any funds released as part of the restructuring plan will be deployed to assist with the continuation of Church’s ministry in the area, funding new initiatives relevant to a changing community, and to allow the Church to meet the costs arising from historical claims of abuse’.
‘We do recognise for some people, whose families have been faithful supporters and worshippers at these small country churches over many decades, this is a painful time’.
Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch Vi Hill president added, ‘St Oswald’s Church, Broken Head, represents the resting place in Australia of three young men who died on the other side of the world. The land, building, internal furnishings are relics of their efforts. It is just not proper to turn away from their sacrifice and sell off this recognized memorial church, which will then be lost forever.
‘Byron Shire Council describes the land and church in their local plan as being a significant historical site in the shire.
‘In a recent Byron Bay Parish News Letter a Property update was given and states, Parishioners will be aware of recent sales or proposed sales of properties in the Parish, namely the Rectory in Mullumbimby which has been sold, St Aidan’s ay Eureka which has been sold, St Oswald’s at Broken Head yet to be sold and the land at 119 to 121 Jonson St Byron Bay yet to be sold.
The Diocese of Grafton has made an assessment regarding the large amount needed to meet historical abuse claims for the foreseeable future and the available resources across the Diocese to meet those claims’.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
