In 2014 we were approached by the then priest, Father Susan Rhode, the church wardens and the community to extend our work and help restore the historical St Augustine’s church in Melkhoutfontein, Stilbaai, which was abandoned and in a poor state of disrepair with anti-social behaviour taking place.
Located adjacent to the Dreamcatcher Home Office, the church built in 1908 is listed with the National Monuments Commission due to its significant historical and cultural importance. The church grounds also include an ancestral graveyard of the community which had become overgrown with invader plant species which had destroyed the indigenous fynbos habitat. Waste was also being illegally dumped. The two main thoroughfares children walked to get Melkhoutfontein Primary School passed through the site and posed a security risk.
Working with local artisans we restored the church, which was used for community and church events, and skills transfer. The perimeter of the grounds was also fenced to improve security and address anti-social behaviour.
In 2020 St Augustine’s church took back custodianship of the church and the grounds. We hope the church keep up maintenance of this beautiful and historically important building. You can find out more about how we restored the church here.
