Penola

Kalangadoo

Millicent

Beachport

In

Interested in a

welcoming, country parish

in a diverse, productive

Regional setting ?

Then read on……..

Contents Our location …………………..….……… Page 1

Our Region ………………………….. Page 2

Our Townships………………………….. Page 5

Our Churches………………….……….... Page 6

Our background…………………..……... Page 9

Our present-day……………………......... Page 10

Our future hopes………………………… Page 13

Coonawarra

vineyards

Redgum

wetlands

Lake Bonney

windfarm

Beachport

coastline

Our location The Pastoral District of Millicent and

Penola is located in the lower South East

Region of South Australia, known as the

Limestone Coast. It is within the local

Government area of the Wattle Range

Council.

The Parish encompasses the townships and settlements of Coonawarra, Penola,

Nangwarry, Tarpeena, Kalangadoo, Mt Burr, Millicent, Tantanoola, Furner,

Hatherleigh, Rendelsham, Southend and Beachport.

Page 1

Our Region Our Region is blessed with assured rainfall, quality

ground water, and productive soils. As such it is a

premium area for Primary Production, be it sheep for

meat and wool, cattle, dairying, many types of

cropping, viticulture, forestry, and horticulture as well

as a significant rock lobster fishery. It has a variety of

well-established value adding industries, along with the

associated commerce, retail, and tourism activity.

Visit the Wattle Range council website for a comprehensive look at all the facilities and

living opportunities the Region has to offer.

https://www.wattlerange.sa.gov.au/page.aspx Page 2

Living

The region has summers that are warm to hot, but maximum temperatures are

generally below the rest of the State. The winters can be cold and wet, as the higher

rainfall is one of the benefits. However the autumn and spring can have those magic

enjoyable very livable days. The close proximity to the coast is a plus. Everything from

rugged rocky coastline to long sandy beaches is in reach. For mountains the Grampians

are not far away. The population density is relatively high for a genuinely rural

community, which means there is a diversity of interests and cultures in the society.

Schools

The Education needs of the Region are well served with Catholic

Primary, State Primary and State Secondary schools in both Penola

and Millicent. Two significant Private Schools are located 50km

away in Mt Gambier with feeder bus runs for students from Penola

and Millicent. Mt Gambier has a TAFE and University Precinct

with a strong Regional presence of Flinders and UniSA making

tertiary campus facilities locally accessible.

Penola Primary School http://www.penolaps.sa.edu.au/

Penola High School http://dl0931ictadmin.wixsite.com/penolahs

Mary McKillop Memorial School, Penola http://mmms.catholic.edu.au/

St Martins Lutheran College, Mt Gambier http://www.stmartins.sa.edu.au/

Tennison Woods College, Mt Gambier http://www.tenison.catholic.edu.au/

Health facilities

There are Medical Clinics and Hospitals in both Penola

and Millicent, with Ambulance stations, and a large

Regional Hospital in Mt Gambier only 50 km away.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides Air ambulance

services regularly to Adelaide for special transport

needs. Visiting medical specialists consult in the Region.

Dental, physio, optical, and all allied Health options are

within easy reach. Home care and Residential Aged

Care facilities are well established in the major towns.

Page 3

Recreation

Country towns are renowned for their

involvement in Sport, and South East towns

are no exception. Football, Netball, Soccer,

Basketball, Cricket, Hockey, Lawn Bowls

and many other codes have strong

participation.

Active service clubs, Craft groups, Men’s

shed, Field Naturalists, History, Theatre, Choral and other

special interest groups meet regularly providing a wide range

of pursuits for all who live in the Region. Millicent has a

swimming lake and Penola and Nangwarry have pools. The

coastal towns have swimming beaches.

Libraries

The Wattle Range Council is a strong supporter of community facilities. The Library

service in Millicent, the Community Library in Penola and the branch libraries in the

smaller centres, is second to none.

Regional Centre

Our relative close proximity to Mount

Gambier, the biggest Regional Centre

outside of Adelaide, means that we are

able to obtain the goods and services that

one would expect to find in large

shopping centres and in the larger retail

outlets.

Page 3

Page 4

Our townships Population stats from 2016 Census townships & surrounds

Coonawarra Population 137, is South Australia’s well known premium red wine

growing area to the North of Penola. Many wineries have cellar door sales.

Penola Population 1592, Historic town which has the Visitor Centre for Australia’s

first Saint, Mary McKillop. A service centre for the surrounding population with an

annual Festival, a strong tourism element with cafes, some excellent restaurants and

galleries in the main street.

Nangwarry Population 520, is in the middle of the Penola Forest estate. It started as

a plantation softwood timber milling town, but with closure of the mills it now provides

affordable housing for local residents.

Kalangadoo Population 473, was a busy milling and railway centre for many years.

It has strong horticultural links with nearby orchards, potato growing, farming and

dairying enterprises in the district, and still has an active timber mill.

Mt Burr Population 361, like Nangwarry but in the Mt Burr Forest, the town’s mill

closed. Residents support their community and commute to other locations for work.

Millicent Population 5109, is a major service centre for surrounding farms. The

population also provides labour for a major industrial paper mill tissue plant, and has

supporting retail, Local Government offices, hotels, motels, caravan parks, retail and

industrial businesses. It provides for through tourists, has an acclaimed museum, and

large nearby windfarm.

Tantanoola Population 496 is a small former dairying and railway town with a

nearby spectacular tourist cave with stunning formations.

Southend Population 263, is a small coastal cray fishing town, and is the HQ for the

local coastal National Parks which have significant visitor numbers through the year.

Beachport Population 652, is a larger coastal town and a popular retirement and

holiday destination. It has a rock lobster fishing fleet and boat yard, a strong Lions club,

a cinema, several churches, a museum, cafes, caravan parks and unit accommodation.

Visit the Wattle Range website for information about each of the townships in

the Council area on https://www.wattlerange.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=2279

Page 5

Our Churches

The Parish has Churches and congregations that worship in four centres,

Penola, Kalangadoo, Millicent and Beachport.

Penola - St Mary the Virgin

St Mary’s church dates back to 1873. It currently

has a small but very dedicated congregation who worship here.

The Parish hall is across the road and in recent years has

become the Parish Op Shop. It is the only Op Shop in the town

and is frequented by both locals and visitors passing through.

It provides both a valuable ‘drop in’ ministry as well as vital

income for the Parish. The rear of the church has a garden for

the interment of ashes.

The Rectory The Rectory is centrally located in

the Penola township, directly

opposite St Mary’s Church. It is a

substantial family home with a

study, and was purpose built to

Diocesan criteria. It has been well

maintained and is equipped for

modern day standards.

Page 6

Kalangadoo - St Alban

The foundation stone of the current Church of St Alban at Kalangadoo was laid in 1961.

Services are held twice per month, and the small in number but very supportive

congregation comes from the town and surrounding District. Members of the Penola

congregation join in on occasions. St Albans is the one remaining Protestant church that

is still in use in the town.

Millicent – St Michael & All Angels

The foundation stone at

Millicent was laid in 1879.

It is in a commanding position

in the centre of the main street

of the town with a generous

garden space fronting the

street. It is the largest Church

building in the Parish. On the

same site is the Parish Hall

which was constructed as a

Sunday School building, and

the former Rectory building

which is currently rented out.

Although the regular

congregation is devoid of

younger families (as is also the situation in the other centres) the dedicated parishioners

are strong supporters. Page 7

The interior of the church has

been painted and re-carpeted in

recent years. The grounds are

lovingly tended as is the

picturesque walled rose garden

for the interment of ashes. A

stunning set of “Stations of the

Cross” adorns the walls of the

nave. An impressive stained

glass window is also a memorial.

Beachport

In recent decades, as the number of active Anglicans

in the town of Beachport has dwindled, the

inevitability of the closure of the St Nicholas Church

constructed in 1923 came about in 2018 with its

‘de-consecration’. However, an ongoing Anglican

presence continues in the town, by arrangement

with the local Uniting Church, with regular monthly

services in the church of St Matthew by the Sea.

The numbers in the town swell to several thousand

during holiday periods, hence the importance of services continuing through

ecumenical cooperation.

Former churches

Although closed many years ago, there were once Anglican churches and viable

congregations in Coonawarra (St Cedd), Nangwarry, Tantanoola (All Saints), Mt Burr

(St Bede) and Glencoe (St Paul – ex Mt Gambier Parish). Anglican services were also

held in the former Tarpeena Community ‘Church of Christ’ building.

Page 8

Our background There has been a continuous Anglican presence in

the region since its early colonization. Bishop Short

(First bishop of Adelaide) made an exploratory visit

to the area in the mid 1850s and realized that the then

sparsely settled country was being rapidly opened

up.

In 1856 he stationed in Penola a Missionary

Chaplain, whose duty was to bring the Church to the

people of the Tatiara area, Robe and the South East –

in effect the entire settled area from the Murray to

the border. Within a few years there were several

clergy in the area.

The town of Millicent was named after the daughter

of Bishop Short who married George Glen in 1857

who had settled at nearby Mayura .

The first church in Penola was a joint effort of

Anglicans and the Presbyterians of the township.

Bishop Short journeyed several times to the District

to watch and promote the advance of the Church and

to encourage his ‘horseback priests’. Incumbents over the years in each of the towns of

Penola and Millicent have been many and varied.

We’ve had Priests with a family, Priests with a

spouse alone, and Priests unmarried. All along, the

faithful congregations have continued their support.

In 2010 the two Parishes combined to form the

present Pastoral District.

Page 9

Our present –day Church attendance on Sundays – The current

numbers one might expect on an average

Sunday are not huge, and sit in the range of

Penola 8 to 12, Millicent 15 – 20, Kalangadoo

6 -10, Beachport 6 -10 (early days).

As mentioned earlier we lack young families for

many reasons. They have either moved away

from the district, are tied up with Sunday sport

or other activities, or have not been active

churchgoers since they stopped coming as

children.

Churchmanship and Liturgy – How would we describe ourselves in the Anglican

Church spectrum ? We are used to using the ‘Prayer Book for Australia’. Some might

say we err on slightly the high church side of things rather than low when it comes to

rituals.

Welcoming - The Parish has a well-established tradition of

being very welcoming to visitors and newcomers. The

fellowship that takes place over a cuppa after church is seen as

an important time to catch up, to care, to listen, to publicize

events.

Pastoral Assistants – We have 6 active Pastoral Assistants, some

in each congregation, who assist with the administration of

Communion, take Morning or Evening Prayer when required,

participate in home communions, and even take funerals as

needed.

Music – Music is seen as an important part of

our corporate worship and we have access to the

technology that greatly assists this aspect. It

depends which church you are attending – but

generally the singing is strong and comes from a

history of having had choirs. The local choral

society in Millicent has participated in a Service

of 9 lessons and carols at Christmas on many

occasions.

Page 10

Home communions –The infirm and the sick are ministered to

through home communions. Services for the aged are held at

Nursing homes in Penola & Millicent. Regular services at the

Aged care home in Millicent have recently undergone a change to

private communions.

Bible study - We have a monthly Bible study / discussion group

that uses a series of notes and commentries that come from the UK

Bible Reading Fellowship. There are unusually 8 -10 people who

gather for these sessions. They are both informative and fun.

Special intention services -

The Parish put together a Mission Action Plan as part of the

Bishop’s “Taking the Plunge” programme, which had as its main focus a series of

Special Intention Services. We commenced with one for ac.care, and although the

holding of further services has waned for the

present – the idea, format and planning for these

to happen is still current and relevant.

See Appendix 1

The Church in the community – On Sundays

before church, the bell rings out over our

township to alert all residents that there are

people meeting for worship and that they will be prayed for. The incredible number of

people who attend funerals, weddings and baptisms provides a valuable opportunity to

minister to those who are not active in their faith or who have none. Several members

of our Congregations are well known in our communities or hold leadership positions.

This in itself can serve as an act of witness to the Christian faith and Anglican activity.

Having an Anglican Clergyman residing in the township (apart from an RC presence)

has meant that Penola locals have regarded him as their town Priest – in many respects

irrespective of denomination. Just being out and about in the

town gives people a constant reminder of a Christian presence in

the community.

Financial stability - The Parish has been blessed with several

serious benefactors over the years. The fact that 42% of our

operating income comes from invested funds and ongoing rent

income, means that along with the regular giving by parishioners

and the income from our fundraising, we can make ends meet. Page 11

Fundraising – The backbone of our fundraising effort is

through the Penola Op Shop. As mentioned earlier, it is the only

Op Shop in the town and is frequented by both locals and

visitors passing through. It provides both a valuable ‘drop in’

ministry as well as vital income for the Parish.

Occasional Parish Dinners, quiz nights, auctions, raffles, stalls

and sausage sizzles in association with local festivals also help.

Local red gum country provides sought after firewood,

especially from Kalangadoo, and firewood sales help the

fundraising effort.

Combined Churches network - Both townships have

reasonably strong Roman Catholic congregations, as

well as several Protestant denomination Churches who

although still active, are all faced with similar issues

concerning declining numbers and concerns regarding

finance and infrastructure etc.

Millicent has an active Combined Churches

Association which Anglicans are a part of.

Regular meetings where devotion, prayer and thoughts are shared,.

Organisation of a combined churches service every 5th Sunday which rotates.

Facilitation of a regular Christian Comment spot in the local press.

Holding a regular men’s breakfast group for Christian fellowship.

Arranging the annual World Day of Prayer.

Managing and supporting the

work of the school chaplains

who are appointed to local State

schools from time to time.

Combining the churches of Millicent to produce a significant number of Christmas

Hampers which are distributed to those in need each year.

Providing the means by which ecumenical Lenten or Advent study groups can meet.

In Penola, a group of men meet regularly in various sheds, to spend time together as a

Christian fellowship group.

Missionary support - As well as supporting the statutory donations to the Home

Mission Fund and the Ordination Candidates fund, the Parish is in the habit of

supporting one off Christian missionary projects that Parishioners have been associated

with in Africa and Asia. Page 12

Adriano Arthur Nathan

(Community Church) (Baptist Church) (SMG Chaplain)

Our future hopes Priestly leadership - We are looking for someone

who can help us with answers to the big questions,

particularly for our country communities.

“How do we bring people of our communities to the

faith? “

“How do we restore people’s trust in the institution of the Church? “

“How can we meet people where

they are ? Although important - it’s

not going to be all about what

happens on Sundays !”

Ecumenical collaboration – We see this as a being a significant part of the future

especially in our relatively small communities. It’s already happening in places like

Beachport. Future sharing of facilities, worship arrangements etc are seen as being

inevitable. Hence establishing a close association between the Christian denominations

is very important, as is building on the existing cooperative arrangements listed above.

Having a teacher and pastor for the faithful

We are hoping to find a Priest who -

Will love and care for the people

Will be a teacher, encourager, enabler

Understands country circumstances

Has an ‘all embracing’ churchmanship

Has humility, empathy, integrity, compassion,

diplomacy, a sense of humour.

Is approachable.

Page 13

Appendix 1

Report to Synod 2015 Pastoral District of Millicent & Penola

So what follow up has our Pastoral District done since the launch of Taking the Plunge

together, and the Mission Action Planning sessions that we had around the Diocese ?

We soon had a group organised for the “Following Jesus” programme, and we also put

our minds to what we could do by way of “Mission Action”.

We were being challenged to have something that included -

Evangelism in our local communities / Worship & Spirituality / that had Ordained

and Lay involvement / Children & our younger age groups / an element of Social

responsibility / together with Christian giving & stewardship / and an element of

Partnership in the Gospel.

I recall bringing back to our Parish group from Synod last year – some of Fr Damian

Feeney’s comments in his address at the time.

Where were we - on the scale of admirers vs disciples. Are we just spectators or

real followers ?

At one stage he said “You can’t become a bus by standing in a bus depot !”

When deciding what to do - the fundamental question is – “Does this help the

local mission of the Church or not?”

He also said – Don’t underestimate the amazing power - of what he saw as a

special strength in the Murray –our “amazing hospitality”.

We must be People of Joy, and since Christ has no body on earth – except ours –

It has to be our feet, our hands, our eyes, that must be his body and his

compassion in the world.

So we looked at the results of our Parish Survey, we considered some more of Fr

Damian’s ideas when he spoke to us in Mt Gambier – things like

Have an ‘event’ that answers the question – How do we start growing?

Make it something that can be owned by everybody that might excite, motivate

or encourage

Keep it simple and achievable

Remember that pastoral care and evangelism are really the same thing.

All that got us thinking – what if we had a special thanksgiving service for some of

the groups in our towns.

Page 14

We could have a special intention service or thanksgiving event to celebrate the

work of say – all the Nursing profession in our town. It would need serious

preparation, and a way of contacting all the nurses in the District. We could invite a

high profile nurse to speak for a 5 minutes on forthcoming issues for the profession.

We would celebrate their care and compassion, and pray

for their work. Even if the turn up was below expectation, some publicity before

and after the event would put our congregation on the map.

Then we started brainstorming the groups we could have a service for.

What about one for all Teachers, one for Students, for Doctors, Ambulance workers,

CFS, SES, Scouts & Guides, Meals on Wheels workers, or one for all the Op Shop

volunteers in our town ! We have Vinnies, Lifeline, Salvos, plus our Op shop.

What about one for Service clubs, Probus club, we have craft groups, & a men’s

shed. What about one for those in retail – invite the manager of Woolworths to

speak, or the local chamber of commerce people. Farmers – now that’s our harvest

festival – we could certainly do that – make it more relevant. We could do one for

Local Government, councillors and workers and invite the Mayor. The local Police,

JP’s, What about sporting clubs – Footballers, Netballers, Cricketers, Pony clubbers

and Basketballers. A thanksgiving service for the joys of being in a Bowling club ?

The ideas were almost endless. It would not necessarily be held in a church. The

CFS shed or the Bowling club might work best.

We developed a Mission Event Planning form – to plan properly, capture

everything that needed to be done and we decided to make a start with a Service to

recognise the work of ac.care.

As Advent and Christmas (2014) were coming up – we agreed on a Carol service,

which happened on Dec 14 in St Michael’s church Millicent. It was advertised as a

Christmas Celebration with special intention and offering for the work of ac.care.

We invited Staff from ac.care to come and speak. We invited the local Choral society

to come and sing. When he heard about it, Bishop John was keen to be there and he

was. Our publicity included posters in all the shops in the main street, community

notices for the local Radio station and the ABC, flyers in all other churches through

our involvement in the local Ministers Association. It was an informative joyous

occasion and the offering duly went off to ac.care. It covered many of the aims we

had earlier identified.

All we need now is for the next idea to come to fruition – it won’t be difficult – the

generic plans are in place – we just have to make it happen.

Page 15