A puzzling break and enter on Tuesday night at the town’s Wesley Uniting Church after substantial damage was visited on many historically significant items, but obvious valuable items – including cash – were untouched.
Nothing was taken from the church, despite a laptop in plain sight, audio equipment which was untouched, and a cash box left with its contents intact.
But distressingly for the church’s parishioners, many of the historic pews were overturned and damaged, 100-year-old chairs broken, and a recently restored stained glass window suffered major damage.
The window was installed in 1927 and contains the names of those local who enlisted and those fallen in war. It also includes the names of nurses who served.
Reverend David Shrimpton, the church’s Minister, said it was very disappointing, a bit frustrating, and the big question is, why?
“Although it is not up to us to question why, but just to get on with the job,” said the Reverend.
“This has happened before in churches, it’s not new. After talking to detectives, I believe, there are people getting around that are off their meds and are hearing voices in their heads.
“The voices tell them to do all sorts of things and often they are angry at God for their situation. It’s their own anger.
“I don’t believe it is kids that did this because the stuff that has been thrown around is heavy stuff.
“Sunday will be a time of sadness as we gather.”
“We are going to leave the church pretty well as it is now.
“There is no point hiding the fact that it happened, we will share the grief together and then move on.
“It will affect a lot of people outside the church as well. There have been a lot of weddings here, a lot of families buried here.
Valery White, a church parishioner, said it was a shock when they first saw the scene confronting them.
“A volunteer on their way to Meals on Wheels saw the door was open and had a quick look in and then rang us,” Mrs White said.
“Of course, we rang the police straight away. We came in the back door being careful not to touch anything, and it was a terrible shock to see all that had been done.
“After the forensic man had been and taken fingerprints and DNA, we started to pick up some of the scattered papers.
“We won’t know the damage and how many pews we have lost until we get in and clean up the mess,” Mrs White said.
The church’s furnishings are courtesy of nine different congregations across the life of the church which was built back in 1888.
