QUEANBEYAN City Council has received a report from the Heritage Advisory Committee recommending two historic churches in the Queanbeyan district receive funding for restoration.

Mayor Tim Overall said the funding of nearly $30,000 each for St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church and St Paul’s Anglican Church at Little Burra would “ensure the beautiful buildings, which have great significance to many people and play an important part in our history, remain well-maintained”.

“St Stephen’s, which is located on the corner of Lowe and Morisset Streets, was built in 1876, while St Paul’s was opened in 1868. Both churches were designed by the reverend of the Church of England in Queanbeyan at the time Rev Alberto Dias Soares, who had also carried the title of Diocesan architect.

“St Paul’s parishioners have been very keen to have repointing work done on the external parts of the mortar and I’m very happy Council will be able to fund this work from its Special Heritage Fund. Work at St Stephens will be directed towards the preservation and maintenance of the church hall.”

Tim said he was extremely pleased Council recognised the value and importance of the buildings and the need to conserve them for future generations.

“Earlier this year councillors also supported my recommendation that we include $100k in the 2015/16 budget for restoration work of public historic buildings such as the churches,” Tim said.

“There is little opportunity for grant funding from the other tiers of government in this area and it’s very important for Queanbeyan to meet its obligation to care for its heritage. The churches remain a significant place for many people in the community and my hope is this will continue for many generations to come.”