Driving through Patea, you can't help but notice the sparkling white church just off the main street. It's the 125-year-old St George's Anglican church and it has just had a major facelift. Priest Karen Cook said the church's exterior had been in need of tender loving care for some time but itbecame pressing after the 2004 floods, when the tower became unstable. "It was really more than our little church community could do - it was a community project." The project cost $600,00 and took six years to complete. The church community celebrated its 125th anniversary and the completion of the restoration project in April. Mrs Cook said the project received $342,000 from Lotteries' environment and heritage trust. "The rest came from fundraising and donations." Because the church has a Historic Places Trust classification, the restoration committee worked closely with the trust on the plans. Mrs Cook said the church had been very lucky with its builder. "It was Ken Sandford, from Sandford Construction. A lot of builders didn't want to touch the work, but he seemed to take a really personal interest in it." Jim Newlove, of the restoration committee, said the entire exterior had been restored - as well as the tower, the church had new cladding, piles and roof. A lot of the work involved "undoing" a previous restoration from the mid-20th century. "We had lots of old photos and we were able to restore it as close as possible to what it would have been when it was built in 1885." Mrs Cook said there were still some small interior projects to complete. She said the restoration had been a shot in the arm for the small congregation. "People are proud of their church, and it's a good, positive thing for Patea. Hearing the bell ring for the first time was a thrill."
