History
The Chapel in the Woods.. at Shoreham By Peter McCullough
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ordering the Buxton Woodland Reserve in Shoreham, at the rear of the former YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) property, Camp Buxton, rests the remains of a small stone, outdoor open-air chapel, which has had a far-reaching influence belying its size. Neglected for many years, a full restoration of the chapel is now the focus of a community group and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.
The Evolution of Camp Buxton In the first half of the twentieth century a number of children’s camps were established on the Mornington Peninsula; they were often linked with charitable or state institutions which combined concerns for the physical fitness and moral education of young people, in particular disadvantaged or urban youth. In 1925 Walter Henry Buxton purchased 148 acres of land for his subdivisional project ‘Shoreham-on-the-Sea’ and offered two acres to the YMCA which was looking for a suitable camp site in the area. The first camp was held at Christmas 1925 and the area was a hive of activity at weekends and over the subsequent Easter break as working parties became involved. Volunteers cleared the block, dug drains, latrines and a refuse pit as the first steps to permanent occupation. In 1928 contractors relocated a hall and a three-room cottage, purchased for a thousand pounds from Flinders Naval Base. December of that year saw the first official summer camp using these two buildings and a kitchen block. Campers, however, still slept in communal tents. The Inter-War Years Volunteer labour continued during the 1930’s with a continual improvement of facilities: the Recreation Reserve was cleared as a sports ground in 1934, a brick hospital was constructed the following year, and in 1937 a bunkhouse for camp leaders and a shower block were built. Timber floors and frames were also constructed for tents that housed campers. In the 1930’s there were four of five camp sessions in December
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December 2020