ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0184 Canberra Churches Centre Archives

Scope and content notes

Call Number	HMSS 0184
Collection	Canberra Churches Centre Archives
Date Range	1968 - 2007
Quantity	1.98 m (10 manuscript boxes)
Access Conditions	open
Copying Conditions	with attribution
Related Collections	HMSS 0285 ACT Churches Council

On 3 October 1972 the Canberra Churches Centre (CCC) was incorporated as a public company, run by a Board of Directors drawn mainly from its nine member churches. Its primary objects were to provide facilities for Christian worship and services to the general community through counselling and support for those in distress or suffering physical, social or economic disabilities, and marriage guidance, reconciliation and education services.

This novel ecumenical development began in the 1960s when most mainstream Christian churches expressed interest in securing land in or adjacent to the new Woden Town Centre. The planning authorities in 1965 suggested instead that the churches reserve a single site within the Town Centre for joint development. This was endorsed by the Joint Commission for Church Development (JCCD), and formed the basis for the “Church in the marketplace” philosophy, although there were considerable practical difficulties. In addition to general scepticism, the group had no money, no special expertise, and no formal organisation to accept responsibility.

In 1968 a Woden Churches Centre Board was established, but it was not until the CCC was incorporated that finance could be arranged and the building constructed. Woden Churches Centre was dedicated on 14 September 1974, followed by Belconnen Churches Centre on 22 June 1980. Following the successes at Woden and Belconnen, a third Churches Centre was incorporated in the planning of Tuggeranong Town Centre, and building began in 1988.

However, financial constraints caused the sale of Woden and the partly completed Tuggeranong buildings, although some rooms were leased back for the Centres’ use. Tuggeranong was sold to a member church, the Salvation Army, in 1997. Woden Centre finally closed in January 2002, and Belconnen in October 2002. The Canberra Churches Centre Company was wound up in 2004, and the assets and archives were transferred to the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture on 29 March 2005.

Each Centre had an auditorium, a chapel and meeting rooms, and each had a resident parish: the Anglican Church of St Albans (Woden), East Belconnen Uniting Church, and Tuggeranong Church of Christ, while the Catholic Church conducted services at all three Centres. A wide range of community organisations used the facilities.

Box List

Box No.	Description	QTY	Date Range
1	Company Board Minutes 23 October 1972 – 31 January 1975, including first AGM 30 April 1974	1 vol	1972-1975
1	Company Board Minutes 31 January 1972 – 1 February 1979, including AGM 1975	1 vol	1972-1979
1	Company Board Minutes 30 January 1980 – 3 June 1981 (copies except for 21 March 1980 original minutes)	1 vol	1980-1981
1	Company Board Minutes 1 February 1979 – 5 August 1981	1 vol	1979-1981
2	Company Board Minutes 5 August 1981 – 1 August 1984	1 vol	1981-1984
2	Company Board Minutes 26 September 1984 – 3 August 1988	1 vol	1984-1988
3	Company Board Minutes 7 September 1988 – 5 February 1992	1 vol	1988-1992
3	Company Board Minutes 27 February 1992 – 5 April 2000	1 vol	1992-2000
4	Company Board Minutes 5 April 2000 – 15 September 2004	1 vol	2000-2004
4	Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meeting Minutes 1 July 1981 – 6 July 1988	1 vol	1981-1988
4	Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meeting Minutes 31 August 1989 – 30 June 2004	1 vol	1989-2004
4	Company Resolutions Resolutions and agreements	1 vol	1972-2004
4	Executive Community Minutes 1 April 2002 – 31 March 2004	1 file	2002-2004
5	Executive Community Minutes Woden Management Committee	1 vol	1974-1979
5	Executive Community Minutes Woden Management Committee	1 vol	1980-1984
5	Executive Community Minutes Outreach Committee 19 August 1988 – 15 March 1990	1 vol	1988-1990
5	Sample Minutes Retail and professional tenants, Belconnen Churches Centre, 15 April 1996 – 3 October 1997	1 file	1996-1997
5	Sample Minutes Outreach Committee minutes, correspondence and reports 15 February 1990 – 7 December 1994, possibly incomplete	1 file	1990-1994
5	Sample Minutes Outreach Committee minutes, 30 April 1993 – 4 October 1995 [Outreach Committee became Mission Committee 22 February 1996]	1 file	1993-1995
5	Sample Minutes Tenancy Committee minutes, 12 April 1994 – 11 April 1996	1 file	1994-1996
6	Sample Minutes Belconnen Management Committee minutes, 21 March 1980 – 20 January 1983	1 file	1980-1983
6	Sample Minutes Belconnen Management Committee minutes, 17 February 1983 – 16 August 1984	1 file	1983-1984
6	Company Registers Register of Directors	1 file	1972-2004
6	Company Registers Register of Members	1 file	1972-2004
6	Company Registers Common Seal Register	1 vol	1974-2004
6	Company Registers Register of documents	1 file	1982
6	Company Registers Annual Returns to Registrar of Companies / National Companies and Securities Commission	1 file	1972-1988
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Anglican Church	1 file	1990-2002
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Baptist Church	1 file	1997-2003
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Churches of Christ	1 file	1985-2002
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Greek Orthodox Church	1 file	1989-2002
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Lutheran Church	1 file	1994-2002
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Presbyterian Church	1 file	1981-2003
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Roman Catholic Church	1 file	1984-2004
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Salvation Army Church	1 file	1975-2002
7	Heads of Church Files (correspondence with heads of member churches) Uniting Church	1 file	1986-2002
7	Heads of Churches Westpac pledges to secure company loans	1 file	1991-2002
7	Heads of Church Notes of meetings, membership lists, reports	1 file	1997-2000
7	Heads of Church General correspondence file	1 file	1997-2000
7	Heads of Church Heads of Church and Directors Luncheon 20 March 1996	1 file	1996
7	Articles of Association Articles of Association 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990	3 files	1974-1990
7	Certificates: Incorporation of a Public Company and Registration of Business Names Certificate of Incorporation - Canberra Churches Centres Registrations of Business Name – Woden, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin Churches Centres	1 file	1972-1997
7	Company History Files including the origin of the Company’s logo	4 files	1974-2002
8	Task Force Meetings Future of the Company following the sale of the Tuggeranong Churches Centre	1 file	1993-1998
8	Woden Churches Centre Centre survey report	1 file	1972-1974
8	Woden Churches Centre Woden Churches Centre sale agreement	1 file	1990-1992
8	Woden Churches Centre Woden Churches Centre sale agreement and lease back	1 file	1990
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Agreement between Canberra Churches Centre and Wales management	1 item	1979
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Belconnen building fitout	1 file	1979-1980
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Belconnen Churches Centre purchase of Westpac’s interest	1 file	1983-1985
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Canberra Churches Centre’s loan agreement with the Church of England Property Trust	1 file	1979-1982
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Proposed sale of the Belconnen Churches Centre	1 file	1985
8	Belconnen Churches Centre Belconnen Churches Centre valuation	1 item	1990
9	Belconnen Churches Centre Sale files Belconnen Churches Centre October 2002 for $3,300,000	4 files	2002
9	Transaction Document Re Sale of Tuggeranong	1 file	1990
9	Insurance Policies	1 file	2000-2003
9	Reports and Management Reviews, All Centres	3 items	1990, 1998
9	Churches Centre Archhives	1 file	2004-2007
10	Noel McCann's Valuation Papers, All Centres	1 binder	1988-1990
10	Marriage Register	1 vol	1968-2001
10	Canberra Churches Centre Tax Documents	1 binder	2000-2003
10	Tuggeranong Photographs and Press Coverage Includes photographs of Woden Churches Centre	1 binder, 1 folder	1988-1989