Photo: Supplied.
FROM BMD GROUP
The former Baptist Church located at 168 Bay Terrace in Wynnum Central has been safely relocated to its new home at Iona College in Lindum.
It marks a key milestone in Australia’s largest privately owned civil contractor, the BMD Group’s return to Wynnum to build its national headquarters in the heart of the bayside suburb.
Moving the more than 100-year-old structure was a significant task undertaken by a professional house remover and requiring a pilot driver, police escort and wide load approval.
The relocation involved staged delivery with the entries to the building removed and loaded on the first trailer, followed by the roof being lifted off the main building, and craned onto a second truck.
In the early hours of the morning, the two trucks moved under escort from Bay Terrace to Iona College over a 4.5 kilometre commute which took four hours, while ensuring minimal disruption to the community.
The building is being reassembled in its new position at Iona College where over the coming months it will be restored and once again become a valued building for use within the school community.
BMD’s CEO Scott Power said the relocation was a crucial milestone that made it possible for BMD to progress with construction of its new head office.
“BMD has deep history in the Wynnum Manly community, with my father Mick Power AM living in the area since he was two, then founding and growing our business in the suburb since 1979,” Mr Power said.
“The church is now at home at Iona and will be restored to its former glory and brought back to life in service of the community,” Father Michael said.
“It marks an important part of our community history being kept alive here at Iona and we will be ensuring that it is lovingly brought back to life and to be enjoyed by the whole community for generations to come.
“The partnership between BMD and Iona is a long and personal one, and we give thanks to them for their commitment, vision and love of our local area. We feel blessed to be a part of this local area,” Father Michael said.
The move isn’t the first time the church has been moved. In 1930, it was moved from its original home on Edith Street to Bay Terrace and in the early 2000s the Baptist congregation moved into new, modern facilities on Kianawah Road in Wynnum West, selling the Bay Terrace property to the BMD Group.
BMD will pay homage to the history of the site and the church in its new head office build with architectural design elements and a volumetric experience of the church space as a reminder of the former use of the Bay Terrace location.
