PICTURED are builders Simon Timms, Don Hassan and Neil Rankin of Rankin Builders of Pambula, who have, since May 19 this year, worked on the restoration project of St Mary’s Catholic Church.

Earth tremor damage over the years had left numerous cracks in walls and all but destroyed the suspended slab Sanctuary floor.

Two tremors, one in 1994, the epi-centre of which was in the Adaminaby area measured 3.4 on the Richter scale when it was recorded at the Mila seismometer, and then the largest recorded since the measuring device was installed in our area in 1988, the February 5, 2006 3.33am tremor centred sixty kilometres north of Orbost, sent

the needle to 3.9 on

the scale.

Of course, older residents of the district will tell of two tremors experienced in the 1960s which sent people out of their homes to watch the quake rippling the roads as they rolled and rumbled away to the north of the town.

Geoff Bowland and Ovi Boaru, of G O Engineering, Cooma, have designed specifications for works which thankfully did not require any work on the foundations or roofing structure of the church.

The tremors, while some were quite strong, did not have the same effect as some of the sermons delivered in the church over its sixty-five years!

The restoration of the church is now almost complete. The parish is taking no chances this time. A wooden Sanctuary floor, designed and built by Neil Rankin has replaced the old, fashioned from area hardwood timbers.

The cracks in the walls have been painstakingly repaired, it’s been like watching a dentist drill out cavities in teeth and carefully patch them.

People may remember the very large crack in the eastern wall. Many people have had a go over the years at repairing it I’m told. The late Paddy Lomas would get up there each time another tremor opened it up again and patch it. But this time, a new section of wall was built, it took almost three weeks to do that one alone.

Local crafts and trades people, along with local suppliers have been extensively involved in the project as well.