This shabby 145-year-old church in Tasmania hides a surprising secret: ‘You’d never know it from the outside’

An old, crumbling church in a small rural town has been restored and transformed into an elegant home with old-world touches.

The 145-year-old Former Hagley Presbyterian Church sits on 3,200 m² of leafy land in the small Tasmanian town of Hagley, 25 minutes southwest of Launceston.

Inside, the trendy black and white color palette and modern luxury complement the original details, from exposed brick walls to Gothic arched windows.

The picturesque chapel houses three bedrooms, a spacious two-story family room, a contemporary kitchen and a magnificent interior garden.

Through the arched front door and past the small entry hall, guests are greeted by the enormous living and dining room with multiple seating areas.

Antique furniture, exposed brick walls and period chandeliers pay homage to the home’s history while a wood-burning fireplace warms the spacious open room.

The simple but chic kitchen sits at the rear of the house and connects to an open-air gravel courtyard patio with a black wooden shed.

Up a flight of stairs there is a mezzanine hallway which overlooks the living space below and provides access to the house’s bright bedrooms.

The home’s unique monochrome theme continues in the bathroom with fun patterned tiles, crisp white walls, marble countertops and black wood joinery.

The Dream Church on Meander Valley Road was built in 1879 and converted into a home decades later. It was sold as a dilapidated parish in 2018 for just $325,000 and has benefited from some much-needed attention and renovation.

It changed ownership again in February 2020, when the current owners purchased it for $505,000 and added their personal style touches.

The sellers have re-listed the old and new and it will be sold via an expression of interest with no price guide available.

It is currently Tasmania’s most popular property, having received over 5,000 clicks on realestate.com.au just a few days after its release on the market.

Listing agent Thomas Baird of Living Here Launceston said he had been inundated with inquiries from interested buyers.

“This is one of the best performing properties we have had the pleasure of representing and is a great indicator of the positive sentiment in the Tasmanian market,” he said.

“For me, the remarkable feature is the sensitive integration of a contemporary residential program into the original footprint of the church. This type of building combines beautiful architectural details with large volume spaces and rich natural light.