Frontier Services helps bring new church and healing garden to remote Oodnadatta community

With the support of Frontier Services and its Outback Links volunteer program, the town of Oodnadatta has welcomed a new church and community healing garden symbolising resilience, restoration and hope for a town long shaped by hardship and disconnection.

For over 20 years, First Nations Bush Chaplain Julia Lennon has faithfully served the people of Oodnadatta. Without a permanent space, she led Sunday school and services from lounge rooms, sheds and open paddocks often under harsh outback conditions. Thanks to the support of Frontier Services, South Australian Regional Council of Congress, South Australian Synod and dozens of dedicated volunteers, their community’s long-held dream of a dedicated community gathering space has become reality.

“This church isn’t just a building, it stands on land with deep meaning and serves as a place for healing, connection, culture and Country,” Pastor Lennon said.

“We never imagined we’d have a building. We just knew we needed a place to gather, to worship and to hold community events. Now that it’s here, it feels like hope. Even for locals who aren’t churchgoers, they know it is a place of peace and community where all are welcome.

“This is sacred ground and now it’s a place where people can heal, belong and believe again. We’ve walked a long road to get here and now our young people will carry it forward.”

The land where the new church and garden now stand once housed the original Colebrook Home which was a government-run institution where many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families during the Stolen Generations. The transformation of this site into a sanctuary for community gatherings and spiritual growth marks a powerful act of reclamation and healing from the site’s past trauma.

Part of the project involved transforming and clearing a vacant, debris-filled block to create a community healing garden. Volunteers from the Outback Links program, including retired project manager Peter Cranwell, built shaded areas, fire pits and wicking garden beds designed as safe spaces for recreation, storytelling, cultural gatherings and reflection – particularly between Elders and young people.

National Director of Frontier Services Rob Floyd praised the community's strength and the volunteers' dedication.

“This is what Frontier Services is all about; walking alongside remote communities, supporting local leaders and cultural histories and helping people build the future they both desire and deserve,” Rob said.

In August an additional 20 volunteers are expected to continue this work, highlighting the long-term commitment to Oodnadatta’s development and the power of partnership between volunteers and remote communities.

The new development also serves as a multifunctional space, offering both kitchen facilities and internet connectivity. The latter is a transformative feature in a region – where digital access is often limited – now supporting significantly improved access to education, telehealth and other vital services.

Oodnadatta, once a thriving railway town, has been semi-abandoned since the train station closed decades ago. Today it faces significant social and economic challenges, compounded by geographic isolation. Projects such as Frontier Services’ church and healing garden are vital in restoring community strength and providing essential spaces for spiritual, cultural and emotional wellbeing for all residents.

To learn more about Frontier Services, visit https://frontierservices.org/