Hi Margaret, I think your best bet would be either the Geelong Advertiser Index (Geelong Heritage Centre) or the Argus ....... Argus, 30th July 1858, p. 8 ...... Tenders wanted - masons' work of a church at Duneed, near Geelong. The Architect was Nathaniel BILLING. There may be "acceptance of tender" notices after this date as well. Another reference from the Geelong Advertiser 4th April 1863 ....... Drysdale Wesleyan Church, foundation stone laid 31/3/1863 (?), land provided by James LEATHERDALE. A.M. HOPE, Mt Duneed was contractor. Was A.M. HOPE any relation to John Parker HOPE? Does the church still exist? Was it one destroyed in the bushfires of 1944 (a Methodist Church was burnt down then and not rebuilt)? There may be more details mentioned in the Geelong Advertiser following the fires if so. As I said, the Geelong Advertiser Index would probably be your best bet although the index doesn't cover a lot of the 1900s, mainly the 1800s. Hope that helps. Regards ...... Susie Z ----- Original Message ----- From: "Margaret Johnson" <skinnyminny@iprimus.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 8:37 PM Subject: [GEELONG] Mt Duneed > Hi Susie, > I don't know if my mail is too long or if it is the right place to send but thought I should check with you first. I am sure I wrote to you some years back and I did send an article for the Irish Book about John Parkes Hope's wife Elizabeth Savage. > Thank you > Margaret > > > > Hello Everyone, > I haven't sent a message before, even though I have been resesrching over twenty years. My Grt Grt Grandfather was John Parkes Hope who arrived in the district around 1854.All their 11 children were born in Geelong and Mt Duneed .He died in 1878 and was buried in Mt Duneed cemetery and there are no family left in the district. > John Parkes was not a fully ordained minister and I don't know if they were called Laymen but he used to preach at Mt Duneed and Geelong for the Wesleyan faith. > On all certificates, his professions have been stated to be Surveyor, Architect, Builder, Carpenter, Stonemason,Glazier and Plumber . > We have been told and it has been passed down through the generations that he was the builder of the church at Mt Duneed and with all those trades, I am sure it was possible. Is there any way to verify this ? any Council Records or Parish Plans ? and maybe a photo of the church somewhere. I had one sent to me by a dear lady from Waurn Ponds but she didn,t know who the man was beside the church. > Thank You > Margaret Johnson