Tile Revival Project 2026
About the Project
The Tile Revival Project is bringing a treasured piece of Wadambuk’s past back to life. Original handmade community tiles, carefully saved for many years, are being given a new home alongside tiles created by today’s community – creating a lasting connection between the history of our Centre and its future.
The Background
At the front of the original building was a much-loved pathway and brick seating area, adorned with handmade tiles created by local residents as part of a community-led project around 1994. Each tile was unique, together creating a colourful and very personal piece of our community’s history.
When plans for the new Community Centre meant the tiled area could not remain, a dedicated group of community members painstakingly removed and saved as many of the tiles as possible. They were carefully placed into storage, with the hope that one day they might find a new home.
And there they remained… waiting for their story to continue.
The Idea – Bringing the Tiles Back to Life
For many years, the tiles waited patiently for their second chance.
Initially stored at Stringybark Nursery, and later moved for safekeeping to a local resident’s property, the tiles were never forgotten. The Community Centre Committee had always hoped they could somehow be incorporated into the new Centre, but unfortunately this wasn’t possible.
So, the tiles sat.
Over the years, the Committee explored different ideas and applied for several grants in the hope of finally bringing the tiles back into the community. But the projects and funding opportunities never quite aligned, and the applications were unsuccessful.
So, the tiles sat a little longer.
An idea begins to take shape
Although the funding hadn’t yet been found, the idea of giving the tiles a permanent new home continued to develop.
The Wadambuk St Andrews Community Centre Committee began working with the St Andrews Men’s Shed, local artists Pat Reynolds and Andrea Tilley, and others in the community to develop a concept for the space.
Together, the idea emerged for a new outdoor area incorporating a brick seat and arbour, providing a permanent home for the original tiles while also creating a beautiful and useful space for the community to enjoy.
Local residents Helen and Laurie Steel, who had been the careful custodians of the tiles for many years, were also involved and provided valuable input as the plans developed.
Pat Reynolds brought the ideas together through her artist’s impression drawings, helping everyone visualise what the forgotten corner of the Centre grounds could become.
Then came the right opportunity
With an idea, a design and plenty of community enthusiasm behind the project, what we needed was the right funding opportunity.
Then along came the Victorian Government’s Tiny Towns Fund.
The Fund supports community-led projects in Victoria’s smallest towns that improve local facilities, strengthen community connections and pride, encourage participation, and help make small towns even better places to live, work and visit.
It felt like the perfect fit. Tile Revival wasn’t simply about finding somewhere to display some old tiles. It was about preserving a piece of our community history, improving our community space, bringing local people and groups together, and creating something that future generations could add to and enjoy.
The concept drawings and plans formed part of our application to the Tiny Towns Fund.
And this time, we were successful!
After all those years of waiting, we finally had the idea, the people, the plan and the funding to make it happen.
The Tile Revival Project was finally a GO!
A Community Effort
True to the spirit of the original tile project, Tile Revival has been a real community effort, bringing together local organisations, artists, volunteers and community members, each contributing their own skills, time and enthusiasm.
The project has been led by Wadambuk St Andrews Community Centre in close collaboration with the St Andrews Men’s Shed, whose members have played a huge part in the hands-on construction of the project, helping turn the original concept into reality.
Local artists Andrea Tilley and Sienna Hyland have generously shared their creativity and expertise, guiding community members through the process of creating and decorating the new tiles that will join those made by the community more than 30 years ago.
St Andrews Primary School has also played an important role, generously making its new pottery kiln available to fire the tiles created through the project.
Along the way, many community volunteers and local residents have contributed their time, ideas, skills and helping hands.
It is this collaboration that makes Tile Revival much more than a building or landscaping project. Just like the tiles themselves, it is made up of many individual contributions coming together to create something that belongs to the whole community.
The Project Takes Shape
From the first bricks being laid to the arbour, garden beds, surrounding gardens and tiled areas beginning to take shape, there has been plenty happening behind the scenes.
Follow the journey through our progress photos below and watch the Tile Revival Project come to life.
