Tile Revival Project 2026
We’re still building this page!
Just like the Tile Revival Project itself, this page is still a work in progress. We’re continuing to add stories, photos, contributors and project updates, so please bear with us if something – or someone – is missing for now!
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
The story of our tiles began in the mid 1990s, when local artist and project organiser Kath Armour had an idea to transform the gardens around the St Andrews Community Centre into a colourful community art space.
Inspired by a similar art garden she had helped create in Coburg, Kath brought the idea to St Andrews. Working with potter Judy Trembath, the project brought together local school children, business people, seniors and other members of the community, who contributed their time and creativity to help create the garden.
Handmade tiles lined the garden beds and pathways, while colourful hand-painted seating and other artistic elements transformed the area around the Centre. It was a truly community-led project, with individual contributions coming together to create something that belonged to everyone.
A newspaper article from the time records that Kath was inspired to improve the Centre's outdoor area in 1994, while working there as coordinator of the adult day care program.
Following the devastating bushfires of February 2009, our community was fortunate to receive funding for a major redevelopment of the St Andrews Community Centre.
Unfortunately, the original tiled area could not remain as part of the redevelopment. Knowing the significance of the tiles and the stories they represented, dedicated community members from the Lasting Memories Mosaic group painstakingly removed and saved as many as they could.
The tiles 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 in May 2025 we found out, 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.
Another Piece of Local History
The Tile Revival Project has gained another special connection to our local history with the inclusion of original rail lines from the One Tree Hill Gold Mine.
Old mining rails from the One Tree Hill site had been relocated to the old Black Cameron Mine site. With permission, some of the rails are to be preserved and incorporated into the Tile Revival arbour. Both mines have a long association with well-known local miner Stan Bone and the Bone family, adding another layer of our district’s gold-mining history to the project.
And there’s another Wadambuk connection to this story.
Stan’s remarkable life and mining history were captured in the documentary Stan Bone – A Lifetime of Mining, made by local filmmaker Patrick Jones, (who just happens to be son of Wadambuk staff member Melissa). The documentary itself was a St Andrews Men’s Shed project, supported through funding from the Connected St Andrews project, an initiative involving Nillumbik Shire Council and Emergency Management Victoria.
So, in a lovely coming together of local stories, rails from Stan’s One Tree Hill Mine will now have a new life within another Men’s Shed and community collaboration – the Tile Revival Project.
▶ Watch Stan Bone – A Lifetime of Mining
Made Possible by Our Community
The Tile Revival Project is a true community effort, made possible by the generosity, skills, time and enthusiasm of many people. We are incredibly grateful to our partner organisations, supporters, local artists and sponsors – and especially to the many volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves and helped bring this project to life. Projects like this simply wouldn’t happen without people willing to give their time, share their skills and work together for their community.
With heartfelt thanks to everyone who played a part – big or small.
Community Organisations & Contributors
Wadambuk St Andrews Community Centre
Men's Shed at St Andrews
St Andrews Primary School
Stringybark Nursery
St Andrews Landcare
Artists & Creative Contributors
Pat Reynolds
Andrea Tilley
Sienna Hyland
Sharon Edwards
Kath Armour
Judy Trembath
Our Wonderful Volunteers
Peter Adams
Quentin Addison
Tony Barbeta
Tim Beattie
Marray Chapman
Bill Edwards
David Gedge
Steve Hood
Steve Jenkinson
Peter Lister
Jim Sargeant
Warren Shell
Laurie Steel
Helen Steel
Rosemary Story
Neil Webb
Rick Whelen
Funding Acknowledgement
The Tile Revival Project received funding from the Victorian Government through the Tiny Towns Fund Round 2.
