by Margaret Rodgers

A little over $1 million worth of damage happened to Anglican churches and other church properties in the fierce hail storm that occurred, mainly in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, on Wednesday 14 April last, though other parts of Sydney were affected. Nearly 78 Anglican buildings have suffered damage. "The noise of the hail on the roof, it was frightening," Mrs Pam Goodhew, wife of Archbishop Harry Goodhew said. "I was uncertain what was happening and hid for a while." Mrs Goodhew was at home on her own in Bishopscourt at the time, while the Archbishop was in Singapore. Nearly $80,000 worth of damage has been done to the heritage listed property, Bishopscourt, which has broken slates on the roof and many broken windows.

"It was terrifying, it sounded like an aeroplane was going to crash," Kim Parrey, administrative assistant to the diocesan secretary said. Every house in the Kingsford street in which she lives has tarpaulins on the roof. Four camp sites at Port Hacking, belonging to the diocesan youth department, Anglican Youthworks, have in all nearly $200,000 worth of damage. Eastern suburbs parishes have roof damage and many broken windows, some of them of beautiful stained glass. Churches, halls and rectories have all suffered damage. During the storm a bible fellowship meeting was being held at St Matthias', Centennial Park, and every car in the church car park was damaged by the hail, that was mostly of cricket ball size.

Moore Theological College suffered $100,000 damage to six of its buildings, with one entire roof gone. St David's Palm Beach, on the northern beaches area of Sydney, has twelve broken windows, all down one side of their building.

The storm also damaged the reinforced skylights at Bishopscourt. "The skylights are meant to withstand being walked on, so the force of the hail must have been immense," said church insurance officer, David Jurd.