Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

A decades-long Easter tradition has come to an abrupt end after the Adelaide Hills Council dismantled a local church’s cross display.

For more than 30 years, a simple Easter tradition in the Adelaide Hills town of Houghton has seen three wooden crosses erected on public land by a local church. But this year, the long-standing display was abruptly dismantled by the local council, sparking public backlash and fresh concerns over rising bureaucratic hostility towards Christian belief.

The crosses, quietly erected by members of the Houghton Uniting Church during Holy Week each year, were dismantled by the Adelaide Hills Council in mid-April.

Citing “public safety” concerns, permit requirements, and alleged community complaints, council officers not only removed the crosses but also extracted the ground fixtures that had supported them for over three decades.

Writing for The Good Sauce, former senator and Adelaide Hills resident Bob Day explained, “Not only had the crosses been removed, but a Parking Infringement Notice had been attached to one of them together with a card inviting the reader to contact the Council for further information.”

“This I subsequently did,” Mr Day continued, “only to be threatened with another fine if the church didn’t immediately repair the slight depression in the ground where the crosses once stood!”

Longstanding Tradition Interrupted

The incident marks the first time in over 30 years that the Easter crosses were removed by authorities. According to locals, the installation had never previously drawn complaints and had long been a respected and meaningful part of the Houghton community’s Christian identity.

The wooden crosses are simple in design but anchored securely in steel-cleated pipe sleeves embedded in the ground. After Easter, the crosses are taken down and the sleeves covered until the next year.

That annual rhythm was broken this April, when the sleeves themselves were removed, making any future reinstatement a significant logistical challenge.

In an official statement on 16 April, the Adelaide Hills Council confirmed the removal was due to “multiple complaints related to public safety and use of public land” and noted that “numerous attempts” had been made to contact the church regarding the need for a permit.

Council denied issuing a fine but acknowledged using an expiation sleeve to secure the notice.

Adelaide Hills Council Reverses Course

The removal drew criticism from locals, prompting a flurry of social media activity and community concern. Within days, the council reversed course, offering to work with the church to reinstate the crosses.

Mr Day expressed concern over the direction some councils appear to be heading. “One is always loath to attribute to malice what can be better explained by over-zealous bureaucracy,” he wrote, adding, “these Councils need to be reminded of the old saying, ‘be careful what you wish for’.”

“Banning Christianity from the public square is one thing, but trying to ban it from the local village square takes it to a place where even angels fear to tread.”

The Daily Declaration contacted the Adelaide Hills Council for comment on the incident but received no response.

___

Image via Pixabay.