Tonight | Restoration Australia on ABC explores a family’s powerful connection to Country – Restoration Australia returns to ABC tonight with one of the season’s most heartfelt and culturally significant projects, as a First Nations family works to transform a remote timber church into a place of healing and connection.
In Season 8, Episode 4, host Anthony Burke travels to the spectacular landscape surrounding Budj Bim National Park in Western Victoria, where cartographer Craig and his wife Ros are undertaking a restoration deeply rooted in family history.
Joined by their three adult sons, the couple hopes to reinterpret the modest church as a getaway home that honours their ancestors while celebrating the strength and resilience of their culture.
Reclaiming history through restoration
For Craig and Ros, the church represents a difficult chapter in the story of their forebears. Yet rather than turn away from that past, the family is embracing the opportunity to create something meaningful from it.
Their vision is to preserve an important piece of First Nations heritage while building a space that fosters reflection, reconnection and pride for future generations.
As work begins on the ambitious project, viewers gain a deeper understanding of the emotional significance behind every decision made along the way.
Stories shaped by Country
Anthony Burke also explores the rich history of the Budj Bim region, where stories and traditions have been passed down over thousands of years.
Set against one of Australia’s most remarkable cultural landscapes, tonight’s episode highlights the enduring relationship between people, place and identity.
It’s a reminder that restoration is often about far more than preserving buildings — it’s about protecting stories and ensuring they continue to be told.
A standout episode of Season 8
Now in its eighth season, Restoration Australia continues to showcase extraordinary projects from around the country, celebrating the people committed to preserving Australia’s architectural and cultural heritage.
Tonight’s instalment promises to be one of the series’ most moving episodes yet, demonstrating how the act of restoration can help bridge the past with the future.
Restoration Australia Season 8, Episode 4 airs tonight at 8.00pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
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