Gernot Kunzelmann, an evangelical Christian, became so concerned for his fellow athletes' physical and spiritual respite that he and his wife Gertrude constructed a Lodge near Lake Tauernhof in the Austrian Alps.
Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson met Gernot Kunzelmann in Hong Kong in 1982 at the Second World Congress on Sports-Mission. It seemed to Mark Tronson that such an athlete respite facility would be ideal in Australia 'on the beach' rather than the mountain.
Construction of the athlete respite facility, 'Basil Sellers House', started in Moruya in 1989 with a handsome gifting from Mr Basil Sellers AM. Mark Tronson's late father Seymour Tronson visited the block with him and recommended where on the block, he should build. He was greatly saddened recently when he learned that the builder of Basil Sellers House, John Coppin had died.
It's a two story building on a 10 acre ironbark allotment under the sound of bird song (Bell Miners commonly referred to as Bell Birds).
It took three years to construct as it was done in stages and was officially opened in September 1992 by World Champion Rugby Captain Nick Farr-Jones and world renown yachtswoman Jeanine Treharne. The Reverend F P McMaster MBE (Canberra Baptist Church of 29 years) said the prayer over the project.
At that opening Mark Tronson philosophically handed the key to the representatives of the Australian Institute of Sport from Canberra for their athletes' respite. Moruya is a two hour run by car from the AIS in Canberra.
Mark and Delma Tronson relocated from Sydney to Moruya in 1992 and in December 2005, after 14 years, they handed the Basil Sellers House ministry to Kim and Michelle Gillis. The Tronson's were replicating the respite ministry in Tweed Heads, on the north coast of NSW. Delma wanted to be closer to her elderly widowed mother who resided in Maclean.
Over these past five years since Kim and Michelle Gillis have taken over the reigns significant refurbishments have taken place including the original koppers logs cladding replaced with colourbond for fire proofing.
In 2011 the refurbishment continues. There is external painting to be finished, a new upstairs deck overlooking the Deua Valley will be constructed and a new garage will be built. The downstairs dorm room's ensuite is being converted into a a disable access room. The room will be stripped to the frames.
Once the garage and deck have been finished the plan is to rebuild the large existing deck on the bush side. Many AIS athletes over all these years have visited Timeout in Moruya, and stayed in this Basil Sellers House.
It is hidden, very quiet, and unless you knew where it was, no one would know athletes were there.
This continues to be one of the most remarkable endeavours in ministry to the Lord in Australia.