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Welcome to Churches of Tasmania

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I love history and photography and also have an interest in architecture. When I started this blog in 2017 I had the goal of photographing every historical church in Tasmania. This was initially driven by the proposed mass sell-off of Anglican churches. I was concerned that these buildings would be modified and no longer be accessible once in private hands. As the years have passed this goal has changed to writing short histories of each and every church built in Tasmania, of which there are about 1600.   My earliest posts are rather amateurish but my research and writing has improved somewhat over the years.  In time my hope is to revise and update every article to a publishable standard. I have received an overwhelming amount of material from followers of the blog and I will incorporate this into the articles in the revision phase. Eventually I hope to publish the best of the articles. At present the blog attracts about 1000 views per day and I hope that this will continue to grow. 
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No. 1472 - Cygnet - St Mary's School (1876) and Sacred Heart Convent (1896)

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This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches.These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including those which no longer exist. Cygnet is a small coastal town situated about 70 kilometres south of Hobart. It is named after the adjacent bay of Port Cygnet which was 'discovered' by D'Entrecasteaux and named ‘Port des Cygne’ (meaning the port or harbour of swans). The settlement was known as Port Cygnet until 1895 when it was changed to Lovett. In 1915 the town’s name was changed again becoming Cygnet. In 1875 a ‘special correspondent’ for the Hobart Mercury published an article titled “The Huon District: Its Conditions and Wants”. The report contains a detailed description of the settlement at Port Cygnet including the religious lif
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No. 1471 - New Norfolk - Wooden Chapel at "The New Norfolk Hospital for the Insane" (c.1900)

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It is not my intention to delve into the complex history of New Norfolk’s ‘mental institutions’ but a brief outline is necessary for some context with regard to places of worship established at the institution. There are five distinct phases in the history of the 'hospital': The New Norfolk Lunatic Asylum (1829-1859) The New Norfolk Hospital for the Insane (1859-1915) The New Norfolk Mental Diseases Hospital (1915-1937) Lachlan Park Hospital (1937-1968) Royal Derwent Hospital (1968-2001) Before the 20th century religion and worship had a minor role in the institution. However it is interesting that plans for the original asylum included a chapel (see illustration below). The intention was that the asylum was to house the colonies 'invalid convicts' and as well as convicts classed as ‘lunatics’. The provision of a chapel was in keeping with the belief that religion was a critical part of the process of a convict's moral improvement. However, as the convict ‘invalid h
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No. 1470 - Copping - St Paul's Anglican Church (1893-1998)

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Copping is a small settlement on the Arthur Highway approximately 20 kilometres east of Sorell. The settlement’s history dates back to the 1860s. The district was originally named Coppington after a Captain Richard Copping who was a magistrate and early settler in the district. The origins of St Paul’s Anglican church date back to April 1887. The Hobart Mercury’ s local correspondent at Bream Creek wrote: “Some time ago I spoke of the advisability of providing ways and means of building a church at Coppington. Since then the matter has been taken up. Mr. Bloomfield, of Coppington, and Mr. A. Hean, of Wattle Hill, have been appointed secretary and treasurer, and already have about £100 in hand, and, with several liberal offers made by a few around we anticipate that they will have good hope before them of success in raising sufficient money”. In October 1892 a tender to construct a church was awarded to Mr James Parkinson of Brighton at a cost of £143 with the hardwood supplied by the b
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No. 1469 - King Island - Currie Methodist Church (1911-1961)

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Currie is the main town and administration centre of King Island. In 1866 the ship "Netherby" ran onto rocks off the island and was salvaged by Captain Archibald Currie. The harbour and later the settlement were named in his remembrance. Reverend Max Stansall’s ‘Tasmanian Methodism’ summarises the origins of the Methodist Church at King Island as follows: “As much as ninety years after the beginnings of Methodism in Hobart, the work in King Island was just commenced. Actually a young home missionary, C.C. Dugan, who later had a distinguished career as minister and historian, visited the island in 1903. But it was in 1910 that the real beginning was made. Rev. Joseph Penna that year became the first minister appointed to the island”. Soon after Penna’s arrival the construction of a church began in mid 1911. This was undertaken by volunteer labour under the direction of Mr Will Batton. The church was officially opened on Sunday 24 December 1911. The Launceston Examiner reporte
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No. 1468 - Deviot - Deviot Hall - Anglican Church (1922-1965)

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This article is one in a series about public buildings in country areas that were used as places of worship. In these communities churches may have been planned but were never built due to lack of finance or changing circumstances. In many settlements, before a church was built, worship was typically held in homes, schoolrooms, barns, halls and other buildings. Conversely, in some communities, churches were sometimes the first public building erected and were used as schools and community halls. The focus of this series will primarily be on the public halls and schools that were used as churches. These buildings, and the religious communities which used them, are often overlooked in published histories of churches. Deviot is located on the west bank of the River Tamar and lies about 35 kilometres north-west of Launceston. The area was developed for orcharding after the turn of the 20th century by William Gunning Baird and John Sydney Ritchie. The Deviot Public Hall, which opened in 192
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No. 1467 - South Springfield - Union Church (1909)

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South Springfield is a farming area approximately 10 kilometres south of Springfield in the Scottsdale district. It lies south of the junction of the South Springfield Road and the Ten Mile Track in the foothills of Mount Maurice. South Springfield once had a State school, a public hall and a Union Church. Nothing of these buildings remain. The origins of South Springfield’s Union Church can be dated to a public meeting held in April 1909. The Launceston Examiner reported: “A public meeting was held at South Springfield on Thursday night, to consider ways and means for building a church and Sunday school. There was a fairly representative gathering. Mr. B. F. Reynolds was voted to the chair, and explained the object of the meeting. Mr. R. Lethborg kindly gave the land necessary in a suitable position. A committee of seven was appointed - three ladies and four gentlemen - of which Mr. F. Bowen was appointed secretary, and Mrs. R. Lethborg treasurer. The meeting was enthusiastic through
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No. 1466 - Launceston - Margaret Street Catholic Deanery (1884-1962)

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This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches.These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including those which no longer exist. A dean is appointed by a bishop to lead a subdivision of a diocese comprised of a number parishes. The duty of the dean is to watch over the clergy of the parish and to ensure that they implement the orders of the bishop and observe liturgical and canon laws. The residence of a dean is officially called a deanery but it also accommodates priests serving in the parish. In 1884 a new deanery was constructed on Margaret Street on a site adjoining the Church of the Apostles. The building replaced an older deanery which was no longer adequate for the rapidly growing parish of Launceston. News of the construction of the ne
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No. 1465 - Springfield - Methodist Church (1870-1917) "Free from that ugly thing"

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Springfield is a rural area which lies approximately 5 kilometres south of Scottsdale in north-east Tasmania. Although Springfield never developed into a town, the district was settled in the 1870s with a post office opening in 1876 followed by a school and public hall. The district once supported four churches with the Wesleyan Methodists being the first to establish a church in 1870. In December 1870 a Methodist church was opened by Reverend John Harcourt on the property of Mr John Williams. Previously services had been held in a barn on the same property which were conducted by Reverend T.B. Inglis, a former Wesleyan Methodist minister. A record of the official opening of the new church on the 25 December 1870 was published by the Cornwall Chronicle: “One of those pleasing events which mark the triumph and progress of truth, and which strongly indicate that the attitude of vital Christianity is not of a retrograde character, took place on Sunday, 25th instant, on which occasion the
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No. 1464 - Lonnavale - Methodist Church

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Lonnavale is is an isolated community about 20 kilometres west of Huonville. It situated at the junction of Lonnavale Road and Lorkins Road and lies on the northern side of the Russell River. It was originally a timber producing settlement but around the turn of the 20th century settlers turned to orcharding. Reverend Max Stansall’s book, ‘Tasmanian Methodism’, a conspectus of Methodist churches existing in Tasmania in the period leading up to the creation of the Uniting Church in 1977, states that a church existed at Lonnavale. Stansell writes: “[In] about 1943 services at Lonnavale were commenced under the leadership of Mr Jessop who was a Home Missionary. Then for some years they apparently lapsed. Later the Rev. Oldmeadow conducted services in the local school. A Sunday school was started by Mrs Richardson. The cause at Lonnavale was not strong and apparently the church closed about the year 1951, although there is some record to support the belief that “services as arranged” appli
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No. 1463 - Inveresk - St Finn Barr's Catholic Church - Forster Street (1894-1925)

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St Finn Barr’s Catholic church on Invermay Road opened in August 1954, almost 30 years after the original church burnt down in 1925. The focus of this article is on original church which stood on a site at the corner of Holbrook Street (then called Gunn Street) and Forster Street**. I have yet to come across a photograph of the church which was built to a similar plan as St Canice at Glengarry. The foundation stone for Inveresk* Catholic church (and Launceston’s second Catholic Church#) was ceremonially laid by the Archbishop of Hobart on Sunday 29 January 1893. Land for the church was purchased at a cost of £300 while an additional piece of land for the construction of a convent was donated by Mr Patrick Dargan. The Launceston Examiner reported the event as follows: “Yesterday afternoon the Archbishop of Hobart performed the important ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a new Roman Catholic Church on property recently purchased at the corner of Gunn and Foster streets, Inveres
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No. 1462 - Springfield - St Paul's Sunday School (1894)

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This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches.These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including of those that no longer exist. Springfield is a rural area which lies approximately 5 kilometres south of Scottsdale in north-east Tasmania. Although Springfield never developed into a town, the district was settled in the 1870s with a post office opening in 1876 followed by a school and public hall. The district once supported four churches with the Wesleyan Methodists being the first to establish a church in 1871. Anglicans at Springfield used the Wesleyan church until they opened their own church in 1884. St Paul’s church was officially opened on Sunday 23 March 1884. An Anglican Sunday school was built in 1894 on a site near the old Springfi
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