No. 158 - Former All Saints of Riana - "A Large Shoebox Without a Lid"
Riana is a small rural settlement located approximately 13 kilometres south of Penguin. The settlement was started by loggers and over time farming became the main activity.
All Saints' Anglican Church is no longer at Riana as it was relocated to 'Camp Clayton' outside Ulverstone in the 1990s. It is the second Anglican church build at Riana with the original building having burnt down in 1929. [See No. 1615]
Bishop Hay dedicated the new church on 18 November 1931. The church was designed for use as both a hall and a church. Bishop Hay remarked that he:
“...would have preferred the building to have been a church only, especially as there was a public hall nearby, but it was often found necessary in country centres to provide a structure which would serve the needs of a hall as well as a church”.
A report in the Advocate described the new building:
“The plans provided for a church hall on the foundations of the old church, with a sanctuary which can be completely shut off from the rest of the hall by folding doors when the place is not in use as a house of worship. The main hall measures 30 feet by 18 feet, with a sanctuary annexe measuring 8 feet by 9 feet, and a vestry supper-room of suitable dimensions at the side of the hall… A special feature is the lighting, the windows being of ample dimensions, affording a good light even on dull days while the windows in the sanctuary have been arranged to avoid any glare, and to give the fullest possible light”.
A challenge of all churches at the time was retaining their congregations. Bishop Hay spoke about this at the dedication ceremony when he posed the question: “Why don’t people go to church?” While his reasoning was compelling, ultimately it was not enough to keep the church open for more than a generation or two.
The church closed in November 1995 but the building soon found a new purpose when it was relocated to the Christian Youth Centre, 'Camp Clayton', outside Ulverstone. In ‘Mission, Muscle and Miracle’, the removal of the church is described in some detail:
“The building was to be moved in three sections. The roof had to be removed because of height limits on the South Road overpass on the Bass Highway. Some overhead power lines had to be lifted manually to enable the load to pass along the South Riana Road… The porch and nave were removed first and transported separately…the roof was disconnected from the walls and divided into two halves along the length of the building… On moving day, a very large crane, a long semi-trailer, a low-loader trailer and a heavy prime mover arrived and lifted the roof into two sections onto the semi, and then lifted the remainder of the structure in one piece – somewhat resembling a large shoebox without a lid – while the low-loader backed in underneath”.
The removal of the church from its foundation revealed a surprise. Under the floor of the church the molten remains of a heavy bell was discovered, a relic of the blaze that destroyed the original church in 1929. According to ‘Mission, Muscle and Miracle’, this is still stored somewhere at the Camp.
Sources:
Bishop Hay dedicated the new church on 18 November 1931. The church was designed for use as both a hall and a church. Bishop Hay remarked that he:
“...would have preferred the building to have been a church only, especially as there was a public hall nearby, but it was often found necessary in country centres to provide a structure which would serve the needs of a hall as well as a church”.
A report in the Advocate described the new building:
“The plans provided for a church hall on the foundations of the old church, with a sanctuary which can be completely shut off from the rest of the hall by folding doors when the place is not in use as a house of worship. The main hall measures 30 feet by 18 feet, with a sanctuary annexe measuring 8 feet by 9 feet, and a vestry supper-room of suitable dimensions at the side of the hall… A special feature is the lighting, the windows being of ample dimensions, affording a good light even on dull days while the windows in the sanctuary have been arranged to avoid any glare, and to give the fullest possible light”.
A challenge of all churches at the time was retaining their congregations. Bishop Hay spoke about this at the dedication ceremony when he posed the question: “Why don’t people go to church?” While his reasoning was compelling, ultimately it was not enough to keep the church open for more than a generation or two.
The church closed in November 1995 but the building soon found a new purpose when it was relocated to the Christian Youth Centre, 'Camp Clayton', outside Ulverstone. In ‘Mission, Muscle and Miracle’, the removal of the church is described in some detail:
“The building was to be moved in three sections. The roof had to be removed because of height limits on the South Road overpass on the Bass Highway. Some overhead power lines had to be lifted manually to enable the load to pass along the South Riana Road… The porch and nave were removed first and transported separately…the roof was disconnected from the walls and divided into two halves along the length of the building… On moving day, a very large crane, a long semi-trailer, a low-loader trailer and a heavy prime mover arrived and lifted the roof into two sections onto the semi, and then lifted the remainder of the structure in one piece – somewhat resembling a large shoebox without a lid – while the low-loader backed in underneath”.
The removal of the church from its foundation revealed a surprise. Under the floor of the church the molten remains of a heavy bell was discovered, a relic of the blaze that destroyed the original church in 1929. According to ‘Mission, Muscle and Miracle’, this is still stored somewhere at the Camp.
 |
| Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018 |
 | |
|
 | |
|
 | |
|
 | |
|
 | |||
|
 |
| The Bush Chapel at Camp Clayton - Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018 |
Sources:
The Advocate Monday 13 December 1920, page 1
The Mercury Tuesday 26 November 1929, page 7
The Examiner Wednesday 27 November 1929, page 7
The Advocate Saturday 14 March 1931, page 6
The Advocate Saturday 14 November 1931, page 2
The Mercury Thursday 19 November 1931, page 7
The Advocate Thursday 19 November 1931, page 6
The Advocate, Tuesday 29 December 1931, page 4
Ashton, W.E. and Camp Clayton (Ulverston, Tas.). Mission, Muscle & Miracle : a history, impressions & personal episodes during the last 50 years of CYC at Camp Clayton / by W.E. Ashton Circular Head Chronicle Smithton, Tas 2000
Comments
Post a Comment