No. 228 - The former 7th Day Adventist Church at Bishopsbourne

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Bishopsbourne is a village located approximately 15 west of Longford, at the junction of the Bishopsbourne and Liffey Roads. It was built on land belonging to the Bishop of Tasmania, Bishop Nixon, who arrived in the  colony in 1843. 

The former 7th Day Adventist Church at Bishopsbourne is a bit of an enigma as reports about Adventist churches are  rarely covered in local secular newspapers. The main source of information about Bishopsbourne church, which opened in 1933,  is taken from the Adventist newspaper, the Australasian Record:

“At Bishopsbourne, where our people have met for nearly forty years, part time at the homestead of Grandfather Murfet, and part time in the local hall, a very neat and tastefully finished church, 46 x 18 feet, has been erected and dedicated. In spite of very contemptible opposition in Longford, seven miles away, several people took hold of the truth and meet with the Bishopsbourne church. Brother David Brennan laboured in this district for about six months prior to the camp meeting. 

On the day of the dedication service…. a memorial in the form of a plaque was set in the vestry of the church to the memory of the Murfet family, the last of that name, Sister Emma J. Murfet, having passed to her rest just after seeing the building completed. It was a substantial gift from this sister, along with the gifts of other members, that made this church possible”. 

The date of the church’s closure is not known. 


Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018


Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018


Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018

Source:

Australasian Record , April 30 1934, page 5




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