No. 313 - The East Launceston Southern Presbyterian Church

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The Southern Presbyterian Church is a small religious denomination that is exclusive to Tasmania. There are only two congregations; one at East Launceston and the other at Glenorchy. The church was formed in 1986 after it broke away from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church founded in Launceston in 1961. 

The church located on Abbott Street in East Launceston was built in 1969 for the Apostolic Church of Australia.  The architect was Mr N. L. Lamberts. In 1990 the Apostolic Church moved to a building in Forster Street, Invermay,  built by the Jehovah's Witness in 1966. 

The Southern Presbyterian Church's first minister was Reverend Raeburn Cameron-Smith who was appointed in 1992. Prior to this services were conducted by elders of the congregation. 

Worship in the Southern Presbyterian Church is characterised by preaching, prayer and the unaccompanied singing of Psalms. The Southern Presbyterian Church's beliefs and practises are loosely aligned with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia, the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

In 2025 the Southern Presbyterian Church purchased the former Chant Street Uniting Church in East Launceston and the Abbott Street church was put up for sale. 

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2018


Photograph courtesy of Elders Real Estate Launceston



Sources:

http://www.spc.org.au/who-we-are.html

Launceston Churches of the 20th Century (pamphlet) Launceston Historical Society, 1996

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Presbyterian_Church_(Australia)


Comments

  1. Thomas Ryan29 December 2018 at 21:19

    Beautiful little church, do you know who the Architect was?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Duncan Grant30 December 2018 at 16:38

      Hi Thomas. I have no idea. There is very little freely available information on the modern churches. The city council would probably have a record.

      Delete

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