No. 333 - St Peter's at Port Sorell

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Port Sorell is a small coastal town on Tasmania’s central north coast. Originally known as Burgess, it was settled in the 1840’s with the intention of it becoming an administrative centre. After the development of Devonport 20km to the west, it all but disappeared. In 1904 the “Travelling Correspondent” for the Hobart Mercury, was dismissive of what he saw at the settlement:

“A lonely, desolate place is about the most accurate way to describe Port Sorell. There are about four dwellings in the locality, and one cannot wonder what tempted the inhabitants to settle there the first day as the surrounding country is of very poor quality…”

Today Port Sorell and neighbouring Shearwater have become popular holiday and commuter towns. Churches were only established at Port Sorell in the mid-twentieth century. However their were several churches in nearby settlements at Northdown, Wesley Vale, Harford and Thirlstane.

The Anglican church of St Peter was built and dedicated in 1959. The church was consecrated in March 1968.

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019


Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019

Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019
Photograph: Duncan Grant 2019
Sources:

Advocate, Wednesday 31 October 1934, page 5
Mercury, Wednesday 13 April 1904, page 2

Henslowe, Dorothea I and Hurburgh, Isa Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania. Mercury-Walch, Moonah, Tas, 1978.

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