No. 418 - Riverside Presbyterian Church Hall

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Riverside is a suburb to the north of Launceston but falls under the authority of the West Tamar municipality.  Similarly, the former Riverside Presbyterian church once formed part of the West Tamar Presbytery which included churches at Winkleigh, Sidmouth and Glengarry.  Apart from the Sidmouth “Auld Kirk”, the Presbyterian denomination has all but disappeared in the West Tamar region since the establishment of the Uniting Church in 1997.

I do not have much information about the Riverside church which was built in the 1960’s at a time when the suburb was growing rapidly.  The church was built on Eden Street and comprised of a place of worship and a large adjoining hall which was used by the local community, including the Riverside High school. The Riverside church did not become part of the Uniting Church and continued to operate as a Free Presbyterian church for at least another 20 years after the ‘union’. 

In 2014 the building was sold and was subsequently demolished.  In 2019 the site is still an undeveloped empty block of land. The reason for the demolition of a relatively new and functional building is not known.

Photo: Google Street view (January 2010)

Photo courtesy of Frank Knight Real Estate

Photo courtesy of Frank Knight Real Estate

Photo courtesy of Frank Knight Real Estate
The adjoining hall: Photo courtesy of Frank Knight Real Estate


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