No. 573 - Somerset Baptist Church

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Somerset is located on the estuary of the western bank of the Cam River midway between the township of Wynyard and the city of Burnie. At one time it was a town in its own right but it is now a satellite town of the city of Burnie. It was named in 1856 after the Earl of Somerset. In earlier times the area was also known as ‘Port Maldon’ and ‘The Cam’, with the latter name being used well into the 20th century. Somerset has had a broad range of religious denominations represented in the town including Baptist, Anglican, Methodist (Uniting Church), the Church of Christ and Catholic churches. 

The Baptists were the last of the major religious denominations to establish a church at Somerset. Following a meeting in the Somerset Anglican Church Hall in April 1954, a church was established in the following year.  A church was built on Simpson Street in 1959. In 1981 the Somerset Baptist Christian School was established on the Simpson Street premises. This later became the Seabrook Christian School which subsequently relocated to Seabrook Road on the outskirts of Somerset.


The Somerset Baptist Church later moved to a new building on Pelissier Street close to the school. The original church and school on Simpson Street was sold and converted into a house.

The church in 2007 - Photograph - Libraries Tasmania - NS2937-1-619

The church in 2019 - Photograph - Duncan Grant

The former church on Simpson Street, now a house. (2017) Photograph courtesy of One Agency Real Estate

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