No. 986 - Redpa - St John's Anglican Church

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Redpa is a small settlement in the far northwest approximately 40 kilometres west of Smithton. It was originally named Marrawah East before it was changed to Redpa in 1926. The residents asked that it be renamed Braddon but “the authorities decided otherwise”. Redpa is an aboriginal word for "mosquito". 

St John’s Anglican church was built and dedicated in 1955. It replaced an earlier Anglican church hall built in 1925 which had served as a church and a community hall.

The foundation stone for St John's was laid on Sunday 24 April 1955 by the Venerable Archdeacon W. Walters. The land for the church was donated by Mr. L. Mortyn. Dorothea Henslowe records in ‘Our Heritage of Anglican Churches in Tasmania’, that in a font was purchased from the proceeds of a sale after each family in the congregation raised a pig.

The final service was held on Sunday 31 August 1986, after which the congregation combined with St Oswald's at Marrawah.

Additional information about this church is welcomed as all articles are continually updated. I can be contacted through this page or my Facebook page "Churches of Tasmania" which is linked here:Churches of Tasmania.

St John's at Redpa - Photo suppled by Sandra Cameron


St John's at Redpa - Photo suppled by Sandra Cameron


St John's in 2011 - Photo credit: Roberts Real Estate Smithton


Sources:

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

Information provided by Mrs Phil Nicholls. 

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