Churches of Tasmania

Tullah is a small town on the Murchison Highway approximately 110 kilometres south of Burnie. It was established in 1900 as a remote mining settlement known as Mount Farrell. In the 1970s Tullah was used by the Hydro Electric Commission to house workers engaged in the various parts of the Pieman River Power Scheme. At this time Tullah’s population peaked at 2500. The town is divided into two sections; the older northern mining settlement and the newer southern part developed by the Commission. Four churches were built at Tullah representing the Methodist, Catholic and Anglican denominations. These have all closed and in recent years were replaced by the Tullah Community Church. The history of Tullah’s Catholic church is not well established. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century Catholic services were held at Kelly’s Hall. In 1910 Archbishop Delany visited the town to conduct a confirmation service. About twenty years passed before a church was built. The year in which the church

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Launceston’s iconic and much photographed Chalmers’ Presbyterian church has a lessor known but equally striking companion, the Chalmers Hall, which is located diagonally opposite the church. For many years it served as a parish hall and a Sunday school. The hall’s foundation stone was laid on Thursday 22 December 1927 by Mr David Storrer, a former mayor of Launceston and member of the House of Assembly. The Launceston Examiner reported on the occasion and provided details of the building features: “Designed by the well known Launceston architect, M

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Northdown is a fertile agricultural district 15km east of Devonport. In 1826 the area was settled by Captain Bartholomew Thomas, who established the Northdown estate. Captain Thomas met a violent death in 1831 when he and his overseer, Mr Parker, were speared to death by a group of men from the ‘Big River tribe’. St James’ was opened in May 1878 and the church and burial ground were consecrated on 30 January 1879 by Bishop Charles Bromby. In October 1909 a Sunday-school and hall was opened by Bishop Mercer. The following report, published in the No

Dundas was a mining township located about 5 kilometres east of Zeehan in Western Tasmania. Silver was discovered in the Mount Dundas area in 1890. The Mount Dundas Post Office was opened by the end of 1890 and settlement’s name was shortened to Dundas in 1892. Dundas’ population peaked at around 1000 in the mid 1890s but gradually declined over the next three decades until the settlement was swallowed up by the bush. Little is known about Dundas’ Anglican church which only functioned for a handful of years. No photograph of the church appears to exist. Dorothea Henslowe’s ‘Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania’ states that “a corrugated iron building was turned into a church” at cost of £45. In December 1911, the Hobart Mercury reported: “Bishop Mercer arrived a Zeehan yesterday, and in the afternoon conducted a confirmation service… he visited Dundas, and held a service in the new church, but, as the building is not quite completed, the proposed dedication ceremony was not

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. New Town is a northern suburb of Hobart. It is also one of Hobart’s oldest suburbs and consequently the area contains many historic churches. New Town became a municipality in 1907 but was absorbed into Greater Hobart in the 1920s when its municipal status was relinquished. St James’ Anglican church was built on Augusta Road in 1916. A parish hall was built alongside the church in 1922 with the foundation stone ceremonially laid by Bishop Hay on Saturday 17 June. The building was officially opened by the Premier of Tasmania, Mr John Hayes, on Wedn

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Deloraine is an agricultural and tourist centre situated on the Meander River and lies approximately halfway between the cities of Launceston and Devonport. The first Anglican church at Deloraine was a wooden structure built in 1845. The present church, St Mark’s, was completed in March 1859. The hall was officially opened on Thursday 17 August 1916 by Reverend H. N. Baker. The hall’s foundation stone had been laid earlier in the year by Governor Macartney. A report in Launceston’s Daily Telegraph describes the building as follows: “The hall stands

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Latrobe is a large country town situated between the Bass Highway and the Mersey River. It is named after a government administrator, Charles LaTrobe, who was acting Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania for a a matter of months (1846-7). Latrobe was once an important port town with boats operating from Bells Parade until the Mersey River silted up. St Patrick’s Catholic church opened in 1871. The church’s presbytery was built in 1879 by William Gadsby, who also built Latrobe’s Methodist church. In 1926 the building was slightly damaged in a fire. A seco

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Evandale is an historic town approximately 20 kilometres from Launceston. Originally established as a military post in 1811, the general area was variously known as Collins Hill, Patersons Plains and Morven. The settlement’s name was changed to Evandale in 1836 in honour of Tasmania's first Surveyor-General, G.W. Evans. On approaching Evandale from Launceston, Saint Andrew’s Anglican church dominates the village’s skyline. Built in 1872, the church replaced an earlier building constructed in 1837. St Andrew’s Sunday school opened on Wednesday

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Sorell is one of Tasmania's oldest towns with the Pittwater district being settled in 1808. Sorell was formally established as a township in 1821 and was thereafter named after William Sorell, who served as Lieutenant-Governor from 1816 to 1824. In 1894 the Hobart Mercury reported that the “corner stone” of St George’s Sunday school was laid on Wednesday 8 August by Mrs Montgomery, wife of the Bishop of Tasmania. The building, known as the “St George’s Memorial Sunday School” was officially opened on Friday 12 October 1894. The Mercury provide

This is another in a series of short articles about minor churches that have left little trace in the historical or photographic record. Among the objectives of this blog is to create a definitive catalogue of all churches and other places of worship that have existed in Tasmania since settlement. My hope is that the publication of basic details about these buildings might result in further information and photographs coming into the public domain. Alberton is a former mining town located approximately 8 kilometres south of Ringarooma. It lay at the junction of New River Road and Alberton Road, on the banks of the Dorset River below Mount Victoria. It is thought to have been named in honour of Prince Albert who visited Tasmania in 1867. At its peak Alberton and its mining camps had a population of about 800. In the mid 1880s the town had several stores, two hotels, a post office, a school and a Methodist church. The Anglican’s acquired land in the township to build a church but this d

This entry is another in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Sheffield’s Baptist church was officially opened on 31 January 1931. The brick building replaced an weatherboard church (1891) that was destroyed in a fire in March 1930. In 1952 a new Sunday school hall was opened alongside the church. The opening of the hall on Saturday 17 May is described in a report carried by The Advocate: “The new Baptist Sunday school hall was opened by the president of the Tasmanian Baptist Union (Rev. J. Roberts Thomson), in the presence of a large gathering. The golden key was then handed to the building secretary (Mr.

The Knox Chapel was a short lived church that occupied the old Collins Street Independent Chapel for a period of four years. The Collins Street Independent Chapel, built in 1837 is one of several Hobart churches associated with businessman and philanthropist, Henry Hopkins (1787–1870). The chapel, which was located at 56 Collins Street, is now hidden behind a facade of a new building constructed in the early 20th century. [ See No. 1000 ] In 1857 the Collins Street Independent chapel was sold to the congregation of Reverend John Downes for an amount of £1400. On 1 November 1857 it reopened as the Knox Chapel. In 1858 the congregation of the Knox Chapel was accepted into Free Church Presbytery, which had been established in Tasmania in 1853 following a split in the Scottish Presbyterian Church. In June 1858 a report in the Launceston Examiner reveals the reason for Downes’ departure for the Free Presbyterian Church: “The Presbytery has published a statement respecting the case of the

This entry is the next in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. St Paul’s Anglican Church at Glenorchy replaced an earlier wooden church which had stood on the site since 1847. Planning for a new church began in 1867 and within two years a foundation stone was laid by Governor Du Cane at a ceremony led by Bishop Charles Bromby. The church was “completed sufficiently” for divine service and consecrated in June 1870. In 1893 a Sunday school room was built across the road from the church. The Hobart Mercury’s report of the official opening of the Sunday school room, on Wednesday 8 March 1893, provides details o

Mersey Bluff Church of Christ is located in converted commercial premises at 232 William Street. The use of commercial premises as a place of worship is a growing trend among modern churches. On its website the Mersey Bluff church sets out its creed as follows: The Mersey Bluff church of Christ is one of thousands of non-denominational, independent congregations throughout the world that follow the New Testament pattern for the church in worship and doctrine, without reference to human creeds or traditions. Additional information about this church and the building is most welcome 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 . Image: Google street-view Sources and links of interest: https://merseybluffcofc.com.au/

This is another short articles about minor churches that have left little trace in the historical or photographic record. Among the objectives of this blog is to create a definitive catalogue of all churches and other places of worship that have existed in Tasmania since settlement. My hope is that the publication of basic details about these buildings might result in further information and photographs coming into the public domain. Almost nothing is known about this former church located at 433 Brooker Highway. The building was demolished in 2009 and townhouses have been built on the site. The only available image of the building, which belonged to the Church of Christ, is from Google street-view. The Church of Christ has some similarities with the Christian Brethren, although it is influenced by American rather than British churches. The first members of the Church of Christ arrived in Tasmania in 1865. In the 1870s churches were set up in Launceston and Hobart. They first follower

This entry is the third in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Devonport’s St John’s Anglican church opened in 1906, replacing an earlier weatherboard ‘mission church’ built in 1887. Two years after the church opened a block of land was acquired on which to built a parish hall and Sunday school. The initial plan was to build a weatherboard hall. However a tender from James Wilson for a brick hall at a cost of £310 was accepted. The building was designed by architect Stephen Priest of Devonport. The foundation stone for the hall was ceremonially laid on Wednesday 27 May 1908. The building was completed befor

Longley is a rural settlement approximately 20 kilometres south of Hobart. The area was originally named Leslie, a name that has been preserved in Leslie Hill which lies on the eastern side of Longley. Three Anglican churches were built at Longley, all of which were destroyed by bushfires. The first church was built in 1892 and consecrated and dedicated to St. Luke in February of the following year. This building was lost in the ‘great bushfires’ that swept across southern Tasmania in the summer of 1897/8. [ see No. 1034 ] A second church was built and rededicated to St Luke in 1898. This building was similarly destroyed in a bushfire in 1931. The third church, built in 1932, was lost in the 1967 bushfires. This building was not replaced. The focus of this article is on Longley’s second Anglican church. After the destruction of the first church in January 1898, a new church was built and opened by the end of that year. It was a simple weatherboard structure built by Mr E. Tew who ha

This entry is the second in a series of articles concerning buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s most significant churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and are rarely featured in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of some of the most significant of these buildings, including some which no longer exist. Westbury’s Anglican church opened in 1842 and is one of the oldest churches in Tasmania. St Andrew’s Sunday school was established in 1865 and the present Sunday school room was opened by Bishop Montgomery on 4 September 1895. The following report, published in the Daily Telegraph, contains details about the functioning of the Sunday school and its design: “The opening of this school took place on Wednesday evening, His Lordship the Bishop of Tasmania performing the opening ceremony. Prior to the opening a short evensong was held in the church,…

This is the fourth in a series of short articles about minor churches that have left little trace in the historical or photographic record. Among the objectives of this blog is to create a definitive catalogue of all churches and other places of worship that have existed in Tasmania since settlement. My hope is that the publication of basic details about these buildings might result in further information and photographs coming into the public domain. Virginstowe was a location south of Port Sorell and about 5 kilometres from Sassafras. The settlement had a school (built in 1915) while Baptist church services were conducted in the local hall. Virginstowe no longer exists and the area is now covered with plantations and a State Forest Reserve. Virginstowe’s hall effectively became the settlement’s Baptist church. The church owes its existence to Reverend Vincent George Britton of Latrobe who initiated Baptist services at Virginstowe in 1917. With Britton’s departure from the Latrobe dis