No. 1080 - Blackmans Bay - Methodist Church (1954-1994)

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Blackmans Bay is located close to the town of Kingston and is approximately fourteen kilometres south of Hobart. It is named after James Blackman who made a claim for a grant of land in the area in about 1844. It was once a popular place for holiday shacks but is now a residential area.

Max Stansall (author of Tasmanian Methodism) provides the following information about the former Methodist church at Blackmans Bay:

“The Methodist Cause at Blackmans Bay dates from the year 1947 when services were held in the Community Hall….The foundation-stone was laid by the Rev. Oliver Furness,…on 3 January 1953. The church was officially opened on Saturday, 27 March 1954, when a dedication service was conducted…. It is interesting to note that two pews came from the Zeehan Methodist Church as a gift,… It is thought that the pulpit came from the Sandy Bay Church”.

The Methodist church was the first church to be built at Blackmans Bay. It was a weatherboard building, built by voluntary labour and was situated at the corner of Roslyn Avenue and View Road.

The church closed not long after the creation of the Uniting Church in 1977. The church was sold in 1994 and was converted into a house. The building still exists and although it has been modified, parts of the original church are still visible.


A photo from the Mercury taken the day before the church opened.

A Google street-view photo of the former church in 2010.




Sources:

Mercury, Tuesday 6 January 1953, page 6
Mercury, Tuesday 23 March 1954, page 15
Mercury, Saturday 27 March 1954, page 36
Mercury, Monday 29 March 1954, page 15

Stansall, M. E. J. and Methodist Church of Australasia. Tasmanian Methodism, 1820-1975 / [by M.E.J. Stansall ... et al] Methodist Church of Australasia Launceston, Tas 1975


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