No. 1087 - Westbury - St Andrew's Sunday School Room (1895)
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 was followed by a parochial tea, held in the new school-room. The Bishop engaged in prayer, and then the hall open amidst applause.
The room is 60ft x 25ft, weatherboard throughout, roofed with corrugated iron. A | nice porch— site 9ft x 6ft — is placed in front of the main door. There are seven windows giving ample light for all purposes required is the day time. The inside is lined with pine throughout and varnished, and this gives the room a very neat appearance, and reflects great credit on the contractors, Messrs. Roe and Mayhead.
The platform is placed so that it can be removed if required. The cost of the hall, including furniture, lamps, book case, etc., will be about £209, and most of the money has been collected. There will be a debt of about £60, which the committee hopes to clear -off at an early date, The seats, which are of pine were made by Mr J. Jordan, of Westbury, and are very comfortable.
After the tea a social gathering was held,… The Rev. F. B. Sharland presided, and said that it was a very important day for the congregation of St. Andrew's. The foundation stone was practically laid about six years ago; the ladies had worked hard to build the hall, and had raised a sum of about £170. He spoke highly of the services of Mr C. W. Allen in connection with the school, and a word of praise was due to Messrs. Roe and Mayhead, who faithfully carried out their work… His Lordship then addressed the audience, and said he was pleased to be among them, The room they had built would be very useful, not only as a Sunday-school, but for holding meetings of various kinds, and, as Westbury was the headquarters of the rural deanery, it would be used for holding the meetings. He spoke to the Sunday-school children, and gave them some good advice, which he hoped they would remember them in after life…”.
St Andrew's Sunday School Room |
St Andrew's Anglican Church |
Daily Telegraph, Saturday 7 September 1895, page 8
The Mercury, Saturday 7 March 1936, page 9
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