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Showing posts from January, 2023

No. 1236 - Battery Point - St George's Anglican Church (1838)

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Battery Point is an inner suburb on the east side of Hobart overlooking the Derwent River. Its name is derived from the Mulgrave Battery which was established in the 1818 as a coastal defence for Hobart. In the 19th century Battery Point was home to master mariners, shipwrights, seamen, fishermen, shipping agents and many others who worked in the shipbuilders’ yards and on the wharves. Until the mid 19th century much of Battery Point was undeveloped and without roads. A rough track ascended to Kermode's Hill, where St. George's Church now stands. St Georges is one of the most striking churches in Hobart and is a notable landmark. The church was built in stages with the tower and portico being later additions. St George’s was opened on Whitsunday, in June, 1838. Its origins date back to 1834 when a subscription list was opened for a building fund and a site was purchased for £250. The Hobart Town Courier described the site as having “a commanding eminence between the battery an

No. 1235 - Battery Point - St George's Rectory (1896)

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This article is one of a series about the history of buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including those that no longer exist. Battery Point is an historical inner suburb on the east side of Hobart, fronting onto the Derwent River. The suburb’s name is derived from Mulgrave Battery was established in the 1818 for coastal defence purposes. In the 19th century Battery Point was home to master mariners, shipwrights, seamen, fishermen, shipping agents and many others who worked in the shipbuilders’ yards and on the wharves. Until the mid 19th century much of Battery Point was undeveloped and without roads. A rough track ascended to Kermode's Hill, where St. George's Church now stands. St Georges is one of the most beautifu

No. 1234 - Moonah - "Your Church"

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Moonah is a suburb of Greater Hobart approximately 5 kilometres north of the central business district. Moonah was previously known as South Glenorchy before it was developed as a residential area in the late 19th century. “Your Church” is the latest church to be established at Moonah. It was previously known as the “Energizer Life Church” which was located in Petchey Street, Bellerive. In 2019 the Energizer Life Church purchased the former Coogans store in Moonah with plans to redevelop the building into a community centre with an auditorium and space for retail tenancies. “Your Church” is a pentecostal denomination associated with Australian Christian Churches (ACC), previously known as the Assemblies of God in Australia. ACC is a network of Pentecostal churches affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. "Your Church" in the former Coogans store at Moonah - photo: The Mercury The Energizer Life Church at Be

No. 1233 - Launceston - The "Old Newnham Church of England" (1851-1887)

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Newnham is a northern suburb of the city of Launceston. Newnham was originally part of the municipality of Lilydale before it was incorporated into Launceston. Newnham was the name of a 250 acre property developed by Lieutenant Matthew Curling Friend in the 1830s. The first Anglican church at Newnham was opened on Sunday 4th May 1851 by Archdeacon Robert Davies. Little is known about this building which was located on George Town Road, opposite St Barnabas’ church. A booklet produced to celebrate the centenary* of St Barnabas, describes the old church as follows: “Just past the Alanvale Road turn-off one would see a brick and wooden building standing in in the tree lined hollow. This was known as the ‘Old Newnham Church of England’ and served the community as church and school. During the incumbency of the Rev. Augustus Barkway, before and up to 1859, services were held in this distant part of the Holy Trinity parish. On weekdays Mrs. and Miss Troy used the building as a school. Local

No. 1232 - Bridport - St Mark's Anglican Church - Sunday School

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This article is one of a series about the history of buildings associated with some of Tasmania’s historical churches. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including those that no longer exist. Bridport is a small resort town on Tasmania’s north-east coast situated at the mouth of the Brid River. It was once a significant port for hinterland mining settlements during the boom of the late 19th century. St Mark’s Anglican church was built in 1931 and was opened and dedicated by Bishop Hay on Sunday 19 July 1931. In the 1950s a Sunday school hall was erected behind the church. The church was sold in 2020 and has since been converted into business premises for the Little Rivers Brewing Company. In 2023 the Sunday school hall was to be demolished to make way for housing units. However, t

No. 1231 - Hobart - Bishopscourt and the Montgomery Chapel

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Bishopscourt is the former official residence of the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania. It is located on Fitzroy Place at the northern tip of Sandy Bay. The property was sold by the Anglican Diocese in 2003. Part of the property is now used for accomodation and called ‘Old Bishop’s Quarters’. The land on which Bishopscourt stands was granted to William Anley in 1837. In the following year a substantial house was built, part of which was incorporated into later extensions. After it was build the house it was purchased by Thomas Horne, the properties first resident. Horne served as Solicitor General and later as Attorney General. He was also elected to the Legislative Council and held the office of President of the Council. In in 1858 the property was sold to William Robertson who in turn sold it to John White. White then rented the house to Bishop Bromby, the second Bishop of Tasmania. On taking residence Bromby named the property Bishopscourt. In 1876 Bishopscourt was purchased from John Wh

No. 1230 - Legana - Regis Chapel

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This is one of a series of brief articles which provide a simple record of chapels associated with institutions such as aged care facilities. Historically, most aged-care and nursing homes were established by religious denominations. Therefore most had a chapel built that was associated with the founding denomination. In more recent times few private aged care facilities continued the practice of providing non-denominational chapels for residents. Legana is a dormitory town 12 kilometres north of Launceston and situated within the West Tamar municipal area. Legana’s Regis aged-care home is owned by Regis Healthcare, one of the largest aged-care operators in Australia. The Legana home was originally established and operated by Presbyterian Care Tasmania. The Legana chapel is a modern brick octagonal shaped building with a raised turret situated in the centre of the roof. The chapel is non-denominational and served by the local clergy. https://www.regis.com.au/residence/regis-tasmania-l

No. 1229 - Bruny Island - Dennes Point - St Mark's Anglican Church (1940-1982)

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Dennes Point is a settlement on the northern tip on Bruny Island. It was named Cape Farewell by the French explorers. In the 1820s when Captain James Kelly farmed the area it became known as Kelly's Point. In the 1840s Darcy and Harry Denne brought the farm and the name Dennes Point was adopted. St Mark’s Anglican church was opened and dedicated by Bishop Snowden Hay on Sunday 17 March 1940. The church’s origins date back to Anzac Day 1938 when a meeting was held to plan the construction of a church at Dennes Point. A site given was donated by Mr. William Young, of Woodlands. The church was built at a cost of £180. The Mercury’s report on the opening service provides the following information: “[It is]…A neat weatherboard structure, with concrete foundation and galvanised iron roof. Its dimensions are: Main body, 26ft. by16ft.; chancel, 12ft. by 8ft and porch and vestry, 12ft. by 6ft. The builder was Mr. L. King, who was assisted by Messrs. V. K. Tollard, A. Kean, and E. Pybus, i

No. 1228 - Wynyard - Salvation Army Hall (c.1892)

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Wynyard is a town on the northwest coast approximately 20 kilometres west of Burnie. The area around Wynyard was originally named Table Cape by Bass and Flinders. However this was changed to Wynyard in the 1850s, named after Edward Buckley Wynyard, who was a Lieutenant-General in the New South Wales Corps. Until the 20th century Wynyard remained a small town with a population of less than 500. The Salvation Army arrived at Tasmania in the early 1880s and first established bases at Launceston and Hobart. The reception to the ‘Army’ in Tasmania was initially hostile and sometimes even violent. Negative reactions to the Salvation Army were a response to the raucous nature of the ‘Army’s’ gatherings; middle class prejudice towards the working classes who were attracted to its meetings and because of its disruptive recruiting strategies which included street processions and open-air meetings. In Launceston and Hobart it was shadowed by a ‘skeleton army’ that parodied its marches and disrupt

No. 1227 - Swan Bay Methodist Church (1922)

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Swan Bay is a small rural community on the west bank of the Tamar River about 20 kilometres north of Launceston. This ‘blog entry’ is one of a series of articles about places of worship which are barely represented in the historical record. Often no images of these buildings have survived. My hope is that these brief articles may result in further information and photographs coming to light thus enabling a more complete history to be preserved. Regular Methodist services at Swan Bay began in 1916 with worship taking place in the “assembly room” at the residence of Mrs Elizabeth Coward. In 1922 Mrs Coward donated land for the construction of a Methodist church hall. The building was officially opened on Sunday 6 August 1922. The Daily Telegraph reported on the opening services as well a fund raising fair held on the day before: “Under perfect weather conditions crowds wended their way to the opening celebrations on Saturday last of the Swan Bay Methodist Church Hall, which stands on

No. 1226 - Taroona - Korean Presbyterian Church (2017)

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Located on the Western shore of the Derwent River, Taroona is an outer southern suburb of Greater Hobart which lies within the Kingston municipality. The name ‘taroona’ is a Mouheneener word for chiton, a marine mollusc found on rocks in the intertidal regions of the foreshore. The name ‘Taroona’ was adopted by Clarendon James Cox Lord for his 18-acre property which he purchased in 1894. The Korean Presbyterian Church was located in Taroona’s former Baptist church located on the Channel Highway. The building dates back to 1984 when it replaced a timber church built in 1953. There are Korean Presbyterian churches in most of Australia’s major cities. The denomination is amongst the largest Christian group in South Korea with approximately 10 million adherents. Little is known about the Taroona Korean Presbyterian Church, whose tenancy of the former Baptist church began in 2017. The congregation has recently relocated to 1 Taroona Crescent. Photo: Harcourts Hobart Photo: Harcourts Hobart

No. 1225 - Taroona - Baptist Church (1953)

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Located on the Western shore of the Derwent River, Taroona is an outer southern suburb of Greater Hobart which lies within the Kingston municipality. The name ‘taroona’ is a Mouheneener word for chiton, a marine mollusc found on rocks in the intertidal regions of the foreshore. The name ‘Taroona’ was adopted by Clarendon James Cox Lord for his 18-acre property which he purchased in 1894. In 1942 the first Baptist service was held in the old Taroona public hall on the corner of Channel Highway and Taroona Crescent. In 1948 a block of land was purchased to build a church but this was resold when land on the Channel Highway was donated by Mr Les Escott. In 1953 a church designed by Mr J. Bloomer was constructed by volunteer labour. The opening service took place on 2 May 1953 and was conducted by Mr H.B. West, President of the Baptist Union of Tasmania. In the early 1980s the church was extensively renovated being effectively rebuilt. Services were held in the new Taroona Community Hall

No. 1224 - Hobart - Anglican Synod Hall and St David's Cathedral Sunday School (1879-1966)

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This article is one of a series about the history of 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 rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a simple record of these buildings, including those that no longer exist. Hobart’s Anglican Diocese Synod Hall stood between Harrington Street and Victoria Street, behind St Joseph’s Catholic Church. Apart from being the Diocese’ Synod Hall it also housed the Cathedral Sunday school. The building was also the first home of the Collegiate School established in 1892. In later years the Synod Hall was used by community organisations for meetings and social events. When the construction the hall began in 1878 it was intended that it serve as a memorial to the work of the first Bishop of Tasmania, the Rt. Rev. Dr. F. R. Nixon. The hall was designed by Henry Hunter a

No. 1223 - South Hobart - St Francis Xavier Catholic Church (1933)

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When it opened in 1933, St Francis Xavier was the first Catholic church constructed in Hobart for over 50 years. The previous church built was Sacred Heart at New Town, completed in 1880. It is also one of only three Tasmanian Catholic churches built in the Romanesque style. The Catholic Church’s presence in South Hobart dates back to 1863 when Bishop Willson sponsored St Luke’s School on Upper Macquarie Street. In 1873 St Luke’s was placed under the charge of the Sister’s of Charity, who ran the school until its closure in 1946. St Luke’s was used as a place of worship with Sunday Mass held every week from 1921 until 1933, the year St Francis Xavier opened. The foundation stone for the new church was ceremonially laid by the Archbishop Hayden on Sunday 4 December 1932. The Mercury reported: “When completed the building will be capable of seating 350 persons, and the general design is most pleasing. The cost will be in the vicinity of £5,250, …The church will be a substantial brick edi