Churches of Tasmania

This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches and religious orders. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, orphanages, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a basic record of these buildings, including of those that no longer exist. Railton is a country town approximately 20 kilometres south of Devonport. Before the 1860s the settlement was known as Redwater Creek but this changed when a tramline was built through the area. The Anglican presence at Railton can be dated to 1885 and in 1888 a simple wooden church was built. [ see No. 1157 ] This was replaced by a new cement brick church in 1953. St John’s Hall predates the present church being built in 1937. Both the hall and the new cement brick church are heritage listed. The hall was officially opened on Saturday 13 November 1937 with the opening coinciding wi

This article is one in a series about public buildings in country areas that were used as places of worship. In these communities churches may have been planned but were never built due to lack of finance or changed circumstances. In most settlements, before a church was built, worship was typically held in homes, schoolrooms, barns, halls and other buildings. Conversely, in some communities, churches were sometimes the first public building erected and were used as schools and community halls. The focus of this series will primarily be on the public halls and schools that were used as churches. These buildings, and the religious communities which used them, are often overlooked in published histories of churches. Goshen is a small settlement on the Tasman Highway approximately 15 kilometres west of St.Helens. Goshen is a Biblical name and means ‘land of plenty’. Goshen’s Methodist church functioned between from about 1905 until the early 1940s. For most of this time services were hel

Sandy Bay is a southern suburb of Hobart. It is believed that it was named by Reverend Robert Knopwood while he was out on the Derwent on a whaling boat. The northern half of Sandy Bay was known as Queenborough between the years 1859 and 1878. St Stephen’s is located in Lower Sandy Bay. The history of St Stephen’s can be divided into three distinct periods: (1)  The construction of the first church at Sandy Bay began in 1847. This building was never completed after it lost its roof in a gale in 1850. (2)  A second church was built and opened in 1856. This church was shared by the Anglicans and Wesleyan Methodists until the 1880s. This building was locally known as "the Red Chapel". (3)  In 1896 the church was effectively rebuilt. From this time onwards it was only used by the Anglicans. This article’s focus is on the first two periods while a follow-up article will feature the present church. The history of Sandy Bay’s first church starts with Captain Charles Friend, who resi

This article is one in a series about public buildings in country areas that were used as places of worship. In these communities churches may have been planned but were never built due to lack of finance or changed circumstances. In most settlements, before a church was built, worship was typically held in homes, schoolrooms, barns, halls and other buildings. Conversely, in some communities, churches were sometimes the first public building erected and were used as schools and community halls. The focus of this series will primarily be on the public halls and schools that were used as churches. These buildings, and the religious communities which used them, are often overlooked in published histories of churches. Priory is a small settlement on the Anderson Bay Road in Tasmania’s North East region and which lies approximately 10 kilometres north of St Helens. The district developed rapidly when tin was discovered in the area. However the deposits were quickly exhausted and the settlem

Zeehan is a town on the west coast approximately 40 kilometres from Queenstown. As a mining town it became the administrative centre for a number of mining companies in the region. Zeehan was established in the early 1880s and by the turn of the 20th century it had become Tasmania's third largest town. Zeehan takes its name from Mount Zeehan which had been named by George Bass and Matthew Flinders after Abel Tasman's brig ‘Zeehaen’. Zeehan's Kingdom Hall is located on Main Street. It is built in the style typical of most of the 21 Kingdom Halls established in Tasmania. No published information about the hall is available. The Jehovah's Witness diverges from the mainstream doctrines of Christianity in that it is a non-trinitarian tradition. Jehovah's Witnesses believe their denomination is a restoration of first-century Christianity. The historical persecution of members of the Jehovah’s Witness in many countries, including Australia, has further contributed to the d

This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches and religious orders. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, orphanages, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a basic record of these buildings, including of those that no longer exist. Kirklands is an old pastoral property situated on the banks of the Macquarie River about 10 kilometres northwest of Campbell Town. The church and Manse at Kirklands is closely associated with the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Tasmania. The church opened in 1836 and was one of the earliest Presbyterian churches in Van Diemen's Land. Presbyterian worship at the settlement along the Macquarie River commenced in the late 1820s: “Mr Murray was probably one of the most noted Scotch pioneers of early Tasmania…. [arriving] at Hobart on January 14, 1823, two days after the

St Helens is the largest town on Tasmania’s east coast. It was established as a fishing village and whaling station in the 1830s. When tin was discovered in the hinterland in the 1870s, St Helens was developed as a port for the mines. It was named by Captain Furneaux after a town of the same name on the Isle of Wight, England. In the 19th century the St Helens district was also referred to as Georges Bay. The Methodist presence at St Helens dates back to 1871 when services were first regularly conducted by Reverend J. Graham who was stationed at Fingal. The Methodist congregation periodically worshipped in a small weatherboard Anglican church built on Tully Street in 1875. By 1889 the Methodists had built a church of their own. [ See No. 1168 ] In 1988 the old weatherboard church on Quail Street was replaced by modern brick church designed by architect Robert Adsett. The building was partially constructed with the use of voluntary labour and was completed at a cost of $85 000. The bel

Sandy Bay is a southern suburb of Hobart. The northern half of Sandy Bay was known as Queenborough between the years 1859 and 1878. This articles focus is on the second Catholic church built at Upper Sandy Bay. This replaced a “temporary church” built in 1934 which had doubled as a community hall. Known as Pentecost Hall, it incorporated the Church of the Holy Ghost. In the 1950s and 1960s the church was rebuilt and enlarged. The following information about the new church is taken from W.T. Southerwood’s “Planting a Faith in Hobart”, published in 1970: “Father FitzGerald transformed the old Pentecost hall. The £3000 renovations included a permanent sanctuary, leadlight windows of cathedral glass, and the adaption of cloakrooms as a sacristy. These additions increased accommodation from 250 to 380….Alan Gelston was commissioned to paint the stations of the cross”. And by the 1960s: “Father FitzGerald’s lasting achievement in brick and mortar was the complete reconstruction of Holy Gho

This article is one of a series about buildings associated with Tasmania’s historical churches and religious orders. These buildings include Sunday schools, parish halls, convents, orphanages, schools and residences of the clergy. Ancillary buildings are often overlooked and rarely feature in published histories. My aim is to create a basic record of these buildings, including of those that no longer exist. The purpose of rescue homes was to ‘rescue’ women from their old lives. Spiritual improvement was seen as paramount, with an emphasis on the women gaining salvation. In addition, skills were taught that would help women find work after leaving the home. The Salvation Army defined a “fallen woman” as ‘a woman who has lost her chastity, honour, or standing, or who has become morally degenerate; (sometimes) a prostitute’. The following information about the Landsdowne Crescent Rescue Home is provided by the Salvation Army Museum: “Hobart’s first Salvation Army home for women, was opene

Triabunna is a small town on the east coast. It was established as a whaling station and was later used as a garrison town. It is part of the coastline discovered by Nicolas Baudin in 1802. Its name is an aboriginal word for 'native hen'. Triabunna’s Kingdom Hall is located on Charles Street, north of the Tasman Highway. It is built in the style typical of most of the 21 Kingdom Halls established in Tasmania. The Triabunna Hall recently closed and the building was sold in August 2021. No published information about the hall is available. The Jehovah's Witness diverges from the mainstream doctrines of Christianity in that it is a non-trinitarian tradition. Jehovah's Witnesses believe their denomination is a restoration of first-century Christianity. The historical persecution of members of the Jehovah’s Witness in many countries, including Australia, has further contributed to the denomination maintaining a low profile in the media. For this reason the history of the Jeh

Brighton Military Camp was located at the northern end of of the town of Brighton near Pontville. The camp was established on the 13th August 1914 but lack of water impeded its development. After the first contingent of troops left in October 1914 the main training camp moved to Claremont. During the Second World War a training camp was reestablished at Brighton which housed up to 2400 trainees. As the need for training declined, Brighton Camp was used to detain Italian prisoners of war. After the war the camp was used to house migrants from Europe as well as national servicemen. In 1967 it accommodated victims of the bushfires and in 1999 it was temporarily used by 400 Kosovar refugees. The facility was closed in 2006 and sold to a developer. During World War Two, the religious and spiritual needs of servicemen at Brighton Camp were met by a number of denominations including Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, the YMCA and the Salvation Army. With support from the public “huts” were built

West Pine is a small rural community situated midway between Ulverstone and Burnie and approximately 8 kilometres south west of Penguin. Situated west of Pine Road the area was called "Pine Road West" but was locally known as"West Pine”, which was eventually the name officially adopted. West Pine’s Methodist church was a short-lived congregation which used the West Pine Presbyterian church for almost three years. The first West Pine Presbyterian church was removed from Penguin in 1905 but was blown down in a storm in 1910. This was replaced by a new church in 1911. In May 1930 the Advocate reported: “The Presbyterian Church, which has been closed for some time, is to be used by the Methodists. The Presbyterians have generously allowed the building to be used by the Methodists without charge, which is greatly appreciated. It is understood further negotiations will be made at the end of three months”. This arrangement was extended and the Methodists continued to use the ch

Lebrina is a small village situated approximately 10 kilometres north of Lilydale in north east Tasmania. The settlement was earlier known as Hall’s Track before the name Lebrina was adopted when railway station on the North-eastern line was built. The name Lebrina is derived from an aboriginal word meaning "house" or "hut". Lebrina once had three churches: a Wesleyan Methodist church, St Andrew’s Anglican church and St Patrick’s Catholic Church. All three churches have closed and two of the buildings no longer exist. The Methodist church and cemetery was located at the southern end of the town on the western bank near the railway crossing. The church is gone but the cemetery is still here although it is on private land. The church building was sold in 1970 for $50 and recycled as materials for a house in Lebrina, about half a kilometre to the north. I have not located a photograph of the church but it can be seen in the distance in a general photograph of the town

Currie is the main town and administration centre of King Island. In 1866 the ship "Netherby" ran onto rocks off the island and was salvaged by Captain Archibald Currie. The harbour and later the settlement were named in his remembrance. The focus of this article is on King Island’s first Anglican church which was built in 1913 and destroyed in an act of arson in 1997. A new church, which was consecrated in 2002, will be the subject of a further article. The presence of the Anglican Church on King Island dates back to April 1854 when Bishop Nixon, the first Bishop of Tasmania, visited the then unsettled Island. In 1880 Bishop Sandford landed at Cape Wickham and held services there and baptised two children. He then rode down to Currie to hold services at the Lighthouse. In 1893 Bishop Montgomery came to King Island, the first of several visits until his departure from Tasmania in 1901. “He [Montgomery] followed a usual itinerary, service in the extreme north and then a hors