No. 1308 - Launceston - Chalmers Presbyterian Church Manse (1860)

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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.

Chalmers Presbyterian Church manse is both literally and figuratively in the shadow of Launceston’s iconic church on Prince’s Square. Both the church and its manse were built in 1860 and were designed by Tasmanian born colonial architect, William Clayton. Clayton also designed several significant Launceston buildings including St Andrew's Kirk, the Mechanics' Institute and The Theatre Royal. Clayton was also responsible for planning Launceston’s Quadrant.

Both the church and its manse were sold in the 1980s. The manse has been somewhat altered and converted into two flats.


Charmers Manse (undated) - State Library of Tasmania

The manse in 2023


Chalmers Church and manse - Photographer: Robert Lewis Parker (1893)



A detail taken from a photograph of Chalmers Church and manse (undated) Libraries Tasmania, Item No: LPC147/2/189


Sources:

Launceston Examiner, Tuesday 17 January 1860, page 3
Crighton, Shirley Anne (1985). William Henry Clayton, colonial architect (MA). University of Canterbury





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