No. 1318 - Bridgewater - Kingdom Hall

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Bridgewater is situated on the eastern shore of the Derwent River and is a suburb of the Municipality of Brighton. A large Housing Department estate was built on the eastern side of the Midlands Highway between 1970 and 1980 however the older part of the settlement dates back to the 1830’s when a convict causeway was built. The original name for this area was Green Point but this was changed to North Bridgewater. When the railway was built the name was again changed to ‘Bridgewater Junction’ but with time this was shorted to Bridgewater.

Bridgewater’s Kingdom Hall is located on Bowden Street . It is built in the 1990s in a style typical of most of the 21 Kingdom Halls established in Tasmania. The Hall recently closed and the building was sold in 2017. 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 Jehovah Witness in Tasmania presents a challenge to research.

The following information is derived from the Jehovah Witness’ official tract ''The Watchtower':

“In the early 1900s a member of the International Bible Students Association, as Jehovah's Witnesses were known, was distributing Bible study publications in Tasmania. Literature was left with the postmaster at Queenstown, Tom Anderson, and he and his wife became Witnesses. Around this time, E. Brewster preached around the state. In about 1908 Bible students were active in the Westbury area, and spread to the north-east of Tasmania. The Witnesses operated radio station 7UV in Ulverstone from 1934 to spread the Bible's message. In 1945 the Witnesses purchased their first Kingdom Hall (church) in Hobart".

Photo: Realcommercial.com.au

Photo: Realcommercial.com.au


Source:

https://www.utas.edu.au/tasmanian-companion/biogs/E000528b.htm

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