No. 1326 - Dover - St Paul's Anglican Church (1884-2013)
Dover is a small town on the Huon Highway approximately 80 kilometres south of Hobart. It was first settled in the 1850s. The original name for Dover was Port Esperance after one of the ships of the French Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux.
St Paul’s Anglican church was originally a Gospel Hall built in 1876 by a group of Christian Brethren following the teachings of of Edward Moyse. The group broke up following the establishment of the Church of Christ at the settlement. In 1884 the Gospel Hall was sold to the Church of England.
The building was enlarged and dedicated in May 1892. The Mercury published a a short article describing the ceremony led by the Bishop of Tasmania:
“Sunday, 22nd inst., was the day appointed by Bishop Montgomery for the consecration of the little Church of St. Paul, which has recently been enlarged and improved and a new organ introduced. The day proved fine, and at each of the three services held there was a large attendance. The Bishop was assisted by the Rev. E. H. Thompson (incumbent) and Mr. W. P. Clennett lay-reader while Miss Jolliffe officiated at the organ. Morning service commenced at 11 2 o'clock, and included the Consecration service and address by the Bishop and the Communion service. in the afternoon a children's service and a christening were conducted by the Bishop, who again, after a the evening service, at which another christening was performed, preached a sermon marked by such simplicity and earnestness of delivery as could not fail to be felt by all present. The bright and hearty singing of the choir of juveniles was highly eulogised by the Bishop and congregation. Too much praise cannot be given to our worthy lay reader for the indefatigable manner in which he has laboured on behalf of the Church, and which, we are glad to say, is now bearing fruit by increased attendance. The choir has only been in existence since Christmas, and is doing wonderfully well through hard work. All the services and ceremonies of the Church of England may now be held here…”.
In ‘Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania’ Dorothea Henslowe notes that the church's bell “was a relic of the Hopetoun Mill and that the building was “restored both outside and inside in 1974”.
The church was sold in 2013 and has been converted into a house.
Sources:
St Paul’s Anglican church was originally a Gospel Hall built in 1876 by a group of Christian Brethren following the teachings of of Edward Moyse. The group broke up following the establishment of the Church of Christ at the settlement. In 1884 the Gospel Hall was sold to the Church of England.
The building was enlarged and dedicated in May 1892. The Mercury published a a short article describing the ceremony led by the Bishop of Tasmania:
“Sunday, 22nd inst., was the day appointed by Bishop Montgomery for the consecration of the little Church of St. Paul, which has recently been enlarged and improved and a new organ introduced. The day proved fine, and at each of the three services held there was a large attendance. The Bishop was assisted by the Rev. E. H. Thompson (incumbent) and Mr. W. P. Clennett lay-reader while Miss Jolliffe officiated at the organ. Morning service commenced at 11 2 o'clock, and included the Consecration service and address by the Bishop and the Communion service. in the afternoon a children's service and a christening were conducted by the Bishop, who again, after a the evening service, at which another christening was performed, preached a sermon marked by such simplicity and earnestness of delivery as could not fail to be felt by all present. The bright and hearty singing of the choir of juveniles was highly eulogised by the Bishop and congregation. Too much praise cannot be given to our worthy lay reader for the indefatigable manner in which he has laboured on behalf of the Church, and which, we are glad to say, is now bearing fruit by increased attendance. The choir has only been in existence since Christmas, and is doing wonderfully well through hard work. All the services and ceremonies of the Church of England may now be held here…”.
In ‘Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania’ Dorothea Henslowe notes that the church's bell “was a relic of the Hopetoun Mill and that the building was “restored both outside and inside in 1974”.
The church was sold in 2013 and has been converted into a house.
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| St Paul's Anglican church at Dover (realestate.com 2013) |
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| The interior of the church. prior to its sale in 2013 (realestate.com) |
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| A recent image of the restored church (Google street-view) |
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| The church before it was restored in 1974 - c.1920 (A history of Dover & Port Esperance) |
Sources:
Beechey, Norm and Baker, Dorothy. A history of Dover & Port Esperance, Tasmania / by Norm Beechey & Dorothy Baker N. Beechey & D. Baker Dover, Tas 1997
Henslowe, Dorothea I and Hurburgh, Isa Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania. Mercury-Walch, Moonah, Tas, 1978.
Mercury, Saturday 28 May 1892, page 4
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