Churches of Tasmania

Cranbrook is a rural area located about 10 kilometres north of Swansea on the east coast of Tasmania. Gala Kirk is the oldest church on Tasmania’s East Coast and is closely associated with the Amos family. In 1884 a visitor passing through the area succinctly summarised the early history of the settlement: “There are several estates whose boundaries converge, and within a comparatively small area are several large homesteads - a church (Presbyterian), two cemeteries, a smith's shop, and a few workpeople's cottages. By reason of having a post office, it is called the town of Cranbrook…Cranbrook is then the nominal centre of four fairly large properties - Gala, Glen Gala, Glen Herriot, and Cranbrook… There is a wee house at Cranbrook, on the east of a basaltic hummock, called Cragie Knowe, which, being interpreted, meaneth "rocky hill." This part was settled on in the second decade of the [19th] century, or the first year of the third, by the Brothers Adam and John Amos

This article is one of a series about 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 of those that no longer exist. Richmond is a heritage town located in the Coal River Valley approximately 25 kilometres east of Hobart. The valley was one of the earliest areas penetrated by the first British settlers outside of Hobart. Richmond’s origins go back to 1823 when a bridge was constructed across the Coal River. Beyond the bridge lies the church of St John the Evangelist, Australia’s oldest Catholic church along with Tasmania’s first Catholic school. The original school has survived and is located behind St John’s church. The origins of the school date back to 1843 and its founding recounted by Catholic church historian, Fr Terry Sout

The United Free Methodist Church was formally established in Hobart on 11 December 1854*. Distinguishing features of the church were circuit autonomy and freedom to be represented in the Methodist Assembly by whichever minister or layman the congregation elected. Further congregations of the denomination were established at Wynyard, Burnie and Penguin. The ‘Free Church’ initially met in the rooms of the Upper Murray Street Infant School. In early 1855 plans were made to build a weatherboard church adjoining the Infant School. This building was officially opened on Sunday 7 October 1855. [ see No. 1440 ] In 1869 a new church designed by Edward Rowntree was built in front of the old Murray Street church. It was called the Ebenezer Chapel, from the Hebrew ebhen hā-ʽezer, meaning “stone of help”; a reference from the Book of Samuel where a stone was set up in commemoration of God's help to the Israelites in their victory over the Philistines. The foundation stone for the new “chapel” w