Churches of Tasmania

Franklin is a small town on the Huon Highway approximately 45 kilometres south of Hobart. Settled in 1804, it was the first settlement in the Huon area. It was named a Governor of Tasmania Sir John Franklin and his wife Lady Jane Franklin. Until the 1930s Franklin was the major town in the Huon Valley with its own court house, several hotels a Town Hall and four churches. Franklin’s former [Methodist] Uniting Church closed in 1990 and the building is currently used for tourist accomodation. The Wesleyan Methodist presence at Franklin dates back to 1843 although a church was only built in 1859. There is no record of the church’s official opening, however a report in the Hobart Town Daily Mercury in September 1859 indicates that the church had been completed but not yet furnished: “A very interesting tea meeting was held in the above elegant and commodious building on Monday last, when about 200 persons were present. The ample and sumptuous repast was gratuitously provided by several res

This is the final article about churches in Tasmania’s former ‘Hydro villages’. Previous articles have investigated churches at Tarraleah; Butlers Gorge; Bronte Park; Wayatinah; Poatina; Gowrie Park; Strathgordon and Trevallyn. Waddamana is the oldest Hydro-electric settlement in Tasmania. It is the site of Hydro Tasmania’s first power station and the centrepiece of the Great Lake Power Scheme. A private company commenced development of the scheme in 1910 however financial difficulties led to its acquisition by the Tasmanian government in 1914. The power station was officially opened by Governor General Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson on 6 May 1916. A second power station at Waddamana was added between 1939 and 1949. Dorothy Henslowe states in “Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania” that “a house was set aside by the Hydro-electric Commission for use as a church while Waddamana was a Hydro village”. This arrangement probably relates to the time after the extension of the the scheme i

Ranelagh is a township situated on the Huon River approximately 2 kilometres north of Huonville. Formerly known as Ranelagh Junction it had previously shared the name ‘Victoria’ with neighbouring Huonville. Four religious denominations have been represented at Ranelagh including the Anglican, Catholic, Salvation Army and Methodist. Two Methodist churches have been built at Ranelagh; the first dating back the early 1880s, was replaced by a new building in 1932. In book “Tasmanian Methodism”, Reverend Max Stansell writes: “The Church at Ranelagh….commenced during 1856. The pioneer of Methodism in the district was a Mr. Reeve who arrived from England in that year. He settled at Rokewood, three miles from Ranelagh, and in 1858 commenced services in his home…”. A small wooden church was built in about 1882. By the late 1920s the old building was described as being beyond repair “as the foundations had rotted, and the roof was almost falling in”. In September 1931 a scheme was put forward t

Wayatinah is a former Hydro Electric Commission village located in the Central Highlands. The name was adopted in 1951 on the suggestion of the HEC for the village developed for workers on the power schemes in the area. 'Wayatinah' is an aboriginal word meaning “brook” or “stream”. Tasmania’s vast hydro-electric scheme dates back to 1914 when the Tasmanian Government bought a small electricity company in financial difficulty and created the Hydro-Electric Department. The first power station at Waddamana in the Great Lake Power Scheme was opened in 1916. Over a period of 80 years, 30 power stations and 54 major dams were built. Construction camps and villages were built to support major projects and during this period 10 villages were established, most of which had a full social infrastructure including a school, public hall and a church. After the Second World War, large numbers of migrants were recruited to construct dams and power stations. This brought English, Polish, Germa

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 those which no longer exist. St Mary’s Presentation Sister’s convent within the Cathedral precinct is now the home of St Mary’s College. When the second Catholic Bishop of Hobart, Daniel Murphy (1815–1907), arrived in Tasmania in April 1866, he was accompanied by a band of Irish Presentation Sisters* headed by his sister, Mother Xavier Murphy. Bishop Murphy decided to build a convent building for the Sisters adjacent to the partly-completed St Mary’s Cathedral. In August 1866 the foundation stone for a building designed by architect Henry Hunter was ceremonially laid. Catholic Church history, Brian Andrews, suggests that Hunter’s design was alm

The Christian Brethren arrived in Launceston in 1870 and between 1871 and 1893 they worshipped in 15 different premises. After 1893 the Brethren met in the former Independent Wycliffe Chapel in Vincent Street before occupying the old Baptist church on York street between 1918 and 1939. The York Street church is one of the oldest places of worship in Launceston having been established in 1840 by Reverend Henry Dowling. Following Dowling’s death in 1885 and the establishment of the Baptist Union in the previous year, the York Street church experienced a gradual decline. The voluntary dissolution of the church took place in October 1917, after 77 years of existence. Its last pastor, William White, died on April 11, 1913, at the age of 84. The Baptist Union, offered to lease the York Street church to the City Mission. However, this did not proceed and the building was instead leased to the Christian Brethren. In January 1918 the Launceston Examiner reported: “A substantial offer was receiv

Wayatinah is a former Hydro Electric Commission village located in the Central Highlands. The name was adopted in 1951 on the suggestion of the HEC for the village developed for workers on the power schemes in the area. 'Wayatinah' is an aboriginal word meaning “brook” or “stream”. Tasmania’s vast hydro-electric scheme dates back to 1914 when the Tasmanian Government bought a small electricity company in financial difficulty and created the Hydro-Electric Department. The first power station at Waddamana in the Great Lake Power Scheme was opened in 1916. Over a period of 80 years, 30 power stations and 54 major dams were built. Construction camps and villages were built to support major projects and during this period 10 villages were established, most of which had a full social infrastructure including a school, public hall and a church. After the Second World War, large numbers of migrants were recruited to construct dams and power stations. This brought English, Polish, Germa

The Bible Salvation Assembly is located on Margaret Street in a church built in 1898 as a Catholic Apostolic Church. The building was used by the Church of Christ until 1994 and was acquired by Bible Salvation Assembly some time after this. Little is known about the Launceston church. The Bible Salvation Assembly is a closed community. The Launceston church was established in about 1999. It is revival church within the pentecostal movement. The origins of the church date back to 1958 with the establishment of ‘Revival Centres Australia’ . There are currently 17 churches in Australia as well as a number of international churches. The church has links with the Hobart Salvation Centre in Glenorchy and the Geelong Revival Centre. Launceston Bible Salvation Assembly. Photograph: Duncan Grant Further Information: https://www.geelongrevivalcentre.org/past-present

Koonya is a small settlement on the Tasman Peninsula approximately 5 kilometres west of Taranna. In the 1840s a site was developed here for the establishment of the Cascades convict probation station. The Cascades was renamed Koonya in 1887. The origins of St Alban’s Anglican church date back to July 1894 when a public meeting was held to consider the construction of a church at Koonya. Following the meeting Mr J.R. McClymont donated 3 acres of land for a church and cemetery. However almost a decade was to pass before before further progress was made. During this time Anglicans’ worshipped in the Koonya State school. The church’s foundation stone was ceremonially laid on Saturday 1 July 1902. The tender for the building’s construction was was awarded to Mr. Clarry Tatnell. However, construction was delayed and the church was only completed in early 1904. On Sunday 6 March 1904, the church was officially opened and dedicated to St Alban by Bishop Mercer who also consecrated a portion o