No. 1525 - Lietinna - Anglican Mission Hall (c.1900) "Tottering like a Man of 80"
Lietinna is a small settlement on the former North-Eastern Railway Line located about 5 kilometres west of Scottsdale. The settlement was centred around a railway station (1889) near the junction of Briggs and Golconda Roads. In addition to the railway station Lietinna also had a public hall (1910); a school; post office and a church. Timber getting and saw milling were the main economic activities. The church was used as school for a many years before a new school was built in 1936.
Lietinna’s Anglican Mission Hall was built just before the turn of the 20th century. There is no record of the opening of the Mission Hall and it is first mentioned in June 1900. This was on the occasion of a service led by Mr. R. G. Ladbury (of Homewood) held to support the Launceston Examiners [Indian] ‘Famine Fund’. Although built by the Anglican’s, the mission hall was also used by the Methodists and in 1913 a “private school” was also operating in the building.
There are several newspaper reports describing church services and Sunday school activities held by the Anglican and Methodist communities. For example in March 1910 the North-Eastern Advertiser reported:
“On Sunday last the anniversary of the Methodist Sunday school took place, where services were held in the afternoon and evening. The distribution of prizes - always an event of the greatest interest to the children and hardly less so to the parents - took place during the afternoon service. The Rev. W.T. Abbott delivered an instructive address to the children, followed by an earnest appeal to the parents and Sunday school teachers. Mr Albert Heazlewood of Scottsdale conducted the evening service. Mrs E. Winter presided at the organ, and also led the choir, and on each occasion the little church was well filled”.
In 1920 a report in the North-Eastern Advertiser described a fundraiser for the church:
“A Pound Day was successfully carried through on Saturday last, the objective being some improvements to the little Mission Church building, the timber for which is already on the ground. The Church was artistically decorated, and a nice display of vegetables, lollies, cakes, etc. were readily disposed of….”.
In 1924 the ‘Advertiser’ described a farewell service for the Anglican minister who had been transferred to Buckland:
“Divine service was held in the Mission Hall, Lietinna, on Sunday last, when Rev. W. Hooker preached his farewell sermon to an appreciative congregation…. His words will long be remembered by those present. Mrs. E. Watts played the organ. After the service, Mr. E.J. Watts presented a lamp from the parishioners, and an address with signatures of those who had given towards it - telling of their sorrow in losing Mr. and Mrs. Hooker, and thanking Mrs. Hooker for playing the organ since coming to Scottsdale…”.
In 1926 the North-Eastern Advertiser reported:
“The annual Church of England meeting was held last Thursday in the Mission Hall. The committee members for this year are - Rev. J.A. Cloudsdale, Mrs Stephens, Mrs E.J. Watts and Miss Tranmar. The mission hall is to be roofed with iron - the Methodist committee are undertaking this”.
By the 1930s most of the reports concerning the Mission Hall relate to its use as a State school. In 1933 a campaign was initiated to build a new school as the Mission Hall was no longer fit for purpose:
“The present building was old and tottering, like a man of 80, and one could stand on the floor and shake the whole building. The wind blew up under the floor and through the walls, the children suffered from cold and it was impossible to keep them warm. It was the worst school in the Municipality. The Department required a regular attendance of 20 before building a new school. There were 23 on the roll and the average attendance for the last six months was 20, whilst there were 19 nearing school ago. Mr. Graham had offered to give the land and the parents were prepared to clear it…. The Warden said the parents had approached the [Public] Hall committee to make the building available for a school, but they were not disposed to do so,…the Hall was a big one, and would be very difficult to keep warm….”.
By mid 1934 the issue had not been resolved although progress was being made. The ‘Advertiser’ reported:
“At Lietinna the school is housed in a small and very old church building, the number of children in attendance being such as to warrant a new building. The object of the [Education] Minister’s visit was to meet the Parents' Association, and particularly the secretary (Mrs. Webb). Mr. Graham has presented an acre of land, and the parents' committee has scrubbed, cleared, and fenced the property without expense to the department".
In 1936 a new school was finally built and the ‘Advertiser’ reported that “the members of the Mission Hall received a letter from the Education Department thanking them for the use of their building as a school and stating they would not require it any longer”.
The last reference to the Mission Hall’s was for a Methodist service which took place in June 1937. Lietinna appears to have gone into decline by the late 1930s. By 1941 the new school had been closed and the building removed to Bridport. In the following year Lietinna’s station building was moved to Rhyndaston in the southern Midlands. It must be assumed that the Mission Hall too, ceased being used in this period. It is not known what became of the building.
I have yet to discover the exact location of the Mission Hall although it was probably in the vicinity of Lietinna’s public hall. In the late 1970s and early 1980s an investigation was undertaken into the ownership of the mission hall’s land title. It had been assumed that the land was the property of the Methodist church but it was discovered to belong to the Anglicans. I hope to follow up on the question of the Mission Hall’s location and update this article in the near future. A photograph of the mission hall is not available.
Sources:
Examiner, Wednesday 6 June 1900, page 6
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 28 February 1911, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 28 February 1911, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 11 March 1911, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 23 December 1913, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser , Friday 7 May 1920, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 29 July 1924, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 25 November 1924, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 23 March 1926, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 8 August 1933, page 2
Mercury, Wednesday 11 July 1934, page 5
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 26 April 1935, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 18 June 1937, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 18 March 1941, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 29 September 1942, page 2
Lietinna’s Anglican Mission Hall was built just before the turn of the 20th century. There is no record of the opening of the Mission Hall and it is first mentioned in June 1900. This was on the occasion of a service led by Mr. R. G. Ladbury (of Homewood) held to support the Launceston Examiners [Indian] ‘Famine Fund’. Although built by the Anglican’s, the mission hall was also used by the Methodists and in 1913 a “private school” was also operating in the building.
There are several newspaper reports describing church services and Sunday school activities held by the Anglican and Methodist communities. For example in March 1910 the North-Eastern Advertiser reported:
“On Sunday last the anniversary of the Methodist Sunday school took place, where services were held in the afternoon and evening. The distribution of prizes - always an event of the greatest interest to the children and hardly less so to the parents - took place during the afternoon service. The Rev. W.T. Abbott delivered an instructive address to the children, followed by an earnest appeal to the parents and Sunday school teachers. Mr Albert Heazlewood of Scottsdale conducted the evening service. Mrs E. Winter presided at the organ, and also led the choir, and on each occasion the little church was well filled”.
In 1920 a report in the North-Eastern Advertiser described a fundraiser for the church:
“A Pound Day was successfully carried through on Saturday last, the objective being some improvements to the little Mission Church building, the timber for which is already on the ground. The Church was artistically decorated, and a nice display of vegetables, lollies, cakes, etc. were readily disposed of….”.
In 1924 the ‘Advertiser’ described a farewell service for the Anglican minister who had been transferred to Buckland:
“Divine service was held in the Mission Hall, Lietinna, on Sunday last, when Rev. W. Hooker preached his farewell sermon to an appreciative congregation…. His words will long be remembered by those present. Mrs. E. Watts played the organ. After the service, Mr. E.J. Watts presented a lamp from the parishioners, and an address with signatures of those who had given towards it - telling of their sorrow in losing Mr. and Mrs. Hooker, and thanking Mrs. Hooker for playing the organ since coming to Scottsdale…”.
In 1926 the North-Eastern Advertiser reported:
“The annual Church of England meeting was held last Thursday in the Mission Hall. The committee members for this year are - Rev. J.A. Cloudsdale, Mrs Stephens, Mrs E.J. Watts and Miss Tranmar. The mission hall is to be roofed with iron - the Methodist committee are undertaking this”.
By the 1930s most of the reports concerning the Mission Hall relate to its use as a State school. In 1933 a campaign was initiated to build a new school as the Mission Hall was no longer fit for purpose:
“The present building was old and tottering, like a man of 80, and one could stand on the floor and shake the whole building. The wind blew up under the floor and through the walls, the children suffered from cold and it was impossible to keep them warm. It was the worst school in the Municipality. The Department required a regular attendance of 20 before building a new school. There were 23 on the roll and the average attendance for the last six months was 20, whilst there were 19 nearing school ago. Mr. Graham had offered to give the land and the parents were prepared to clear it…. The Warden said the parents had approached the [Public] Hall committee to make the building available for a school, but they were not disposed to do so,…the Hall was a big one, and would be very difficult to keep warm….”.
By mid 1934 the issue had not been resolved although progress was being made. The ‘Advertiser’ reported:
“At Lietinna the school is housed in a small and very old church building, the number of children in attendance being such as to warrant a new building. The object of the [Education] Minister’s visit was to meet the Parents' Association, and particularly the secretary (Mrs. Webb). Mr. Graham has presented an acre of land, and the parents' committee has scrubbed, cleared, and fenced the property without expense to the department".
In 1936 a new school was finally built and the ‘Advertiser’ reported that “the members of the Mission Hall received a letter from the Education Department thanking them for the use of their building as a school and stating they would not require it any longer”.
The last reference to the Mission Hall’s was for a Methodist service which took place in June 1937. Lietinna appears to have gone into decline by the late 1930s. By 1941 the new school had been closed and the building removed to Bridport. In the following year Lietinna’s station building was moved to Rhyndaston in the southern Midlands. It must be assumed that the Mission Hall too, ceased being used in this period. It is not known what became of the building.
I have yet to discover the exact location of the Mission Hall although it was probably in the vicinity of Lietinna’s public hall. In the late 1970s and early 1980s an investigation was undertaken into the ownership of the mission hall’s land title. It had been assumed that the land was the property of the Methodist church but it was discovered to belong to the Anglicans. I hope to follow up on the question of the Mission Hall’s location and update this article in the near future. A photograph of the mission hall is not available.
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| North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 28 February 1911 |
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| Town of Lietinna (1903) Although the Mission Hall had opened before the map was produced, its location is not indicated. Source: Libraries Tasmania - Town Maps, Item number AF721/1/409 A HD digital copy can be found HERE |
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| Lietinna Public Hall built in 1910. The Mission Hall was likely in the vicinity of the public hall. Photograph: Google street-view (2024) |
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| Goften Sawmill at Lietina was a source of employment at Lietinna. A tramway was used to transport milled timber to the railway station. Source: Libraries Tasmania - Photo: T R G Williams, Item Number: NS786/1/33 |
Sources:
Examiner, Wednesday 6 June 1900, page 6
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 28 February 1911, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 28 February 1911, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 11 March 1911, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 23 December 1913, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser , Friday 7 May 1920, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 29 July 1924, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 25 November 1924, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 23 March 1926, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 8 August 1933, page 2
Mercury, Wednesday 11 July 1934, page 5
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 26 April 1935, page 3
North-Eastern Advertiser, Friday 18 June 1937, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 18 March 1941, page 2
North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 29 September 1942, page 2
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