No. 1539 - New Town - Good Shepherd Home of Mercy and Chapel (1905)
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.
The former Good Shepherd Home of Mercy is located in Midwood Street, Newtown. The Home of Mercy was operated by the Anglican Church as a “rescue” and maternity home for single mothers. It was established in 1890 with the support of Maud Montgomery, wife of the Bishop Henry Montgomery. The Church viewed “rescue homes” as an opportunity to reform women that society considered to be promiscuous.
The original site of the Home was in Fitzroy Crescent. In 1891 it moved to the former Superintendent’s cottage at the Cascades Female Factory. After occupying several temporary sites, in 1905 the home moved to a permanent site at New Town. The site at Midwood Street was part of the Bishop’s Glebe, a 33 acre plot of land the Crown had granted to the Church of England.
The new building was designed by architects Walker and Salter. The Home’s official opening in April 1905 was described by Tasmanian News:
“The erection of the new premises for the Home of Mercy at New Town was completed today. At the early part of last year, management of the above institution, who were carrying on the work in Government buildings, situated at the Cascades, were notified that they would have to vacate the premises they being required for another purpose. There was nowhere for the inmates to be taken to, and in all probability the home might have been broken up, had it not been for the fact that the Rev. A. G. Lingley, late rector of St. John’s Church, Goulburn street, came to the rescue and advanced the money necessary for the construction of new premises, amounting in all £2060”.
“About two acres of land situated a few hundred yards north of the New Town railway bridge, were purchased from the trustees of the Church of England Glebe, and here the new building now stands. It is a handsome two-storey square structure of brick, with tiled roofing, and has a spacious bow window in one corner facing the township…The main building contains 30 rooms, including a spacious dining room and kitchen,… On the upper floor a large room, extending over half the area of the building is petitioned off into sixteen small apartments in which the girls sleep,… Proceeding thence by way of a lengthy verandah [is] a room of exceedingly large dimensions, measuring 65ft x 24ft, in which the steam laundry work is conducted”.
“At the rear of the main building is an additional weatherboard structure, which is to be used for holding Gospel services. It might be said here that girls are taken into this home irrespective of their religion, but while connected to it it they are taught the Church of England doctrine”.
In 1912 the weatherboard building used for “Gospel services” was replaced by a new chapel within the Home. This was dedicated in September 1912:
“Considerable additions have recently been made to the Anglican Home of Mercy at New Town…A western extension comprising dormitories and living rooms, has been added. One of these latter has been set apart as the temporary chapel of the home, and was dedicated for this purpose yesterday afternoon by the Bishop of Tasmania Archdeacon Whitington, of Hobart, Canon Shoobridge, the Rev S H Hughes and Rev Mr Phillips, assistant curate at New Town, also were present. After the ordinary evensong had been said, the Bishop offered the special dedicatory prayers, and gave a brief address, in the course of which he referred to the thoroughness of the work being done in the home, both maternally and spiritually….He counselled the inmates to look upon the home as a place of spiritual safety and shelter wherein they would be lovingly helped in all their efforts to live a good life. The hymns and canticles for the service were nicely sung by the inmates of the home. Mrs C A Fawns, wife of Rev C A Fawns, chaplain of the home acted as organist….”.
Apart from Anglican services the chapel was also used for christening and baptising babies. It was also used for at least one marriage:
“At the July meeting of the Home of Mercy,…the matron reported than an old girl, with no home of her own, had asked if she might be married in the Home Chapel by the Rev. C.H. Corvan. Permission was given and arrangements made for a suitable celebration”.
In 1924 Clarendon Children’s Home was built as an extension to the Home of Mercy to house foster children. This operated at New Town until 1945 when it was moved to Kingston Beach.
After its closure in 1953 the Home was later acquired by the Tasmanian Education Department for use as a student boarding facility. In 2022 the property was taken over by ‘Homes Tasmania’ to convert into social and affordable housing.
Sources:
The former Good Shepherd Home of Mercy is located in Midwood Street, Newtown. The Home of Mercy was operated by the Anglican Church as a “rescue” and maternity home for single mothers. It was established in 1890 with the support of Maud Montgomery, wife of the Bishop Henry Montgomery. The Church viewed “rescue homes” as an opportunity to reform women that society considered to be promiscuous.
The original site of the Home was in Fitzroy Crescent. In 1891 it moved to the former Superintendent’s cottage at the Cascades Female Factory. After occupying several temporary sites, in 1905 the home moved to a permanent site at New Town. The site at Midwood Street was part of the Bishop’s Glebe, a 33 acre plot of land the Crown had granted to the Church of England.
The new building was designed by architects Walker and Salter. The Home’s official opening in April 1905 was described by Tasmanian News:
“The erection of the new premises for the Home of Mercy at New Town was completed today. At the early part of last year, management of the above institution, who were carrying on the work in Government buildings, situated at the Cascades, were notified that they would have to vacate the premises they being required for another purpose. There was nowhere for the inmates to be taken to, and in all probability the home might have been broken up, had it not been for the fact that the Rev. A. G. Lingley, late rector of St. John’s Church, Goulburn street, came to the rescue and advanced the money necessary for the construction of new premises, amounting in all £2060”.
“About two acres of land situated a few hundred yards north of the New Town railway bridge, were purchased from the trustees of the Church of England Glebe, and here the new building now stands. It is a handsome two-storey square structure of brick, with tiled roofing, and has a spacious bow window in one corner facing the township…The main building contains 30 rooms, including a spacious dining room and kitchen,… On the upper floor a large room, extending over half the area of the building is petitioned off into sixteen small apartments in which the girls sleep,… Proceeding thence by way of a lengthy verandah [is] a room of exceedingly large dimensions, measuring 65ft x 24ft, in which the steam laundry work is conducted”.
“At the rear of the main building is an additional weatherboard structure, which is to be used for holding Gospel services. It might be said here that girls are taken into this home irrespective of their religion, but while connected to it it they are taught the Church of England doctrine”.
In 1912 the weatherboard building used for “Gospel services” was replaced by a new chapel within the Home. This was dedicated in September 1912:
“Considerable additions have recently been made to the Anglican Home of Mercy at New Town…A western extension comprising dormitories and living rooms, has been added. One of these latter has been set apart as the temporary chapel of the home, and was dedicated for this purpose yesterday afternoon by the Bishop of Tasmania Archdeacon Whitington, of Hobart, Canon Shoobridge, the Rev S H Hughes and Rev Mr Phillips, assistant curate at New Town, also were present. After the ordinary evensong had been said, the Bishop offered the special dedicatory prayers, and gave a brief address, in the course of which he referred to the thoroughness of the work being done in the home, both maternally and spiritually….He counselled the inmates to look upon the home as a place of spiritual safety and shelter wherein they would be lovingly helped in all their efforts to live a good life. The hymns and canticles for the service were nicely sung by the inmates of the home. Mrs C A Fawns, wife of Rev C A Fawns, chaplain of the home acted as organist….”.
Apart from Anglican services the chapel was also used for christening and baptising babies. It was also used for at least one marriage:
“At the July meeting of the Home of Mercy,…the matron reported than an old girl, with no home of her own, had asked if she might be married in the Home Chapel by the Rev. C.H. Corvan. Permission was given and arrangements made for a suitable celebration”.
In 1924 Clarendon Children’s Home was built as an extension to the Home of Mercy to house foster children. This operated at New Town until 1945 when it was moved to Kingston Beach.
After its closure in 1953 the Home was later acquired by the Tasmanian Education Department for use as a student boarding facility. In 2022 the property was taken over by ‘Homes Tasmania’ to convert into social and affordable housing.
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| The Good Shepherd Home of Mercy. c.1970 - Anglican Diocese of Tasmania |
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| Clarendon Children's Home was built alongside the 'Home of Mercy' in 1924 (Google street-view) |
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| The Home of Mercy in 1956 - Church News |
Tasmanian News, Monday 10 April 1905, page 4
Mercury, Thursday 26 September 1912, page 7
Mercury, Thursday 26 September 1912, page 7
Mercury, Monday 7 April 1924, page 3
Mercury, Monday 25 June 1934, page 3
Mercury, Thursday 16 July 1936, page 2
Mercury, Monday 25 June 1934, page 3
Mercury, Thursday 16 July 1936, page 2
Church News, March 1953, page 6
https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/home-of-mercy/
https://clarendonchildrenshome.org.au/
https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/home-of-mercy/
https://clarendonchildrenshome.org.au/
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