No. 1549 - Orielton - St Stephen's Anglican Church (1952-1998)

Orielton is a rural district on the Tasman Highway approximately 7 kilometres north of Sorell. It gets its name from the "Orielton Estate" belonging to Sir John Owen on land granted to Edward Lord. It is named after a family estate, “Orielton Park”, at Pembroke, in Wales.

The former Anglican church at Orielton is a relatively recent church only being dedicated to Saint Stephen in 1952. The church was previously a school building which had been used by the Anglican community since the 1930s. The dedication of the church in December 1952 is recorded in a brief report published in the Mercury:

“Representatives from all parts of the Sorell parish attended the recently renovated church at Orielton for its consecration by the Bishop of Tasmania (the Rt. Rev. G. F. Cranswick) on Sunday afternoon. The Bishop was assisted by Dean Fewtrell, the Diocesan Registrar (Mr., L. N. Partington) and the rector of Sorell (the Rev. C. E. S. Mitchell)”.

“The wardens of the church, Messrs. S. D. Newitt, C A. Newitt, and E. R. Barwick, petitioned the Bishop to consecrate the church, and to name it St, Stephen's Church. After the service, the Orielton Women's Guild provided afternoon tea in the Orielton Hall, where speeches of congratulation were made to the Orielton parishioners”.

The church is now privately owned having being deconsecrated and closed since 1998.

St Stephen's Anglican Church - photograph: Anglican Diocese of Tasmania.


Sources:

The Mercury, Tuesday 24 January 1939, page 5
The Mercury, Tuesday 16 May 1939, page 7
The Mercury, Saturday 20 December 1952, page 20
The Mercury, Tuesday 23 December 1952, page 6

Tasmanian State Archive, Anglican Parish of Sorell NG 432, Deconsecration of Churches NS 1957/1/1

Henslowe, Dorothea I and Hurburgh, Isa Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania. Mercury-Walch, Moonah, Tas, 1978.

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