No. 1562 - National Park - St George's Anglican Church (1920)
National Park is a small settlement on the Gordon River Road. It developed around the entrance to the Mount Field National Park. A railway once transported day-trippers from Hobart to the National Park which was established in 1916. At its peak the settlement had a school, church, hall, a railway station, post office and a hotel.
Little is known about the Anglican church which was established near the entrance to the Park in 1920. It was housed in a public hall built in 1920. In December 1920 the Mercury reported:
“The thriving centre of the Upper Derwent, National Park, was the scene of unusual activity on Wednesday, 28th inst., being the occasion of the official opening of the new Public Hall. There was a very representative gathering from all parts of the district, and everything went off very successfully…. Councillor T. W. Shoobridge… at the outset complimented the people on the completion of such splendid building. It would, serve a very useful purpose, and…that all denominations should have the use of the building free of charge was a commendable idea….A good deal of the work had been done by working bees, which spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and cohesion of the people. Mrs. A. Cuthbertson had given the land free of charge, and had always been to the fore in assisting…”.
Margaret and Albert Cuthbertson were the owners of a newly established bakery at National Park as well as an “up-to-date boarding-house”. For reasons which are not clear, a second public hall was built in 1922 for which the Cuthbertson’s also donated land. The second hall, known as the ‘Browning Hall’, opened on 11 August 1922. The first public hall was to become St George’s Anglican church.
After the completion of the first hall in 1920, preparations were made to furnish it. The local correspondent for the Mercury wrote:
“Great strides have been made in the development of church life at National Park, where we are now provided with splendid accommodation, but even there, though not hampered for want of a hall, the present one being adapted specially for our use, we yet require a large sum for church furniture and an organ. The first service of Holy communion ever held in this district was celebrated by the Ven. Archdeacon of Hobart on Sunday, December 5 when the altar was dedicated to the service of God, in the presence of a very impressed congregation. Where there are no churches or services, Sundays deteriorate into working days, with the inevitable deterioration of the inhabitants….”
To raise funds for the new church, a fete was held on Saturday 22 January 1921 with special train services arranged for visitors from Hobart and the Derwent Valley. The event was well patronised with Governor Sir William Allardyce and Bishop Hay in attendance. Photographs of the event were published in the Tasmanian Mail, a selection of which are reproduced in this article.
In the book ‘Anglican Churches of Tasmania’, Dorothea Henslowe writes that “in 1977 St. George’s was still in use” but “I have no further information”. There is no published record of St George’s dedication, consecration or closure. There are however a handful of references to church. For example, in 1928 The Mercury reported:
“The Church of England committee is holding a fair on Saturday next, October 27….Proceeds are to go to the Church Building Fund. The little church, which was much needed for the Park, was crowded last Sunday, when the Archdeacon of Hobart held the service”.
Then in August 1933 the Mercury reported:
“The first religious services held for many weeks at National Park were well attended, when the Ven. Archdeacon D.B. Blackwood, rector of Holy Trinity Church, Hobart, preached at St George’s Church of England in the afternoon”.
In the following year the church is mentioned in report concerning bushfires which swept through the Upper Derwent:
“The blaze also swept through National Park, and the church at the entrance was saved with difficulty”.
Then in, March 1940, the Mercury reported:
“A working bee to erect a fence round St. George’s Church of England and carry out repairs to the church was held at National Park. It is intended to continue the working bee on Saturday…”.
National Park’s St George's Church Hall and Brownings Public Hall no longer exist. Given that Anglican services were still taking place in the late 1970s, I am hopeful that further information about the church will come to light.
Sources:
The Mercury, Wednesday 15 October 1919, page 4
The Mercury, Tuesday 18 January 1921, page 7
The Mercury, Tuesday 25 January 1921, page 3
Tasmanian Mail, 27 January 1921, page 18
The Mercury, Tuesday 1 November 1921, page 4
World, Saturday 31 December 1921, page 3
The Mercury, Friday 19 February 1922, page 4
The Mercury, Friday 18 August 1922, page 3
World, Wednesday 16 August 1922, page 7
The Mercury, Friday 26 October 1928, page 3
The Mercury, Monday 7 August 1933, page 3
The Mercury, Thursday 18 January 1934, page 7
The Mercury, Wednesday 6 March 1940, page 7
The Mercury, Saturday 28 December 1946, page 7
Henslowe, Dorothea I and Hurburgh, Isa. Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania / by Dorothea I. Henslowe ; sketches by Isa Hurburgh s.n 1978
Little is known about the Anglican church which was established near the entrance to the Park in 1920. It was housed in a public hall built in 1920. In December 1920 the Mercury reported:
“The thriving centre of the Upper Derwent, National Park, was the scene of unusual activity on Wednesday, 28th inst., being the occasion of the official opening of the new Public Hall. There was a very representative gathering from all parts of the district, and everything went off very successfully…. Councillor T. W. Shoobridge… at the outset complimented the people on the completion of such splendid building. It would, serve a very useful purpose, and…that all denominations should have the use of the building free of charge was a commendable idea….A good deal of the work had been done by working bees, which spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and cohesion of the people. Mrs. A. Cuthbertson had given the land free of charge, and had always been to the fore in assisting…”.
Margaret and Albert Cuthbertson were the owners of a newly established bakery at National Park as well as an “up-to-date boarding-house”. For reasons which are not clear, a second public hall was built in 1922 for which the Cuthbertson’s also donated land. The second hall, known as the ‘Browning Hall’, opened on 11 August 1922. The first public hall was to become St George’s Anglican church.
After the completion of the first hall in 1920, preparations were made to furnish it. The local correspondent for the Mercury wrote:
“Great strides have been made in the development of church life at National Park, where we are now provided with splendid accommodation, but even there, though not hampered for want of a hall, the present one being adapted specially for our use, we yet require a large sum for church furniture and an organ. The first service of Holy communion ever held in this district was celebrated by the Ven. Archdeacon of Hobart on Sunday, December 5 when the altar was dedicated to the service of God, in the presence of a very impressed congregation. Where there are no churches or services, Sundays deteriorate into working days, with the inevitable deterioration of the inhabitants….”
To raise funds for the new church, a fete was held on Saturday 22 January 1921 with special train services arranged for visitors from Hobart and the Derwent Valley. The event was well patronised with Governor Sir William Allardyce and Bishop Hay in attendance. Photographs of the event were published in the Tasmanian Mail, a selection of which are reproduced in this article.
In the book ‘Anglican Churches of Tasmania’, Dorothea Henslowe writes that “in 1977 St. George’s was still in use” but “I have no further information”. There is no published record of St George’s dedication, consecration or closure. There are however a handful of references to church. For example, in 1928 The Mercury reported:
“The Church of England committee is holding a fair on Saturday next, October 27….Proceeds are to go to the Church Building Fund. The little church, which was much needed for the Park, was crowded last Sunday, when the Archdeacon of Hobart held the service”.
Then in August 1933 the Mercury reported:
“The first religious services held for many weeks at National Park were well attended, when the Ven. Archdeacon D.B. Blackwood, rector of Holy Trinity Church, Hobart, preached at St George’s Church of England in the afternoon”.
In the following year the church is mentioned in report concerning bushfires which swept through the Upper Derwent:
“The blaze also swept through National Park, and the church at the entrance was saved with difficulty”.
Then in, March 1940, the Mercury reported:
“A working bee to erect a fence round St. George’s Church of England and carry out repairs to the church was held at National Park. It is intended to continue the working bee on Saturday…”.
National Park’s St George's Church Hall and Brownings Public Hall no longer exist. Given that Anglican services were still taking place in the late 1970s, I am hopeful that further information about the church will come to light.
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| The fundraising fete held for the furnishing of St George's church hall. The Tasmanian Mail |
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| The Tasmanian Mail, January 1921. A link to a high-definition copy of the photographs is on this <LINK> |
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| The Mercury, January 1921 |
The Mercury, Wednesday 15 October 1919, page 4
The Mercury, Tuesday 18 January 1921, page 7
The Mercury, Tuesday 25 January 1921, page 3
Tasmanian Mail, 27 January 1921, page 18
The Mercury, Tuesday 1 November 1921, page 4
World, Saturday 31 December 1921, page 3
The Mercury, Friday 19 February 1922, page 4
The Mercury, Friday 18 August 1922, page 3
World, Wednesday 16 August 1922, page 7
The Mercury, Friday 26 October 1928, page 3
The Mercury, Monday 7 August 1933, page 3
The Mercury, Thursday 18 January 1934, page 7
The Mercury, Wednesday 6 March 1940, page 7
The Mercury, Saturday 28 December 1946, page 7
Henslowe, Dorothea I and Hurburgh, Isa. Our heritage of Anglican churches in Tasmania / by Dorothea I. Henslowe ; sketches by Isa Hurburgh s.n 1978
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