Churches of Tasmania

Ilfracombe is the name of a rural settlement which was renamed Beauty Point in 1939. Ilfracombe was located on the west bank of the River Tamar approximately 6 kilometres north of Beaconsfield. Two small settlements, Port Lempriere and Leonardsburgh, which were associated with iron mining and smelting, fell within the district known as Ilfracombe. While there is no longer an Anglican church at Beauty Point, there have been two Anglican churches established in the area. The second, more recent church, known as St Mark’s Anglican Hall, closed in the 1940s. [ See No. 625 ] This was preceded by a church closely associated with Mr. John Effingham Lawrence of Point Effingham, a property in the vicinity of Bell Bay on the opposite bank of the River Tamar. John Lawrence (1828-1874) was the son of William Effingham Lawrence and Mary Ann [Milligan], one of the largest landholders in the colony. In 1855 John married Frances Gaunt at Trinity Church in Launceston. He resided at a “comfortable r...

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 of those that no longer exist. Kelso is a small settlement in the local government area of West Tamar. It is located about 14 kilometres north of the town of Beaconsfield. It was originally called Kelsalls Bay or Kelsalls Point after an early settler in the area. The Kelso Anglican Youth Centre was built as a joint venture between the parishes of the Launceston Archdeaconry of the Anglican Church. It was constructed in the late 1950s by volunteer labour from plans drawn up by architect Jim Hart. The Centre’s foundation stone was ceremonially laid by Bishop Cranswick on 22 November 1958. In February 1960 the building was dedicated following the...

The Cascades Female Factory operated in South Hobart from 1828 to 1856. Female factories were called factories as they were conceived of as manufactories to produce goods to assist the colonies. In total five female factories operated in Van Diemen’s Land: The ‘Hobart Town Gaol’ (which was replaced by the Cascades Female Factory); and factories at George Town, Launceston and Ross. The female factory was part of the probation system. The intention was to facilitate the transformation of women from convicts to reputable citizens. In the factories the lives of women were regulated by strict rules, work and religion. Prisoners were classified into ‘classes’. After serving six months in the ‘crime class’, approved prisoners, the so-called 'hiring class', became pass holders and could work for wages outside the factory as hired servants. In Tasmania’s penal institutions religious practice was, at least in theory, considered a critical part of reforming convicts. A 2008 a report for U...