Churches of Tasmania

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. Cullenswood is located about two kilometres west of St Marys in the Fingal Valley. All that remains of the former village is its church and rectory. Christchurch at Cullenswood is the legacy of Robert Vincent Legge. Legge arrived in Van Diemans Land in 1827 and shortly after took up a 1200 acre land grant on the Break O’ Day Plains. He named his estate Cullenswood, after his family home in Ireland. Legge was a devout Anglican and in gratitude for his good fortune he built a church at Cullenswood in 1847. [ See No. 173 ] Legge also built a rectory and secured its first priest, his nephew, Dr Samuel Parsons. Little ...

The ‘Young Men’s Christian Association’, an international movement for 'the spiritual, intellectual, social and moral improvement' reached Tasmania in the late 19th century. The YMCA was founded in London in 1844 by George Williams and eleven friends. It emerged as a response to the social challenges faced by young men during the Industrial Revolution, offering a Christian alternative to the temptations of city life. Williams organised Bible study and prayer groups that eventually led to the formation of the YMCA. The initial focus of the YMCA was on the spiritual improvement of young men in trades. In 1891 YMCA's red triangle was adopted as a symbol for the whole person, representing the unity of the spirit, mind, and body which were core principles of the organisation’s Christian mission. The Association was formally established in Launceston in 1880 followed by Hobart in 1882. It was open to all boys and young men and promoted all-round development by providing activitie...

Alonnah is a settlement on the west coast of South Bruny Island. It was originally known as ‘Mills Reef’ but renamed in 1909. Alonnah is the partial Aboriginal name for Bruny Island: ‘Lunawanna-Alonnah’. St Brendan’s Catholic church was officially opened and consecrated in March 1906. Part of the Mercury’s report of the ceremony is reproduced as follows: “The new Roman Catholic Church, which is dedicated to St Brendan, was solemnly blessed on Sunday, 4th Inst. by the Right Rev Coadjutor Bishop Delany, D B , assisted by Rev Fathers O’ Lynn (Port Cygnet), Gillernn (Hobart), and Fleming (N S W ). There was a very large attendance of visitors, from Hobart, Franklin, and Port Cygnet, and as the day was beautifully fine, they expressed themselves well pleased with the day's outing to the picturesque island. Among the numerous visitors were -The Premier (Hon J W Evans) and Hon T M. Fisher, M L C….”. “The Nubeena from Port Cygnet, contained nearly 200 passenger, the Waldemar, from Franklin...