No. 1646 - Burnie - Montello - Evangelical Presbyterian Church (1962)

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Montello an inner southern suburb of Burnie situated on the Montello Hills between the city and Upper Burnie. The hills were named by the Van Diemen's Land Company.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church was established in 1961. It is a small denomination with representation in Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales.

The church was founded in Tasmania and the ordination of its first ministers took place in Launceston:

“The historical scene was then set for the actual birth of the EPC. It took place on Thursday evening, the 28th. September, 1961, in "Chalmers Hall", Frederick Street, Launceston. This in many ways was most appropriate, for Chalmers Church was the original Free Church in Launceston”.

Since the 1960s the Evangelical Presbyterian Church has had several congregations in Tasmania including Hobart, Taranna, Penguin, Burnie and Winnaleah. The church at Montello was built on Tattersall Street in 1962.

In April 1970 Burnie became a preaching station under the care of the Launceston Session. Student pastor Chris Coleborn assisted this work with a weekly visit once a month from 1972 to 1975. Rita and Rex Ling, John and Jess Driscoll, Nick and Ina Kleyn, Albert and Mary Bosveld and Adrian and Dorothy Bosveld and their families eventually formed a congregation of the Church with Mr. John Driscoll as an elder. Mr. Tony Fisk was ordained and inducted into the congregation on the 11th August, 1978.

The Rev. R.A. Fisk came from South Africa, and having heard of our Church and its witness, visited Australia and our congregations before applying to be a minister of the Church. After ministering in Burnie, he ministered in Taranna and is now pastor of the Rockhampton EPC congregation. After being without a minister for some years, and being unable to call its own officers, with ill health and members moving away, the congregation was reduced to a Preaching Station of the Church, under the pastoral oversight of the Launceston congregation from January 1st 1996.

The Montello church was sold in 2002 and the building was converted into a house.


The Evangelical Presbyterian Church at Montello - www.epc.org.au

The church has been converted into a house - Photo: Hampton Peters Real Estate


Sources:

https://epc.org.au/40th-anniversary-of-the-evangelical-presbyterian-church/
https://www.epc.org.au
https://epc.org.au/history/


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