Churches of Tasmania

St John’s Presbyterian church was the third Presbyterian church built at Hobart. The first church, which opened in 1824, still exists and is located behind the Scots Memorial Uniting Church (then called St Andrew’s) on Bathurst Street. [ See No. 1524 ] By the time St Andrew’s opened in 1837 it was already evident that the building would not be large enough to accomodate the Presbyterian community. The fact that three Presbyterian churches were built within the space of 20 years is testimony to Hobart’s Scottish community, who, while not the largest group numerically, exerted a vastly disproportionate level of influence over the colony's economy, architecture, media, and civic institutions. The arrival of Scottish free settlers established a strong Presbyterian foothold in the colony. In 1822, the Reverend Archibald Macarthur arrived in Hobart as the first ordained Presbyterian minister. Macarthur was replaced by Rev. Dr John Lillie, (1837–1854) who is widely regarded as the most i...