Churches of Tasmania

Howrah is a suburb of Hobart situated on the eastern side of Bellerive on the shores of the Derwent River. It is named after "Howrah House", a property built in the 1830's on the Clarence Plains by a retired Indian Army officer, Captain James Fielder. Howrah is a suburb of Calcutta, where Captain Fielder was stationed. The Howrah Good News Christian Church is associated with the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA), formerly known as the Reformed Churches of Australia, of the Reformed Presbyterian tradition. The Reformed Churches in Tasmania grew after World War Two when Dutch immigrants settled mostly along the north west coast of the island. Approximately 3500 migrants settled in the State in the 1950’s forming Tasmania’s largest non-English speaking migrant community. As generations of migrants were assimilated into Australian society the church’s Dutch connection is no longer important and Reformed Churches are a culturally diverse group, reflecting th...

Margate is a coastal town on the Channel Highway approximately 7 kilometres south of Kingston. The original settlement was closer to the sea however the modern commuter town is now centred along the highway where the town’s churches are located. The Margate church is associated with the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (previously known as the Reformed Churches of Australia). The denomination was established following the arrival of large numbers Dutch migrants to Australia in the 1950s. The denomination is now inclusive of people from many backgrounds. The One Way Christian church was established by members of the Christian Reformed Church of Kingston. It is an independent church operating under a covenant agreement with the mother church (CRC Kingston). It is also closely associated with other Christian Reformed churches located at Huntingtonfield, Blackmans Bay and Huonville. There are currently 57 Christian Reformed Churches in Australia of which 11 are located in Tasmania...

Penguin is a small country town on the northwest coast approximately 30 kilometres west of Devonport. It was one of the last coastal towns to be settled in the 1860’s. The Victorian gold rush created a demand for timber resulting in a large number of cutters and splitters establishing a settlement at Penguin. The town was named by botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn after the penguin rookeries that are common in the area. Sanctuary Hill Reformed Church is part of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA), formerly known as the Reformed Churches of Australia and belonging to the Reformed Presbyterian tradition. In the post-war years Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands settled along the north west coast of Tasmania. Unlike Dutch communities on the Australian mainland, whose members were predominantly Catholic, the majority of the Dutch in Tasmania are Protestant. Approximately 3500 Dutch migrants had settled in Tasmania in the 1950’s forming the State’s largest non-English speaking...

Launceston’s Riverbank Christian Church is part of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA), formerly known as the Reformed Churches of Australia. The denomination is broadly associated with the Reformed Presbyterian tradition. In the post-war years Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands settled in northern Tasmania. Unlike Dutch communities on the Australian mainland, whose members were predominantly Catholic, the majority of the Dutch in Tasmania are Protestant. Approximately 3500 Dutch migrants settled in Tasmania in the 1950’s forming the States largest non-English speaking migrant community. Initially Dutch migrants intended to join Presbyterian churches to help integrate into Tasmanian society. These sentiments were outlined in a report in the Examiner following the arrival of Reverend J.A. Schep in June 1951: “The hope that they would eventually make good Australians was expressed by the Rev. J. A. Schep, one of 40 Dutch migrants who arrived at Wynyard on Saturday…. Th...

The Pathway to Life Church at Devonport is part of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA), formerly known as the Reformed Churches of Australia. This is a Christian denomination belonging to the Reformed Presbyterian tradition. In the post-war years Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands settled along the north west coat of Tasmania. Unlike Dutch communities on the Australian mainland, whose members were predominantly Catholic, the majority of the Dutch in Tasmania are Protestant. Approximately 3500 Dutch migrants had settled in Tasmania in the 1950’s forming the States largest non-English speaking migrant community. Initially Dutch migrants intended to associate with the Presbyterian churches and were keen to integrate into Tasmanian society. These sentiments were outlined in a report in the Examiner following the arrival of Reverend J.A. Schep in June 1951: “The hope that they would eventually make good Australians was expressed by the Rev. J. A. Schep, one of 40 Dutch m...

The Christian Reformed Church of Ulverstone was established in October 1951. In the post-war years Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands settled in the Penguin-Ulverstone region. Unlike Dutch communities on the Australian mainland, whose members were predominantly Catholic, the majority of the Dutch in Tasmania are Protestant. Approximately 3500 Dutch migrants had settled in Tasmania in the 1950’s forming the States largest non-English speaking migrant community. Initially Dutch migrants intended to associate with the Presbyterian churches and were keen to integrate into Tasmanian society. These sentiments were outlined in a report in the Examiner following the arrival of Reverend J.A. Schep in June 1951: ‘The hope that they would eventually make good Australians was expressed by the Rev. J. A. Schep, one of 40 Dutch migrants who arrived at Wynyard on Saturday…. They were met at the 'drome by about 20 countrymen who have already settled in Tasmania. The migrants are from all parts...