Notes and photographs on some old churches and their construction around Hobart, Tasmania, from the archives (TAHO).
Title: Photograph – Port Arthur – interior of chapel at the Model Prison
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: NS479-1-28
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania
Series: Photographs, Postcards, Photographic Negatives and Lantern Slides, 1880 – 1950 (NS479)
Notes: This series comprises postcards, photographs, negatives and lantern slides acquired by collector, George Billing. In many instances, the photographer and dates of the images are unknown.
1880 – 1950
Title: Union Chapel, Bathurst Street
Creator: Clifford, Samuel, 1827-1890
Publisher: [ca. 1865]
Description: 1 stereoscopic pair of photographs : sepia toned ; 9 x 18 cm. (mount)
Format: [picture]. Photograph
ADRI: AUTAS001125299602
Source: W.L. Crowther Library
Notes: Title inscribed in ink on photographer’s label on verso.
Image size 71 x 74 mm. each.
Title: Front exterior view of the Weslyan Methodist Church in Melville St.
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: PH30-1-2981
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania
Interior view of the Wesley Methodist Church in Melville St.
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: PH30-1-2982
Title: New Town with Cornelian Bay in the background – stereoscopic photograph by S Clifford
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: PH30-1-8908
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania
Title: Exterior side entrance detail of the New Town Congregational Church
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: PH30-1-4715
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania
Title: New Town Methodist church
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: PH30-1-5893
Title: New Town Circuit – Plan of New Town Methodist School Hall
Description: 1 photographic print
Format: Photograph
ADRI: NS499-1-551
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania
Series: Administrative and Circuit Records of the Methodist Church in Tasmania, 1822 – (NS499)
Notes: 1822 -
Ref: AB713-1-6124
EXTRACTS from The Mercury 21-22 Dec 1865 page 2
NEW WESLEYAN CHURCH, NEW TOWN.
The foundation stone of the New WesleyanChurch at New Town was laid yesterday afternoon by Mr Alderman Barrett. The weather was anything but favorable, although at the time ap-pointed for the ceremony, (4 o’clock), the rain ceased, and the remainder of the afternoon was fine. The attendance (as expected) was limited, but among those present we observed several ladies. Shortly after four the proceedings were commenced by the Rev Mr Hutchison, who after a few brief remarks as to the state of the weather which accounted for the paucity of the attend-ance, read several appropriate Verses from the Scriptures. The Reverend R Cook offered prayers which were joined in by those present. A bottle containing the following documents was then placed in the cavity under the foundationstone -
The minutes of the last Australasian con-conference, The Mercury of the 21st December,1865, the Wesleyan Chronicle (Victoria), the Hobart Town Wesleyan circuit plan and a parch-ment document of which the following is a copy,and which was read by the Rev. S Williams …
The foundation stone of this Church was laid in the name of the Holy Trinity, and in commemoration of the jubilee of Wesleyan Methodism in Australasia on the21st day of December, A.D. 1865, by Mr Alderman Bar-rett, in the 29th year of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, His Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, C.B., Governor of Tasmania; the Rev James S Waugh, president of the Australasia Conference, the Rev William A Quick, chairman of the Tasmania district, the Rev James Hutchison, and the Rev Spencer Williams, ministers of the HobartTown circuit, Messrs Joseph Cato, sen William Genge, Joseph Cato, jun., Henry James Marsh, Thomas McCor- mack, William Cato, William Pratt, Hugh Sunderland Barrett, William Henry Burgess, Samuel Benson Mather, Josias Heywood, John Harding, George Harding, James Wadsley, and W F Jackson, trustees , Mr Edward C.Rowntree architect, Mr R Wiggins, contractor.
New Town,
Dec 21st, 1865.
The stone was then lowered into its place, and Mr. Barrett declared that the foundation stone of the Jubilee Church, New Town, was laid in the name of the Holy Trinity. The stone bore the following inscription -”This stone was laid in the name of the Holy Trinity, on the 21st dayof December, 1865″ The mallet and the handle of the trowel were formed of native woods …
The ceremony of laying the stone having been completed, Mr Barrett said that they had adopted the good old Jewish custom of placing the house of worship on the top of a hill. The building would be finished in about six months, and he hoped that before long it would be found too small to accommodate the congregation who would be desirous to worship within its walls.
The Rev Mr Hutchison also briefly ad-dressed those assembled, and
The Rev S WILLIAMS having offered up prayers,
The proceedings closed.
The building is to be of the Gothic order of architecture. The plan was prepared by Mr.Rowntree (architect), and the work will be carried out under his direction. The building is calcu-lated to hold about 300 persons, And consists of a nave and transept, with a gallery over the transept, the chancel or communion being opposite the gallery, and the vestry on the west of the chancel, with a class-room below, the windows are to be glazed with lead lights, and the large windows in the gables finished with ornamental tracery. Mr R Wig-gins, jun., is the contractor for the erection of the building, the amount of the contract being £1,273.
In the evening a tea meeting in connection with the above proceedings was held in the Centenary Church, Melville-street, and there was a large attendance, taking into consideration the unfavorable state of the weather. After the re-freshments had been served, prayers were offered up, and the Rev. Mr. Hutchison, who was in the chair, called upon the Treasurer of the Building Fund, Mr. Alderman Barrett, to make his finan-cial statement, which showed the subscriptions promised and partially paid to be £300, legacyfrom Brickell Estate £500, and loan from the Chapel Building Fund £300, making a total of£1,100. The expenditure would be, purchase of land, £246; contract for the building, £1,273; incidental expenses, £100; total, £1,619.
Mr. Barrett proposed a Bazaar to make up the deficiency which he said would no doubt be taken in hand by the ladies, and the necessary amount be realised by their exertion. The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev. R. Cook,Mr. Burnett, New Norfolk, Rev. J. Waterhouse,Mr. Joseph Cato, Rev. S. Williams, Mr. L. B.Maskin, Mr. H. J. Marsh, and every one lef thaving passed a most agreeable evening.
Item NS373/1/481 New Town – Wesleyan Church – plan of proposed Sunday School
NS373/1/482 New Town – Wesleyan Church – Plan of proposed Sunday School
NG499 METHODIST CHURCH IN TASMANIA
Edward Casson Rowntree, architect
TAHO Ref: PH30-1-284
Edward Casson Rowntree b. 1810 Thorne, Yorkshire
sketcher, architect and builder, born in Thorne, Yorkshire, arrived at Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land, as a convict in the Manlius on 12 August 1830. He spent the rest of his life in Van Diemen’s Land, during which time he worked as a carpenter, builder and architect. He died at Sandy Bay on 8 November 1893. His best-known architectural work is the Hobart Town Savings Bank (now the Murray Street branch of the Savings Bank of Tasmania); he also designed the Congregational Church at Richmond. His only known painting is a watercolour of an English scene (ALMFA).
Writers:Stilwell, G. T.Date written:1992
NS499/1/108 Receipts for monies received for the Jubilee of the Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Church, Tasmanian District
