Percy from the Pews
My eyes opened wide in anticipated delight when I saw Our Island Magazine (issue one, spring 2007), a colourful presentation of Tasmania’s multitude of attractions. It proudly declared this publication was a “Tasmanian Government initiative”, with that catchy come-on “Tasmania Explore the Possibilities” and a nice little note from our Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Ms Paula Wriedt:
“Our cultural history and heritage is all around us – we live with it every day, but we don’t often reach out and touch it.”
I thought that, perhaps, and at long last, I was going to see something on our rich heritage of historic church landmarks. I’ve felt they have been generally ignored in our tourism spruiking of things Tasmania. And now that many are under threat it’s time to put them squarely on the tourism map.
My thinking was also influenced by Minister Paula’s foreword to her recent position paper for reviewing the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995:
“Tasmania has an enviable and diverse collection of heritage places of which we can be proud. Now, perhaps more than ever, we recognise our position as one of Australia’s oldest European settlements that has a significant collection of heritage places.”
That “perhaps more than ever” is important. And yes, there in Our Island was recognition of an old church, on Page 20 a photo of St Peter’s, Oatlands. Nothing to tell me about the place beyond a general comment that in the Midlands: “The nearby town of Oatlands has retained much of its rich heritage and convict-built buildings, including Australia’s first Supreme Court.”
So to fill the gap, here’s a bit on St Peter’s Anglican Church, from the pages of the late Dorothea I. Henslowe’s book Our Heritage of Anglican Churches in Tasmania, a great compendium of Anglican church history. St Peter’s goes way back to the colonial days.
First services were held in the police barracks, then in a small stone and clay chapel, and then the building of the stone St Peter’s, designed by that notable early architect, John Lee Archer, was started in 1838, and the church dedicated by the first Bishop of Tasmania, Francis Russell Nixon, in 1844 (although the church was in use before then).
Fast forward to 1958 and we read that the church was renovated and a vestry added, followed by this cryptic observation: “It has a large reed organ.”
Given that Tasmania’s most threatened of Anglican churches, Holy Trinity in North Hobart, is to close on Sunday, I would have liked to have seen something on this magnificent, heritage-listed building that has long stood proudly in Hobart’s environs.
The minister certainly understands the Holy Trinity situation. Late last month she criticised the Anglican Diocese for deciding on Holy Trinity’s closure without consulting the State Government (for the actual closure decision though this was made by Bishop John Harrower). She saw that they had “decided on a course of action without wanting to come to any resolution that might involve restoration of Holy Trinity”.
What lies ahead for Holy Trinity beyond closure as an Anglican place of worship is unknown (there has been no decision heard from the bishop), apart from Hobart City Council’s readiness to fund a conservation management plan that may see the actual building saved (and that, considering its great history, is as it should be).
So what’s next on the list of endangered Anglican church species?
That acute observer, Leo Schofield, having earlier written a fine piece on the need to save Holy Trinity, this month wrote about New Town’s Anglican St John’s being at serious risk (it’s another John Lee Archer design), and like Holy Trinity is of enormous cultural significance to Tasmania that should not be lost.
Indeed, Mercury columnist Leo said St John’s is to be deconsecrated next year. If so, as with Holy Trinity, alarm bells should be ringing loudly and Hobart’s assorted media scribes should be taking note and investigating. There a bigger story out there . . .
