Parishes dig deep to save their churches

FIGHTING funds are being established by communities across Tasmania as they try to save their Anglican churches from being sold.

Locals Jill Edwards, left, and Carol Doddridge have formed a committee to hopefully purchase St Martin’s church at Dunalley, which is on the list of properties to be sold by the Anglican Church. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

FIGHTING funds are being established by communities across Tasmania as they try to save their Anglican churches from being sold on the open market.

In Windermere, Dunalley and Penguin parishes, locals are banding together to try to raise enough money to buy their churches, or are preparing submissions to attempt to convince the Anglican Diocese their church should be removed from the list of those to be sold.

The Windermere Church Forever group is looking to raise $46,500 by October 1 to buy St Matthias — a striking building on the banks of the Tamar River — while a public meeting was held in St Stephen’s parish at Penguin yesterday to discuss a plan of attack.

The Dunalley community wants a meeting with the Anglican Church hierarchy to find out how much would be needed to buy St Martin’s, and if the church would seriously consider its bid.

MORE: SYNOD GIVES GREEN LIGHT FOR CHURCH SELLOFF

The Anglican Church’s Tasmanian synod in June voted to sell 108 of its properties in the state, including 76 churches, to help fund a redress scheme for victims of childhood abuse.

The large-scale property sale is expected to raise about $20 million.

The church estimates it will need $8 million to pay compensation to victims.

The rest of the money will go into new ministries and back to the congregations where properties are sold.

An Anglican Diocese spokesman said the church had received a significant amount of feedback regarding the redress scheme.

“With regard to the formal application process, the details on how to submit are about to be released, so no formal applications have been accepted at this stage.

“It is anticipated that once this process opens, there will be a number of submissions.”

St Martin’s church at Dunalley. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Members of the Dunalley community say St Martin’s is not just a place of worship, it is also a memorial to soldiers who did not return from World War I.

It is also one of the few buildings to survive the devastating bushfire that swept through the town in 2013 taking homes, the school and other significant buildings.

A community group, which meets once a week, has been established in a bid to save St Martin’s from being sold.

Member Carol Doddridge said the group was preparing a submission and had asked for a meeting with church leaders to see if a community bid to buy the church would be considered and how much money would be needed.

“This heritage-listed church was built as a memorial and there is a commemorative stone recognising that fact,” Mrs Doddridge said.

“We lost our house in the bushfire, our local school went too, but the church remained. We don’t want to lose it now.”

A fundraising dinner has been pencilled in for September.

Community members are coming out against the proposed sale of many properties. Picture: Supplied

St Matthias Church at Windermere, in the state’s North, is in its 175th year of continuous operation and the community says it is a priceless building and site.

The Windermere Church Forever group is working to raise money to buy the church and provide a fund for its long-term future.

On its Facebook page the group says the Anglican Church of Tasmania had agreed that if the community could raise $46,500 by October 1, St Matthias will be removed from the list of properties to be sold. “While the general intention is that funds raised by this group be used in full or part to supplement funds raised directly by the Anglican Church for the redress scheme, a decision to contribute in this way will depend upon the church’s decision about the property’s future,” the group says.

“Any funds not used for the redress scheme will be retained by the Windermere Church Forever group with the aim of working with the parish, local community and state and local government to establish a sustainable future for the church and its grounds.

“A plan for the church’s future must, as a minimum, ensure protection of the integrity of the current historic building and site, the graveyard and vegetation, unobstructed views from the river and roads, and continued public access to the entire property.”

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