Rural communities hold grave fears in church sell-off proposals

THE final resting place of two women murdered at Port Arthur in 1996 could be sold by the Anglican Church.

Parishioners and community members are concerned about the possible sale of St Alban’s Church at Koonya, on the Tasman Peninsula. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

THE final resting place of two women murdered at Port Arthur in 1996 could be sold by the Anglican Church.

Koonya’s St Alban’s Church, and its cemetery, is on the list of Anglican buildings and land proposed for sale to raise $8 million to fund redress for victims of childhood abuse.

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The Anglican Church Synod will meet in Launceston on Saturday to draw up the formal list of which buildings would be sold.

If the Synod agrees to proceed with the sale of church buildings, parishes then have until October to argue why their church should not be sold.

The church will make its decision in December.

Tasman Mayor Roseanne Heyward said St Alban’s was the only church on the Tasman Peninsula to hold a funeral for Port Arthur massacre victims.

More than 1000 people attended the service for cousins Nicole Burgess and Elizabeth Howard who are buried in the churchyard.

Tasman Mayor Roseanne Heyward at the grave sites of Port Arthur massacre victims Nicole Burgess and Elizabeth Howard at St Alban’s. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Cr Heyward said the church was built by community members on donated land and had been cared for by the community since it was built in 1904.

She said the proposal to sell the church was “hurting a lot of people”.

“There are four services a month — it’s not as if it’s not being used,” she said.

The cemetery is also still being used, and Cr Heyward said it was regularly visited by people whose loved ones were buried there.

Cr Heyward, although not religious herself, has family connections to the graveyard. Relatives from three generations of her family are buried there and a fourth generation — her children — have plots booked there.

The Koonya community, and others around Tasmania where cemeteries could be sold, are worried about access to the cemeteries and their long-term future once they are in private hands.

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Cr Heyward said it was sad for small communities such as Koonya to lose their churches.

“There’s not a lot left in these small communities, it’s just the church. It’s where they come together if the need arises … The heart of the community is potentially being taken.”

Cr Heyward said while parishioners supported the redress scheme, they were upset about the possible sale of St Alban’s.

She said keeping the churches as consecrated Anglican churches, rather than deconsecrated community buildings, was important to many people in small communities.

From left, parishoners Elaine Ball, of Nubeena, Fay Odell, of Premaydena, and Sue and Donald Clark who manage the cemetery and upkeep of St Alban’s Church at Koonya. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The state’s veteran community has raised concerns about the graves of service men and women at cemeteries earmarked for sale.

“Our veteran community is very, very upset that this could possibly happen,” the Returned & Services League’s Tasmanian president Terry Roe said.

Mr Roe said he had written to Anglican Bishop Richard Condie and Local Government Minister Peter Gutwein expressing the RSL’s concerns.

“We, as a society, if we’re not prepared to stand up and protect those grave sites now and in to the future, I’m not sure what message that sends to the younger generation,” he said.

“The least we can do is ensure that … their final resting place is not disturbed.

“We need to ensure [their graves] are preserved in perpetuity.”

Mr Roe said many rural churches also contained honour boards, plaques and stained glass windows remembering service men and women.

He said the RSL supported the redress scheme but cemeteries containing the graves of returned service men and women should not be sold to help fund it.

RSL state president Terry Roe, in the cemetery at St Barnabas Church in South Arm, is concerned about the sell-off of Anglican churches that have cemetries containing graves of returned service men and women. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt said the proposal to sell several churches, halls and cemeteries in her municipality had left residents “very angry, heartbroken, upset, confused”.

“Our churches and cemeteries in the Central Highlands need to remain in community hands, and currently local church committees and council are working together in an effort to keep our beautiful, treasured icons,” Cr Triffitt said.

Brighton Mayor Tony Foster said two churches earmarked for sale in his municipality, St George’s at Gagebrook and St Thomas’s at Tea Tree, both of which have cemeteries, had been supported by families for generations.

“We support the redress issue but let’s have a consultative approach to selling off land, churches and graveyards,” Cr Foster said.

“I don’t think it’s been well thought out.”

Hobart City Council Alderman Eva Ruzicka and the council’s general manager will meet Bishop Condie on Monday to discuss the possible sale of St Raphael’s Church at Fern Tree.

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Ald Ruzicka said St Raphael’s had been mostly funded by the Fern Tree community, and was built on land donated by the community.

“I think the Bishop, the Church is making a big mistake to sell off those places of community focus,” Ald. Ruzicka said.

“It [St Raphael’s] is considered such an important little building.”

Saint Raphael’s in Fern Tree. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

Premier Will Hodgman said the Government was “well aware” of community concerns around the state, and he hoped the church “would do its very best to consult extensively”.

The Government has said it would review the Burial and Cremation Act.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White called on the Anglican Church to “listen to the community”.

Ms White said the buildings proposed for sale had been built by communities over many generations.

“We need to ensure that their thoughts and concerns are appropriately heard by the Synod and, as a resolution to that, they are able to come to a meaningful way to provide redress to survivors but also maintain particularly a parish presence in rural and regional Tasmania,” she said.

The Anglican Church was not responding to media inquries due to preparations for the Synod.