Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee joins chorus of dissent against Anglican Church’s fire sale plans in Tasmania
ANGLICAN congregations say they are ready to fight to have their historic or active churches taken off a list of properties being considered for sale. SEE THE FULL LIST
Tasmania
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SOME Tasmanian Anglican congregations say they are ready to fight to have their historic or active churches taken off a list of 108 properties being considered for sale.
While most of the 76 churches on the list are closed, some, such as St Mary’s at Kempton and St Martin’s in Queenstown are still busy with regular services, baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Rural communities renowned for their convict-built churches will also try to dissuade the diocese from selling off their historic landmarks.
The massive property sale — which also includes halls, houses and blocks of land — is expected to make $20 million, part of which will be used to help fund the church’s obligations to victims of childhood sexual abuse under the National Redress Scheme.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF PROPERTIES BELOW
Tasmania has not yet signed up to the scheme but Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the State Government was working through the process and would have more to say in coming weeks.
Tasmanian Bishop Richard Condie said communities were welcome to express their concerns when the final list of what is to go to market is announced after the church synod meets next month.
A final list will be decided in December.
Shirley Scolyer, from St Martin’s congregation at Queenstown, said she had already started “spreading the word” to garner support for her grassroots campaign to save her church.
A get-together is held at the 120-year-old church every Friday night and a priest comes from Strahan every Sunday to conduct a service.
“In the last six to eight months we have had a couple of weddings, baptisms and funerals at St Martin’s. It is an important part of the West Coast community,” Mrs Scolyer said.
“We were shocked to see our church on the list and some of the older people are quite distraught, especially.
“We are very supportive of funds going to victims but not churches which are still in use being sold off to achieve that.”
Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee said eight of the nine churches in his municipality were among those under consideration for sale, including the convict-built St James’s Church at Jericho and St Mary’s at Kempton.
St Mary’s still holds services once a month.
The “rural cathedral” at Bothwell is also on the list.
St Peter’s at Oatlands is the only Anglican Church in the Southern Midlands that has not been slated for disposal.
“I understand there needs to be rationalisation but the community is a bit shocked,” Cr Bisdee said.
“They are not just buildings to us, they are a big part of the our history and landmarks in themselves.
“I am sure community groups could be established to maintain the properties if we can convince the church they should not be sold but it is unlikely funds could be raised to buy the churches ourselves.”
Cr Bisdee has family ties to St James’s Church at Jericho, with John Hutton Bisdee, the first Australian-born Victoria Cross recipient, buried there.
Bishop Condie has given assurance cemeteries would be protected under the sell-off.
“They will have new cemetery managers and managers have an obligation to provide access and upkeep cemeteries so that people can still use them,” he said.
Mr Gutwein said a number of constituents had raised concerns and he would meet with church leaders next week to clarify “a range of matters”.
“I want to understand on what basis the properties will be sold and how cemeteries specifically will be dealt with,” he said.
Tasmania is yet to join New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT in the national redress scheme that stemmed from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“We’re working through this matter and we’ll have more to say in coming weeks,” Mr Gutwein said.
“I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make a positive announcement.
“Tasmania as a jurisdiction is in a different position to most jurisdictions as we’ve already run a state-based scheme. We need to work through those matters, as well as the national scheme at the same time.”
There was also sadness expressed on social media over the possible sale of St Andrew’s at Evandale.
On Facebook, Rosemary Edwards, from Launceston, said her grandparents were married there and she and her siblings had been christened at the church.
A priest at St Raphael’s Church at Fern Tree said he did not want to comment on the process and directed the Mercury to the Anglican Church in Tasmania’s media office.
Bishop Condie said after the synod next month there would be a period in which parishes could seek a review of the decision to sell a property and make a case for its exemption.
“We want to provide concerned members of the community with an opportunity to work out how they can help preserve part of Tasmania’s heritage, while allowing us to meet our redress obligations,” he said.
helen.kempton@news.com.au
THE FULL LIST
All Saints Church and Hall, Melton Mowbray, 9-11 Blackwell Rd
All Souls Church Cemetery, Patersonia, 896 Patersonia Rd
Christ Church, Burial Ground and Parsonage, Illawarra Illawarra Rd
Church of the Ascension Hall, Lilydale, 25 Station Rd
Glebe land, Buckland, Duke St
Holy Trinity Church, Beaconsfield 175 Weld St
Rectory, Margate, 113 Beach Rd
Rental Property, 9 Coolabah Rd, Sandy Bay
Saleyards, Deloraine, 9 East Westbury Place
St Albans Church Burial Ground, Koonya, 496 Nubeena Rd
St Andrews Assistants House, Lenah Valley, 13 Sharps Rd
St Andrews Church Hall, Lenah Valley, 224 Lenah Valley Rd
St Andrews Church and Hall, Evandale, 6 High St
St Annes Church and Hall, Lutana, 27 Ashbolt Cres
St Augustines Church, Macquarie Plains, 388 Gordon River Rd
St Barnabas Church and Hall, South Arm, 3337 South Arm Road
St Bartholomews Church, Forest, 502 Mengha Rd
St Georges Church Cemetery, Gagebrook, Briggs Rd
St Georges Church Hall, Moriarty, 45 Hermitage Lane
St Georges Church, Mathinna, 4 Dunn St
St James Church Hall, Northdown, Port Sorell Rd
St James Church and Hall, Montagu Bay Loinah Road
St James Church, Colebrook, 7 Richmond St
St James Church, Jericho, Jericho Rd
St James the Less Church, Osterley, 79 Church Rd
St John Quamby Cottage, Ryans Rd, Spring Beach
St John The Baptist Church, Buckland, Duke St
St John the Baptist Church, Ouse, Bridge Hotel Rd
St John the Evangelist Church, Lower Marshes, 1404 Lower Marshes Rd
St Johns Church Cemetery, Franklin, 3328 Huon Hwy
St Johns Church Cemetery, Plenty, 930 Glenora Rd
St Johns Church, Ross, 11 Church St
St Johns Church, Snug, 11 Frost St
St Johns Rental Rectory, New Town, St Johns Ave
St Lukes Church Hall, Latrobe, 21 Hamilton St
St Lukes Church, Judbury, 1282 Glen Huon Rd
St Lukes Rectory Church St, Richmond
St Marks Chapel of Ease, Bellerive, 31 Queen St
St Marks Rectory, Cygnet, 22 George St
St Martins Church Hall, Chigwell, 2-4 Junee St
St Martins Church, Dunalley, 116 Arthur Highway
St Martins Church, Shed Rectory, Queenstown, 41-43 Driffield St
St Marys Church, Rectory, Triabunna, 1 Franklin St
St Marys Church, Gretna, 31 Church Rd
St Marys Church, Hall Burial Ground, Kempton, 122 Main Road
St Marys Hall, Gretna, 3548 Lyell Hwy
St Matthias Church, Windermere, 431 Windermere Rd
St Matthias Church, Woodsdale, 2265 Woodsdale Rd
St Michael All Angels Church, Parish Room, Craft Room and Vestry, Bothwell, 2 Market Place
St Michaels All Angels Church, Pyengana, 280057 Tasman Highway
St Michaels Church Play Centre, Bagdad, 42 School Rd
St Olaves Church, Stony Rise, 200 Stony Rise Rd
St Oswalds Church, Tunbridge, 90 Main Road
St Pauls Church Hall, East Devonport, 15 Thomas St
St Pauls Church Hall, Stanley, 37-39 Church St
St Peters Church Rectory, and vacant block, Fingal, 2 Talbot St
St Peters Church, Blackmans Bay, 19-23 Pearsall Ave
St Peters Church, Hall and Cemetery, Hamilton, 11 Ponsonby St
St Peters Church, Hall and Rectory, St Leonards, 315 St Leonards Rd
St Raphael’s Church, Fern Tree, 725 Huon Rd
St Saviour Church, Hall Cemetery, Meander, 143 Main Rd
St Simons St Judes Church, Woodbridge, 3468 Channel Hwy
St Stephens Church Hall, Sandy Bay, 520 Sandy Bay Rd
St Thomas Church Cemetery, Tea Tree, 940 Middle Tea Tree Rd
St Thomas Church, Avoca, Falmouth St
St Thomas Hall (Post Office), Avoca, Falmouth St
Vacant Land, Avoca, 2 Arthur St
Vacant Land, Elizabeth Town, Lot 7 Bass Highway
Vacant Land, Fingal, Gray St
Vacant Land, Gagebrook, Lot 786 Briggs Rd
Vacant Land, Gagebrook, Lot 785 Briggs Rd
Vacant Land, Gormanston, Lot 2 Linda, Lyell Highway
Vacant land, Kempton, Main Street
Vacant Land, Lebrina, Lisle Rd
Vacant Land, Pontville, Kimberley St
Vacant Land, Rosebery, Baker St
Vacant Land, Triabunna, 10 Victoria St
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