St John the Baptist Church could be used for events and markets

A Buckland community group managed to save their local church last year and now they have new plans for the historic structure. WHAT IT COULD BE USED FOR >>

Elizabeth Turvey at the Buckland Anglican Church in southeast Tasmania, proposed for sale by the Anglican Church.

After a successful campaign to save the St John the Baptist Church, the Friends of Buckland Church (FOBC) are hoping the historic building can be used by the community for events from car boot markets to Dark Mofo events.

The group fought for years to save the church, raising $100,000 to buy it from the Anglican Church.

Parishioners at the Buckland Anglican Church in southern Tasmania, Elizabeth Turvey, Robin Turvey, Genevieve Whiting and Angela Turvey in May 8 2018. Rob Blakers/The Australian

It was one of more than 70 properties the Anglican Church committed to selling for the Dioceses’ Redress Fund, set up to compensate victims of childhood abuse.

Group chair Bryan Green said it was important to the community to keep the church.

“The great thing about this building is it was built in the 1840s, it remains unchanged,” Mr Green said.

Friends of Buckland Church Bryan Green, who is also a former Labor leader. Picture: Richard Jupe.

“Included in our purchase was many of the old records, old bibles, chalices and that sort of thing that were gifted to the Buckland Church at the time.”

Mr Green said it was the structure and design of the church which made it special.

“It’s a classic, old style gothic design of the old style churches,” he said.

“The stain glass windows are quite amazing … it’s all set in sandstone window frames.

Stain glass windows inside the St John the Baptist Church. PIC: MATT THOMPSON

Stain glass windows inside the St John the Baptist Church. PIC: MATT THOMPSON

Mr Green said there were ongoing costs with keeping the church open to the public.

“Obviously we need to make sure we’ve got a good pool of funds to pay for all of the normal things like rates and bills and taxes and also have the necessary funds to maintain the building,” he said.

“Right now we have to do some work on the side of the building that’s collapsed a little bit.

“We’re also the cemetery managers.”

That ongoing cost is why the group has submitted an application with the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council to hold functions in and around the building.

“We’ve already had a few functions which have been successful, we’ve had Young Voices of Hobart singing Christmas Carols … we have the Augusta singers on April 10,” he said.

“What we want to do is hold weddings, funerals, music, plays and we want to do that inside the building and outside so we thought we’d best put in an application to formalise that.”

No changes would be made to the church.

In terms of events, Mr Green said it would open up the potential of a range of events, from casual car-boot markets to more formal function.

“We want to fit in with the Festival of Voices, Dark Mofo, that sort of thing, make the building available for community use,” Mr Green said.

“The acoustics are fantastic inside.

“It’s a building that should be enjoyed, we’re going to make sure it is.”