Tasmanian Anglican Bishop Richard Condie announces revised list of churches for sale
UPDATED: A fierce community campaign has saved 34 of Tasmania’s Anglican churches earmarked for sale. SEE THE FULL LISTS
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A FIERCE community campaign has saved about one-third of Tasmania’s Anglican churches earmarked for sale.
The Anglican Church softened its controversial sell-off plans with the Diocesan Council yesterday announcing 34 of the 107 properties listed for sale had been spared.
The final sale list contains 73 properties, including 51 churches, 22 of which have cemeteries attached. The first property is expected to hit the market early next year.
High-profile churches and cemeteries are among those granted a reprieve, including St Mary’s Church in Hagley where the remains of the state’s first Tasmanian-born premier, Sir Richard Dry, are interred under the altar.
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St Albans churchyard in Koonya, where Port Arthur massacre victims Nicole Burgess and Elizabeth Howard were laid to rest, was also spared, as was Christ Church Illawarra, where Shearing the Rams artist Tom Roberts was buried in 1931.
However, St James’ churchyard at Jericho, where one of Australia’s first VC winners, John Hutton Bisdee was buried, will be sold.
The Diocesan Council received more than 200 submissions from community groups on 38 properties and parish submissions on 34 properties.
Bishop Richard Condie said it was “good news” for many Tasmanian communities.
“We anticipate some people will be disappointed about the properties that are still on the list,” he said.
“We think we’ve struck the balance between community concern, raising the money for redress, listening to our parishes and being able to provide a list of properties for sale that makes sense to us.”
Bishop Condie said most of the properties removed from the list were where parishes had raised the funds equivalent to their redress contribution.
Parishes across the state had raised tens of thousands of dollars to save different properties.
“Retaining 30 per cent of the properties will have an impact on the funds we are able to raise, however, sacrificial giving from parishes has reduced this impact to the Redress Fund,” Bishop Condie said.
They hadn’t calculated how much money would be raised from the new sale list yet, but they were initially hoping to raise $5 million from property sales.
Only 25 per cent will go to funding redress. A portion will be used for new ministry development and an amount will be returned to the parish.
David Downie, chairman of Save Our Community Soul, said it was great the Diocese had responded to submissions.
“Unfortunately there are some churches in the community that haven’t been saved,” he said.
“The Diocese doesn’t have any moral or legal right to sell these churches and I urge these communities to contact us and we will do what we can to help.”
Labor Lyons MP Jen Butler said she was struck by the emotion of parishioners at St Mary’s in Hagley when it was announced the church was saved yesterday morning.
“The protection of these significant churches in Tasmania is a great win for small communities,” she said.
“Many in our communities remain angered that the sale of their grave yards and churches will raise more than what is required to meet the obligations of the redress scheme.”
Prosser Liberal MLC Jane Howlett said she would continue to work with the communities of the properties that remained for sale to “achieve the best possible outcome”.
LIST OF 34 PROPERTIES SAVED:
Christ Church, Burial Ground and Parsonage, Illawarra
Glebe land, Buckland
Holy Trinity Church and Hall, Cressy
Holy Trinity Church, Beaconsfield
Holy Trinity Rectory, Cressy
Saleyards, Deloraine
St Aidan’s Church, Hall, and Kindergarten, East Launceston
St Alban’s Church & Burial Ground, Koonya
St Andrew’s Church and Hall, Evandale
St Andrew’s Church, Carrick
St Andrew’s Church, Westbury
St Barnabas’ Rectory, Scottsdale
St George’s Church & Hall, Moriarty
St James’ Church, Franklin Village
St John the Baptist Church, Ouse
St John’s Church, Snug
St Mark’s Rectory, Cygnet
St Mark’s Rectory, Launceston
St Martin’s Church, Shed & Rectory, Queenstown
St Mary’s Church & Rectory, Triabunna
St Mary’s Church, Rectory and Cemetery, Hagley
St Matthias’ Church, Windermere
St Matthias’ Church, Woodsdale
St Michael & All Angels’ Church, Parish Room, Craft Room and Vestry, Bothwell
St Michael & All Angels Church Pyengana
St Paul’s Church & Hall 15 Thomas St, East Devonport
St Peter’s Church, Hall and Cemetery, Hamilton
St Raphael’s Church, Fern Tree
St Saviour’s Church, Hall & Cemetery, Meander
St Simon’s & St Jude’s Church, Woodbridge
St Stephen’s Church and Hall, Penguin
St Stephen’s Church, House and Hall, Wynyard
Vacant Land, Pontville
Vacant Land, Kingston
LIST OF 73 PROPERTIES TO BE CLOSED AND SOLD:
All Saints Church, Melton Mowbray
All Souls Church & Cemetery, Patersonia
Christ Church, Low Head
Church of the Ascension & Hall, Lilydale
Church of the Good Shepherd, Hadspen
Fencing Paddock, Carrick
Rectory, Margate
Rental Property, Coolbah Rd, Sandy Bay
St Aidan’s Rental Property, East Launceston
St Alban’s Church, Pipers River
St Andrew’s Assistants House, Lenah Valley
St Andrew’s Church & Hall, Lenah Valley
St Anne’s Church and Hall, Lutana
St Augustine’s Church, Macquarie Plain
St Barnabas’ Church & Hall, Sheffield
St Barnabas’s Church and Hall, South Arm
St Bartholomew’s Church, Forest
St David’s Church, Riverside
St David’s Hall, Riverside
St George’s Church & Cemetery, Gagebrook
St George’s Church, Mathinna
St James’ Church & Hall, Northdown
St James’ Church and Hall, Montagu Bay
St James’ Church, Colebrook
St James’ Church, Jericho
St James the Less Church, Osterley
St John Quamby Cottage, Ryans Rd, Spring Beach
St John the Baptist Church, Buckland
St John the Baptist Church, Branxholm
St John the Evangelist Church, Lower Marshes
St John’s Church & Cemetery, Franklin
St John’s Church & Cemetery, Plenty
St John’s Church, Railton
St John’s Church, Ross
St John’s Rental Rectory, New Town
St Luke’s Church & Hall, Latrobe
St Luke’s Church, Judbury
St Luke’s Rectory, Richmond
St Mark’s Chapel of Ease, Bellerive
St Mark’s Church & Hall, Bridport
St Mark’s Church & Hall, Launceston
St Mark’s Church, Cressy
St Martin’s Church & Hall, Chigwell
St Martin’s Church, Dunalley
St Mary’s Church, Gretna
St Mary’s Church, Hall & Burial Ground, Kempton
St Mary’s Hall, Gretna
St Michael’s Church Play Centre, Bagdad
St Michael’s Church, Kimberley
St Olave’s Church, Stony Rise
St Oswald’s Church & Hall
St Oswald’s Church, Tunbridge
St Paul’s Church & Hall, Stanley
St Paul’s Church/Hall, Myalla
St Peter’s Church & Rectory, and vacant block, Fingal
St Peter’s Church, Blackmans Bay
St Peter’s Church, Hall and Rectory
St Stephen’s Church & Hall, Sandy Bay
St Thomas’ Church & Cemetery, Tea Tree
St Thomas’ Church, Avoca
St Thomas’ Hall (Post Office), Avoca
Vacant Land, South Preston
Vacant Land, Carrick
Vacant Land, Oldina
Vacant Land, Avoca
Vacant Land, Elizabeth Town
Vacant Land, Fingal
Vacant Land, Gagebrook
Vacant Land, Gagebrook
Vacant Land, Gormanston
Vacant Land, Lebrina
Vacant Land, Rosebery
Vacant Land, Triabunna
jack.paynter@news.com.au
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