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

The Church of the Good Shepherd at Hadspen has been saved by presumed perpetuity laws that went through State Parliament late last week. Picture: SUPPLIED.

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.

Bishop Richard Condie. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

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

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