Margaret St, Launceston. Google Maps.
Opened 1858 to replace a smaller, wooden chapel.
In 1889, a larger building was constructed for use as a school, fronting Balfour St (left and behind in photo).
In 1918, the new larger building was converted for use as the church building, and Margaret St chapel became the Sunday School.
“The building was of wood and had been erected at a cost of £250. It stood behind the present building.”
Margaret St, Launceston. Google Maps.
Opened c.1837.
Replaced in 1858 by a new building that was later the Sunday School, fronting Margaret Street.
In 1889, a larger building was constructed for use as a school, fronting Balfour St.
In 1918, this was converted for use as the church building, and the smaller building on Margaret St became the Sunday School.
The first reference to the establishment of a Methodist Church in Margaret-street occurs in the minutes of the quarterly meeting of the Launceston Circuit held at Paterson-street on May 7, 1836, under the question: “What more can be done to promote the cause of God in the Circuit?” Faded writing in the century-old minute book records the following re solution as the answer to the query: ‘”It being deemed desirable to have a place in which to hold religious ser vices in the south end of the town, and Mr. I. Sherwin having offered to the connexion a plot of land on which to erect a chapel, it is resolved that Mr. Sherwin’s offer be greatly accepted and that the property be settled on the conference plan without delay.'”
On June 30, 1836, it was decided to erect a chapel on the land at once with the means which may be realised, “the size to be according to the sum obtained on condition that the sanction of the district meeting be obtained.” There is no record extant of the actual opening, but Margaret-street appears on the plan for January, 1837, and in April of the same year it was decided that preaching be held at Margaret-street every Sunday afternoon. The building was of wood and had been erected at a cost of £250. It stood behind the present building.
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Opened 1891.
Zeehan & Dundas Herald, 14 August 1891
Zeehan & Dundas Herald, 21 October 1891
At the beginning of our church year the trustees of the Zeehan Church built a mission church at Dundas at a total cost of £157. Through depression and decrease of population our people there have had to struggle hard to keep the church in existence at all, and have only paid some £14 of their liabilities, the Zeehan trustees meeting the other £143 by means of the loan.
9 December 1892
Zeehan & Dundas Herald 26 Janaury 1907
Opened 1896 & 1901.
Tenders for the erection of a Wesleyan Church building at Gormanston, have been accepted. When finished it will probably seat about 100 worshippers.
The Mercury, 18 July 1896
On Sunday, 16th inst., the Rev. B. Bayles, of Zeehan, will celebrate the opening of the Wesleyan Church at Gormanston, holding service there in the morning and evening, and also officiating in the State school, Penghana, in the afternoon of the same. On Tuesday, the 19th, a tea meeting and entertainment will be held at Gormanston in connection with the same church.
The Mercury, 14 August 1896
On Friday evening last the Wesleyan Church at Gormanston was blown to the ground. The strong wind prevailing making a total wreck of the edifice.
Zeehan & Dundas Herald
GORMANSTON WESLEYAN CHURCH
GORMANSTON, Thursday. Mrs. Gibson, of Scone, has donated £100 towards the Wesleyan Church building fund at Gormanston, and also lent the trustees £100 free of interest for three years.
The Examiner, 8 June 1900
The new Wesleyan church, to seat 300, was opened at Gormanston to-day with special services by the Rev. B. Heath, of Westbury.
Examiner, 13 May 1901
Permission had been granted to Gormanston to proceed with the building of a new church, and to Cressy for the erection of a new hall.
Examiner, 30 October 1940
[Was this 1904 one completed?]
Open 1916.
108 West Tamar Highway. Google maps.
Photo 1955
The Methodists of Exeter held their first working bee on Saturday afternoon. Good work was done in clearing the site for the new Methodist Church in Main Street. Afternoon tea was provided by Mrs. R. Davidson. On Sunday the Rev. L. I. Perkins preached in the Exeter Hall to good congregation.
The Examiner, 13 July 1915
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Corner of High & Bond Streets. Opened 1839.
The date stone above is now located at the larger church that replaced the chapel in 1885.
The foundation stone of a new Wesleyan Chapel was laid at Ross Bridge on Monday last, by B. Horne, Esq., J. P.
Hobart Town Courier, 1 June 1838
OPENING OF WESLEYAN CHAPELS.
THE WESLEYAN CHAPEL at Ross will be opened for Divine Worship, on Friday the 27th instant, when a Sermon will be preached by the Rev. John Waterhouse, of Hobart Town. Service to commence at eleven o’clock in the morning. On Sunday, the 29th instant, a Sermon will be preached in the above Chapel, by the Rev. J. A. Manton, of New Norfolk :
service to commence at three o’clock in the afternoon.
The Wesleyan Chapel at Campbell Town, will be opened for Divine Worship on Sunday, the 29th instant, when a Sermon will be preached by the Rev. J. Water house. Service to commence at eleven o’clock in the morning.
A Collection will be made at the close of each service, in aid of the funds of these Chapels.
Ross, Sept. 17, 1839.
Launceston Advertiser, 26 September 1839
Photo of ruined door and part of interior (page 18).
Drawing of chapel, referenced in photo of door.
Sign outside current Uniting Church.
Approximate site of the first chapel, built and opened in 1839. Seven years later, a second chapel was built in front of the original building.
It was built in front of the old chapel in 1846. It was much larger than the first, measuring 46 by 27 feet, and its furnishings were all of cedar. A large gallery was erected across the back of the building in the following year. — The Mercury, 7 January 1940.
This too was replaced in 1880, by a larger church in the main street
Hobart Town Courier, 8 March 1839
Hobart Town Courier, 20 September 1839
From information panel on site:
This is where Campbell Town’s first Methodist chapel was built in 1839. It was only 130′ by 17′ and was completed debt free thanks to generous donations from members of the local community. Captain and Mrs Horton of the property Somercotes, where the first organised Methodist services in the area had been conducted, were amongst those who gave most.
By 1841 the congregation had grown so large that extra seating was added and finally in 1846 the building you see [in the photos] was constructed. It stands directly in front of the old chapel. … It too had to be adapted to cope with an ever increasing congregation–in case a large gallery was built. In 1864 during the jubilee of the Australian Wesleyan Methodist church subscriptions were raised again in part to build a bigger chapel. [Brickhill Church, opened 1880] At that time the first chapel was converted in the residence of the chapel keeper and this building modified to become a Sunday School.
CAMPBELL TOWN.-On Wednesday next, the Rev. Mr. Boyce, will open the Wesleyan Chapel, Campbell Town, newly erected.
Launceston Examiner, 14 November 1846
The Rev. Mr. Bovce, the superintendent of the Wesleyan Mission in the Pacific, arrived from Sydney on Wednesday, and preached morning and evening yesterday in the Patterson-street chapel. In the afternoon he addressed the children of the Sunday Schools. The reverend gentleman will preach at Campbell Town on the occasion of opening the new chapel lately erected there, on Wednesday next.
Launceston Advertiser, 16 November 1846
BUILDING FOR MARRIAGES.-The Wesleyan Chapel, King-street, Campbell Town, is duly registered and Gazetted according to law, as a building for solemnizing marriages.
Launceston Examiner, 27 January 1847
Cameron Street, Launceston
1827
Demolished 1898.
The first Wesleyan Chapel in Launceston, and second place of worship, was opened in 1827 on the site of what is now the Holy Trinity Church of England. It closed the following year due to not having a preacher and was sold to the government, who used the building as a school. The article at the bottom of this post outlines the history of the building until its final days.
Site of chapel, now occupied by Holy Trinity.
View from Windmill Hill, 1860s. Chapel can be seen in the centre, to the right of the Trinity Church.
(cropped from photo in QVMAG Collection, QMV:1983:P:1196)
Photo from the QVMAG Collection (QVM-1991-P-0107) “View of the Wesleyan Chapel , Launceston, Tasmania, c-1900”
(City School moved to the “premises adjoining Trinity Church” in 1895, so photo is 1895-98
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