Fingal

(Note: the paragraphs that start with bold text are from the town’s visitor information panel. I take no responsibility for errors of fact. Errors of spelling or grammar are probably due to my typing though.)

The town of Fingal was established in the 1820s. According to the census, the population in 2006 was 450. It is a town that has obvious signs of being bigger and busier in the past than what it is now.

The town spreads out along the main road (the highway) so I thought I’d show it from west to east, starting here. So fire station and then an odd building on the corner.

This puzzled us. Mother thought it might be a lodge or something. I said my map just had it as ‘hall’ but looking at it now, it only has ‘War Memorial’ in that spot. Mother decided it looked like a council chambers, but I thought that was elsewhere.

When I went back to the car, I looked at the information board we’d parked in front of. (I took a photo of the information section but when I went to take a photo of the accompanying map, the camera decided it wouldn’t take photos when I’d zoomed in, so I had the information on me but couldn’t match it to whatever we were looking at.) Anyway, once I found the spot on the map, we found out it was:

Original Fingal Council Chambers c. 1882 Partially burnt down after being flood in 1929. Valuable municipal records prior to 1929 were totally destroyed. The building was the original Council Chambers with the Municipal Gaol being located underneath. It has been used as a Town Hall since 1974. The edifice is subject to rising damp.

[Especially when the river floods?]

The street that runs down the front of the damp council chambers leads to the railway and the railway station. When passenger services were stopped back in Tasmania in the 1970s, the stations were mostly removed. Those few remaining were converted to other uses. So I wasn’t expecting much when we went down there.

I certainly wasn’t expecting a relatively big, empty building! Isn’t it gorgeous. Pity about the fence though.

Fingal Railway Station c. 1886 Apart from enclosing a porch and adding an external door, no alterations have been made to this National Heritage listed building. Australian National Railways have refused to do any maintenance.

Ben Lomond in the background there. Post Office on the right.

St Peters Anglican church, dedicated 1867.

St Peters Anglican Church The church was built from locally quarried limestone and designed by Michael Lattin. The foundation stone was laid on 7 March 188?. The Government of the day gave a grant of 11 acres, including 5 acres for the cemetery. A feature of the church are the magnificent stained glass windows.

There is something odd abut the hotel on the right there.

See the addition on the left. Only part of the hotel (the right side) has a building behind it. The left side (the two windows) is just the facade.

Fingal Hotel Originally named the Talbot Arms, the first licence was granted c.1828. The centrepiece is the original building with the side wings added in later years.

The two-story building opposite the hotel is interesting too. Obviously the lower front has been altered and extended (there’s a state election next month BTW) but even from the side it’s a bit different.

See, two doors opening onto the balcony. I assume the bottom door leads into the residence behind a shop at the front. Then there’s the little building down on the left. Curious establishment. Possibly the bakery? I can’t confirm this though.

Fingal Park and Toilet Built on the site of the old Fingal Saw Mill, this land was donated to the towns people for use as a recreation area. It is now maintained by the council.

I assume this was a more elegant place in its day. A shop?

On the left is the supermarket.

The two storey part was Holders Bros Store, which has taken in the adjoining small shops.

Holder Bros Established 1859 by the Standage family as a one story stone house. Purchase by Thomas and Owen Holder in 1885. They built a large ? story house and ? and a stable, which was constructed of hand made bricks. The top storey consisting of 7 rooms was added c.1894

Across the road from the shops…

I’m guessing this is…

Cochrane’s Hall Now used a body panel shop, it was originally a hall and movie theatre. At the rear are the remains of a lean to, which used as a stable for the Tasmanian Hotel.

This lovely building was the Tasmanian Hotel.

The Old Tasmanian Hotel Community Centre This 21 room two storey sandstone hotel was licensed in 1846 and was a flourishing business until its closure in the 1960s. Left empty and near demolition, it was purchased by Mr Scott and Jan Marshall and the Advance Australia Committee. Restoration of the ground floor was completed(?). Through a grant made available from the State Government the then Fingal Municipal Council purchased the building based on the recommendation that the property be restored and utilised ? ? Regional Community and Visitor Centre incorporating special multi-functional facilities for the people of the Fingal Valley.

Now a detour up a side street to two more churches.

St Josephs Catholic Church The foundation stone was laid in 1877 with the official opening in 1880. Built by Michael L?.

Lattin I guess, considering the similarity with the Anglican church. Looking at the setting of this building, I wonder if it founders imagined the town would grow bigger than that it did?

St Andrews Uniting Church (Presbyterian) A small wooden structure, constructed on a stone base. These is a bell-cote on the iron gabled roof. Services were first ? Fingal in October 1870. The foundation stone was laid in 1881. The first Sunday School was held in October 1885 under the guidance of Owen Holder and Mrs Harkness(?). A Mr ? rang the church bell to announce to the townspeople that the Boer War had finished. [I need to replace that photo with one that is actually there.]

Before we leave, let’s back track to the western end of the town to look at these.

The only sign on the site is this informative piece of art. Even mother commented on the ‘usefulness’ of dating it as 1800s. The more you look at it, the worse it gets too. Fortunately, I had a photo of the visitor information panel in my hand and it told us:

Convict Cells c1842 Used as an isolation cell for recalcitrant prisoners or holding cells for those waiting transport back to Port Arthur. The larger is dated c.1890 and was built as a stable for the adjacent council house, which was relocated in 1994.

We’re not sure which is ‘the larger’. The front/left one is taller, but the other is wider. We reckon the left one has older bricks though. 🙂