Photographer Warren Boyles
Scattered throughout Tasmania are picturesque historical towns. Many have surviving Georgian and Victorian architecture gems. Central to life in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries were churches. As much community centres as houses of worship, these often modest edifices were built by the people for the people.
Churches were the social hub of the community. Within them, people were married, christened, met with friends and neighbours, and ended their lives buried within their churchyards. The village church, particularly for country people and often regardless of denomination, was a place where people assembled to celebrate major life events. They also provided a warm feeling of belonging – to a family, to a district and certainly to friends and family.
Churches are awash with memories: of family dynasties; of soldiers who gave their lives in defence of Australia; of successful parishioners who contributed to funding improvements to the church and to the promotion of charitable causes in the community.
There are about 13,000 churches in Australia and many of these buildings are of great historical and architectural significance. When most of Tasmania’s churches were built, secularism was the province of a tiny minority of citizens. Now, in this third decade of the 21st century, only 15 per cent of Australians attend church regularly, and their average age is 53. Congregations have dwindled to the extent where they are tiny or non-existent. This has left many of these beautiful buildings and their surrounding grounds virtually unused, and often in a state of disrepair.
Around Australia, deconsecrated churches have been sold and repurposed as residences, art galleries and the like. It seems that, for the larger established denominations, ownership of church properties lies with the church bureaucracy. Yet many of these churches were built by communities, with working bees and funds generously donated by local people.
St Mary’s Church, Kempton, in the Southern Midlands, is an exemplar of the complexities arising from these profound societal changes.
The foundation stone of what was to become St Mary’s – it was originally to be St Mark’s – was laid by Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Franklin in 1839. The Colonial Record announced that, “The Episcopalian edifice will probably be completed within eight months’ time.” Interpretation signage at the site notes that, “Land and money towards the completion of the church was provided by Joseph Johnson, a wealthy emancipated convict who had large landholdings in Green Ponds.” This signage also notes the designer was believed to be the notable convict architect James Blackburn and that some the “Canadian Rebels” from the Green Ponds probation station worked on the project.
The 1840s was an era of great expansion by the Church of England in Tasmania. Ten new churches were in the process of being built and the clergy had increased to eighteen. Such was the rapid growth that the Diocese of Tasmania was created in 1842 and the number of parishes had by then risen to 27. By 1845, 10 more parish churches were under construction.
As with Kempton, the workforce for many of these churches came from convicts at the probation stations scattered throughout the island.
The first incumbent of St Mary’s was the Rev George Otter. By 1850, the minister was the controversial and divisive Rev William Trollope, uncle of the acclaimed author and inventor of the red letterbox, Anthony Trollope. Rev Otter induced much conflict within the congregation by berating the community for drunkenness, creating tension between parishioners and the Church of England hierarchy.
Plus ça change (the more things change, the more they stay the same), one might say.
As a result of church politics and, according to The Tasmanian, the apathy of the Anglican community, by 1883 attendance at St Mary’s was reduced to congregations of around 30 or so. Nevertheless, the church survived.
By 2018, however, St Mary’s – now the last church in Kempton – was on the verge of closure. The Anglican Diocese of Tasmania was proposing to put the property up for sale.
Enter John Jones, former deputy mayor of the Southern Midlands, and a small group of volunteers who are not prepared to lose so much of the town’s history and culture. They have formed an incorporated association – St Mary’s Community Cemetery, Kempton Inc – the objective being to save the church building and grounds. They have signed a contract with the Anglican Church to buy “the land title, all contents of the church, Sunday school and cemetery”.
So the community that paid to build the church, and then paid for its upkeep over nearly two centuries, has now had to pay to keep it.
The intention is to continue to manage the cemetery, as required by law, with a particular focus on returned servicemen who have contributed so much to country and community. Lest we forget.
It is envisaged that the property will be managed for a variety of activities including weddings, civil ceremonies for all denominations, funerals, naming ceremonies, children’s activities and “community activities that are in keeping with the status, location and nature of the property”. One wonders what ministers such as William Trollope might have made of such ideas.
If you would like to participate in saving this part of our built and cultural heritage the Ring the Bell fundraising appeal has a target of $160,000. Quite a bit of money has already been raised. Ring the Bell is seeking to reach the target by February 22, 2022.
If you would like to help, the treasurer can be contacted at john.pocket@bigpond.com or you can donate directly to St Mary’s Community Cemetery Kempton Inc, BSB 633-000, A/c No 187372339
Peter Mercer, OAM, began his working life as a dairy farmer on the north-west Coast of Tasmania. Successful as he was, his real passion was always history and historical writing. In 1999, he retired after 23 years as Senior Curator (History) at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. He is the founder of the Burnie Regional Museum, and author of several books on the history of Tasmania, as well as numerous papers, historical articles and his memoirs.
In 1966 after leaving school, Warren Boyles joined the Royal Australian Navy, serving in the submarine branch during the Vietnam War years. Following his naval service he completed a science degree and diploma of education at UTAS, and then worked as a teacher for 20 years. In 1996, with a group of other dreamers, he was involved in starting Tasmania 40°South magazine (now Forty South Tasmania). He was editor of the magazine until his retirement in 2012. From 1999 he also worked as a writer for the zoo industry, travelling to many of the world’s great national parks and to the famous zoos of the world.
