New Town, TAS - St James Anglican

Year Built: 1916

Denomination: Anglican

Saint: James

Address: Rupert Street, New Town, Tasmania, 7008

Architect: R.W. Koch

Traditional Owners: Palawa people

Last Updated: 24/04/2023

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History and Architecture:

William Gilchrist Watt and his wife Catherine came from Montreal, Canada, to Hobart in 1900 and bought a large house in Augusta. Road New Town. They had independent means and while in Canada were closely associated with the Church of England. After the death of her husband in 1914, Mrs Catherine Gilchrist Watt had the Church of St James the Apostle New Town designed after the St James the Apostle, Montreal, Canada.

The Foundation stone was laid on 19 February 1916 by the Right Reverend Reginald Stephen D.D. The Architect was R.W. Koch.

In 1923 the Sanctuary was extended and the three windows over the alter were dedicated to the memory of Catherine Gilchrist Watt, who died on 9th January 1919.

Clergy:

These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.

Years	Name	Annotation	D.o.B	D.o.D
1919 -	Mr A Best	Lay Reader
1919 - 1945	Canon C. W. Wilson
1928 -	Mr Robert W Shoobridge	Lay Reader
1928 -	Mr Alex B Cruickshank	Lay Reader
1928 -	Mr Stanley C Burbury	Lay Reader
1931 -	Mr M A. Frank Downie	Lay Reader
1936 - 1937	Rev Malcolm Alan Frank Downie	Asst	1913	1998
1937 -	Mr Brian Phillips	Lay Reader
1941 -	Mr Douglas A Wharmby	Lay Reader
1941 -	Mr Laurence H Wharmby	Lay Reader
1941 -	Mr Reginald D Wilks	Lay Reader
1941 -	Mr Trevor O Wilks	Lay Reader
1945 - 1958	Canon C. G. Williams
1957 - 1958	Rev E. A. Wood	Asst
1958 - 1964	Rev O. L. Davis
1959 - 1964	Rev J Van Emmerik	Asst
1962 -	Mr David S Saltmarsh	Lay Reader
1964 - 1977	Rev H F Hadrill		1925	2021
1964 - 1965	Rev R A.C. Legg	Asst
1965 - 1967	Rev D W. Rien	Asst
1965 -	Mr R F Powell	Lay Reader
1965 -	Mr David H Johnston	Lay Reader
1965 -	Mr J A. Friend	Lay Reader
1965 -	Mr Dugald McDougall
1965 -	Mr Stanley Tidy	Lay Reader
1965 -	Mr Neville V Brown	Lay Reader
1967 -	Mr Gordon Forsyth	Lay Reader
1968 - 1969	Rev W. A. Humphries	Asst
1970 - 1972	Rev N H.F. Cocks	Asst
1970 -	Mr David J Dilger	Lay Reader	1931	2019
1974 - 1977	Rev I J.B. McDonald	Asst
1975 -	Mr Graham Dick	Lay Reader
1977 - 1978	Rev D E Le Rossignol	Asst
1977 - 1986	Canon C. D Holmes
1978 - 1980	Rev M Kingston	Asst
1980 - 1981	Rev K Box	Asst
1980 -	Mr Jim I Fraser	Lay Reader
1980 -	Mr Peter H Jerrim	Lay Reader
1981 - 1982	Rev C. J. Archer	Asst
1981 -	Mr David Thomas	Lay Reader
1982 - 1984	Rev P Astley Bogg	Asst
1983 -	Ms Ruth Thomas	Lay Reader
1983 -	Ms Phillipa A Hoyle	Lay Reader
1983 -	Mr Geoffrey V Cornish	Lay Reader
1984 - 1986	Rev D P Hayman	Asst
1986 - 1993	Rev Warwick James Cutherbesonon		1949
1987 -	Rev Roger George Hesketh	Asst C	1952
1987 - 1989	Rev Paul Domonic Wood	Asst C	1952
1987 -	Ms Anne Davis	Lay Reader
1987 -	Mr Lawrence H Wharmby	Lay Reader
1988 -	Mr Toby Aaltink	Lay Reader
1988 -	Ms Rachel McDougall	Lay Reader
1989 - 1990	Rev J. L Cesare Coombs	Asst
1990 -	Mr Martin Howell	Lay Reader
1991 - 1993	Rev R Weaver	Asst
1991 -	Mr Phillip Seale	Lay Reader
1992 -	Ms Ruth Page	Lay Reader
2019 -	Rev Marie Shepherd
2019 -	Rev John Stanley

Organ:

The Organ was built in 1918 by George Fincham & Son. Restored & tonal altns in 1967 by Arthur Jones. It had 2m., 13 sp.st., 5c., tub.pn. Gt: 16.8.8.4.2. Sw: 8.8.4.2.1-1/3.8. Ped: 16.8. Rebuilt in 1994 by Gibbs & Thomson. 2m., 13 sp.st., 5c., elpn. Gt: 8.8.4.4.2. Sw: 8.8.4.2.1-1/3.8. Ped: 16.8. The Organ was dismantled and sold to Gibbs & Thomson.

Source:

1. A History of St James Church New Town by Trevor Owen Wilks.
2. Australian Anglican Directory 2000.
3. The Ryerson Index.
4. Organ Historical Trust of Australian with permission.