Trevallyn, TAS - St Oswald's Anglican

History and Architecture:

The Church was designed by noted ecclesiastical Architect Alexander North and built by Messrs J and T Gunn whose estimate for the building was £257.

The foundation-stone was laid on December 5, 1893, by Bishop Henry Montgomery.

The new church was completed in time for the official opening and dedication on 10th April 1894. Bishop Montgomery conducted the service which was attended by a considerable number of lay people, representatives of other churches, civic and government authorities, as well as many Anglican clergy and lay people from various parts of the diocese. Assisting the Bishop at the dedication service were the Reverends Nugent Kelly, A.H. Champion and C.G. Wilkinson. Miss Higgs was the organist.

 Apart from a limited horse coach service most communication was by the river ferries. For that reason St. Oswald's was handed over to the Reverend (later Canon) R. C. Nugent Kelly, rector of St. John's, Launceston, as part of that parish. He therefore became the incumbent of St. Oswald's as well as of St. John's. He either conducted services at St. Oswald's or sent his curates or lay readers to do so. This, of course, applied to all later St. john's rectors, until St. Oswald's eventually became a separate parish in the 1950s.

The first rectory, at 39 Bain Terrace, had become, by 1973 in need of substantial repairs. A substantial legacy came to the church at this time from the estate of the late Miss White-Parsons, and the Vestry decided to purchase the present Rectory at 44 Bain Terrace, the previous residence of Mr. J. Bain. With the proceeds of the sale of the old rectory and the block of land behind the church, the purchase was made, and the Brown family joyfully exchanged the privations of No. 39 for the comfort and space of No. 44. The new Rectory was dedicated by Archdeacon Costelloe on 23.6.74.