Holier than a month of Sundays

Steve Balmforth explains why this little country church is more than just bricks and mortar — it’s where he called home

The sale of little Tasmanian churches to generate revenue for the Anglican Church to pay for those affected by past abuse has generated lots of concern.

The sales process, effect on communities and how facilities will be used are uncertain.

Congregation numbers in some areas have fallen, and many churches have been closed due to lack of patronage and have been sold and converted into residences or restaurants, as is the case of the churches as Brighton and Snug to name a few.

One that has not been used for years is close to my heart — St John the Evangelist Church at Plenty in the Derwent Valley. This is where I grew up. I have fond memories of those early days and the church’s place in that community.

St Johns was the focal point for the district with Sunday services well patronised by locals as well as weddings, christenings and funerals being conducted there. A graveyard at the rear is the final resting place for many of the area’s pioneers, with family names synonymous with the district, including generations of Menzies, Fentons, Glanns, Warners, Joneses and Pages, who are all laid to rest in the graveyard looking down to the River Derwent and railway line.

On July 16, 1849, the land on which the church stands was released from George Fredrick Read, of Redlands, to Archdeacon Marriott, the Archdeacon of Hobart Town, for the purpose of building a Church of England and Ireland.

The church was called St John the Evangelist and was blessed, consecrated and dedicated on October 14, 1852, at a cost of £320.

The cemetery was to be used “for the internment of dead bodies of the Christian inhabitants within the vicinity of the River Plenty”.

Funds raised by the Plenty Fairs went to the church with Mr Burgess, from Glenleith property, the main organiser.

Sunday school records from 1912 show attendees and the names in the weather-beaten attendance book includes my relations, Valerie, Peggy and Dorothy Harwood, Kathleen and Ruby Balmforth, as well as many Menzies, Tews, Glanns, Marshalls, Jones, Wrigleys, and Triffitts.

It is recorded that in hoppicking seasons, many classes were put on hold, as was the case in 1919 when the district suffered a flu epidemic.

Sunday school was held at the church, and my younger siblings, with other children from neighbouring farms of Redlands, Glenleith, and Kinvarra, were regular attendees. Christmas pantomimes were big productions and at times our cousins and nieces from New Norfolk would be roped in.

In the 1980s, as the district’s population declined, services at St Johns decreased to the point it was decided to close the church. Prior to its closure the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra gave a concert in it in October 1986, which was very well received. The acoustics in the church were of high quality and the musicians were full of praise.

A service to mark the church’s closure was held on November 21, 1999, conducted by Archdeacon Peter Stuart, Reverend Max Jones and Reverend Cyril Dann.

Joan Excell has been the mainstay and part of a small group who maintained the grounds of the church, and it was Joan who organised the final service. A huge crowd attended — one of the biggest church congregations assembled at Plenty.

Former local Salmon Ponds identity Hector Jones was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Macquarie Plains Parish that included St Augustines and St Marys at Bushy Park and Gretna and St Johns at Plenty for over 20 years.

As for today, this little country gem is still standing but it needs tender love, care, and cash. It’s not clear as to the sale conditions as set by the Anglican authorities as to how much it’s expected to sell for and the terms of the sale in respect to access to the graveyard that is the final resting place for many of the district’s residents.

Headstones are in a mixed condition, some lovingly cared for with fresh flowers, some unmarked, some unrecognisable due to weathering, and some that have had no visitors for years.

There is no power, water, or toilet facilities at the church, so a considerable amount of infrastructure would need to be re-established to make it usable.

There are opportunities for the church to be reincarnated in some way and it may need a co-operative effort to bring life back to the old building.

In respect to restoration, there could be an opportunity for trade school or TAFE support as an on-the-job training project for bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, painters. State and federal governments have called for more skilled tradesmen and women.

My Utopian vision for the old building is as a trade learning facility after being bought from the Anglican Church by a group of likeminded folk as a community project, perhaps with funding or grant support. Once its powered and watered, the opportunities are endless with its proximity to New Norfolk’s antique outlets, National Park traffic and the Salmon Ponds.

It lends itself to be a place tourists and locals could visit to have coffee and cake, enjoy the art on display, Sunday music recitals, weddings and private parties.

A walking or bike trail from the church art gallery, tea rooms, bed and breakfast, garden centre, reception centre, history interpretative centre, along the Plenty River to the Casella winery and on to the Salmon Ponds would be a lovely day out.

To top off a day’s outing would be for the Derwent Valley Railway to run from New Norfolk to Plenty and beyond. Perhaps a joint venture with the Derwent Valley Railway for a siding at the bottom of the graveyard.

It would be a pity to see the old church sold and not turned into something that retains a link to those buried there, and those who built and supported the church over the decades.

Headstones are in a mixed condition, some lovingly cared for with fresh flowers ... and some that have had no visitors for years.

Steve Balmforth, OAM, is a writer and photographer.