St. Peter's Church, Hamilton, Tasmania, Australia

The foundation stone for St. Peter's Church was laid in 1834. It was completed in 1837 and consecrated by Bishop Broughton, the only Bishop of Australia, on 8th May, 1838. It is worth noting that the church has only one door. The reason for this was almost certainly to prevent the congregation, which in the early days was about 50% convicts, from attempting to escape. The original church was a simple stone building and there were plans to add a spire to the tower in the 1920s but they never eventuated.

 

The headstones around the church date back to the 1830s. One of particular interest is that of Sarah Lane who died at the age of 8 years in 1844. The inscription on the headstone reads:

 

This little inoffensive child

To Sunday school had trod

But sad to tell was burnt to deat

h

Within the house of God.

 

The dropped 'h' is the result of the stonemason getting his measurements wrong whilst the untimely death of the child as a result of a Sunday school fire seems extraordinary.

 

 

Done