A Guide to the Churches and Graveyards of the Norfolk Plains

Bishopsbourne
B
1048 Bishopsbourne Rd (cnr Liffey Rd).
Church of the Holy Nativity. Anglican Church
& graveyard. Built by William Webb in 184546.
C
Bishopsbourne Rd (heading towards Carrick,
opp Coach Lane). Site of former Anglican
Christ’s College. Identified by the many oak
trees growing at the site. Established in 1846
and closed in 1857. This was Australia’s first
university. No longer standing.
D
E
F
558 Bishopsbourne Rd (4km from the start of
B/Bourne Rd). Former site of Wesleyan
Methodist Church, known as Liffey Rivulet
Church, built 1872. The building was later
moved to Elphinstone, then later still to Cressy.
Bishopsbourne Rd, on the eastern side of the
former hall (behind the tree line of the paddock
fronting the road)+. Former site of the
Methodist Church.
Longford, Cressy, Bishopsbourne & Perth
The Northern Midlands Council Online Cemetery Register Enquiry service has records of graveyards. It is a work in progress.
Please visit www.northernmidlands.tas.gov.au/Page/Page.aspx?Page_Id=107
The driving distance in this guide is approximately 120 km. Drive time only is approximately 3 hours.
G Cnr Bishopsbourne Rd & Brookdene Lane. Former Site of
Little Hampton Wesleyan Methodist Church. Originally
built at Maitland in 1863 then moved to this location in
1888/89. Closed in the 1970s. Now a private house.
H Christ Church Illawarra & graveyard. (note: please keep
the gate shut. The artist Tom Roberts ashes are buried
here)
Bishopsbourne Rd, (opp Recreation Grounds).
Rd. Former site of Seventh Day Adventist
Church. Built 1930s.
Perth
From Christ Church Illawarra, return towards
Longford, and continue on to Perth.
B
Cemetery Rd. Enter via Drummond St. General
Cemetery (behind railway line). Established 1883.
from Perth
The Norfolk Plains
N
Perth
Longford
Cnr Main Rd & Talisker St. Former Wesleyan
Methodist, then Uniting Church. Built 1838. Now a
café.
Turn right into Talisker.
D
71 Clarence St (cnr Talisker). Baptist Tabernacle,
built 1889. Mr Gibson donated money on condition
it be built on the Middle Eastern design.
E
69 Clarence St. Former Baptist Union Hall, built
1853. Was used as the Baptist Church until the
Tabernacle was completed in 1889 (see no. 3).
F
Cnr Clarence & Frederick Sts. St Andrew’s
Anglican Church. Built to replace the faulty original
in Elizabeth St (see no. 6). Consecrated in 1879.
Turn right into Elizabeth St. English cemetery. And site of the original St Andrew’s (see no. 5)
After Perth, return towards Longford on Illawarra Rd and turn right into Pateena Rd to no. 7.
H
Launceston
Turn right back into Drummond St, then left
into Main Rd.
C
G
20km to
Pateena Rd, (approx. 5km along). Salem Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on the right hand side, built in
1840. Pateena Road is the site of settlement of most of the original Norfolk Islanders.
Bishopsbourne
Cressy
The Great Western Tiers offers a stunning backdrop to the paddocks of criss-crossing
hedgerows, filled with sheep, cattle, crops, haystacks and forests, as you meander
along winding country roads and tree lined lanes, discovering the churches and
graveyards of the Norfolk Plains. Some are still standing, some long gone. Historic
gravestones shifted by the earth over time give the briefest insight into the lives of
our ancestors. It’s now up to you to discover their stories.
Credits: Content compiled by Ivan
Badcock, Fiona Dewar, Carmel
Oates & Bob
Pitt. Brochure
design by Beth
Butt. This
brochure is an
initiative of
the Northern Midlands Council.
B
Longford
B
Wellington St. Christ Church. Anglican
Church & cemetery. Erected in 1839 to replace
St Augustine’s which was on the same site but
failed structurally.
C
Cnr Smith & Goderick Sts. St Augustine’s
Roman Catholic Church, built of stone during
the years 1864-65. The bell and belfry were
added in 1897. The organ and choir loft were
added in 1873.
D
E
Cressy
1097 Cressy Rd (on left), Richmond Hill.
St Wilfred’s Theological College Church.
According to folklore there is a convict
buried under each oak tree.
Proceed to Cressy Township.
C
107 Main Rd. Former Methodist Church.
This brick building replaced the original
timber structure that became unstable.
Now privately owned.
Corner Howick & Park Sts. Catholic cemetery.
D
Cnr Wellington & Smith Sts. Built in 1880/81
as a Baptist Church. The present day Baptist
Church is known as Riverlands (see no. 9).
Cnr Main Rd & Saundridge Rd (on the
right). Holy Trinity Anglican Church and
cemetery.
E
Turn right into Saundridge Rd. Separated
by a vacant paddock from the Holy Trinity
(no. 2). Uniting cemetery (formerly
Wesleyan).
F
17 Wellington St. Salvation Army Church.
Now a shop front (formerly GE James shop).
G
11 High Street (turn right/west off
Marlborough St) near Burnett St, built as a
Primitive Methodist Church in 1861. Later sold
to the Presbyterian Church, and later still,
demolished. Original building is gone and now
the site of a private house.
H
Return to Main Rd and cross over to the other
end of High Street. Uniting Church. Built in
1880 as Wesleyan Methodist. This was built to
accommodate the growing congregation which
outgrew their former Church in Wellington St
(see no. 8).
I
107 Wellington St. Former Methodist
Wesleyan Church & Sunday School when built
in 1837 on land given by Joseph Heazlewood.
After 40 years it became too small for the
congregation and a new Church was built in
High St (see no. 7). Now privately owned.
J
Riverlands Baptist Church, built 2000, on land
that was originally granted to Robert Beams, a
Norfolk Islander.
K
Turn right into Cracroft St. Cnr Cracroft St &
Cressy Rd, Uniting Church Cemetery, formerly
Methodist.
L
Continue on Cressy Rd, towards Cressy.
Longford Lawn Cemetery is on the right.
M
Cnr Cressy Rd & Mundin Lane (opp golf
course sign & Haslewood St). Site of the
Halfway School/Anglican Church. Tree stumps
can be seen in the paddock, near the corner,
close to Cressy Rd. The school stood adjacent
to these on the little rise.
Continue
along
Saundridge
(including the 90o left hand turn).
F
Rd,
1226 Saundridge Rd (approx 11-12km
from turn-off). Bluegong Chapel.
Originally a part of the Saundridge estate.
Continue along Saundridge Rd, at the
T-intersection continue straight on
Poatina Rd, follow until the Cressy Rd
T-intersection. Turn right and follow
along, this will become Macquarie Rd.
G
3960 Macquarie Rd. St Mark’s Church and
graveyard at Pisa. Formerly Church of
England, now Anglican. Consecrated 14
December 1865.
Head back towards Cressy.
H
Cnr Cressy Rd & Woodburn Lane. (‘Oban’
sign on post). Former site of the Bell Post
Hill Church.
to
Continue on towards Cressy.
Continue to and through Cressy. Turn left
into Greenrises Rd.
I
Cnr Greenrises Rd & Maitland Lane. Site
of the former Butleigh Hill School, Church
and graveyard. Wesleyan Methodist, built
1860. School closed c1920, and the
Church burnt down 1947. Gravestones
which have been moved to a fenced off
areas are visible over the fence if grass is
mowed. Now private property.
Continue along Greenrises Rd, until come
to T-intersection at Liffey Rd. Turn right
towards Bishopsbourne. Follow until
T-intersection at Bishopsbourne Rd, turn
left and you are in Bishopsbourne.