St Saviour’s Church at Meander to be returned to the community

St Saviour’s Church in Meander now has a bright future. Photo by Sharon Webb

THE MEANDER Progress Association is set to buy the St Saviour’s Church property in the town as soon as formalities are completed with the Anglican Diocese.

Reverend Joshua Skeat of St Mark’s in Deloraine held the final service of thanksgiving and holy communion in the church in November, along with the deconsecration service.

He said the church building will continue to be used as ‘a place of reflection, healing and solace’. Weddings and funerals will also be held there and the cemetery will continue in use.

‘Our goal is to work with the Meander community to pass the church and the cemetery into community hands. I think there’s a sense that this is a right next step.

‘We’ve told the Diocese this is the direction we want to go and they’re happy with that.’

Christine Chilcott, Meander Progress Association spokesperson, said a subcommittee of the 20-member association had been established to see through the process.

‘We want to see the church building retained for community use’, she said. ‘The progress association has been taking care of the church and cemetery for some time.’

The cost of the church is still to be decided by the Anglican Diocese. Rev. Skeat said an independent valuation of the church property would be completed.

‘It’s yet to be decided whether the Diocese will call for expressions of interest or negotiate with a particular group.

‘A faculty listing all the items donated to the church over the years will be created, indicating what will happen to those things.

‘There are heritage considerations because it’s a heritage building and the cemetery will go through the formal regulatory process to enable it to be sold.’

Rev. Skeat said the final ser- vice at St Saviours was attended by about 60 people, half inside the building and half outside because of COVID restrictions.

‘It was a sad occasion. It’s never an enjoyable process to go through’, he said.

St Saviour’s hasn’t been used for church services since 2017.

In 2019 it was listed for sale by Tasmania’s Anglican Diocese, along with land known as the Saleyards adjacent to St Mark’s, to cover the Parish of Deloraine’s funding obligation to the National Redress Scheme for children sexually abused in institutions.

The parish paid the redress money from existing funds, eventually deciding to build eight villas on the Saleyards land and keeping two to solid- ify parish funds.

The Saleyards development has allowed St Saviour’s Church to be retained as a community asset.