Launceston Historical Society talk: Julian Burgess

Julian Burgess presents:

St John's, Launceston's First Church 1825-2025.

In 1824 the foundation stone was laid for the town’s first church. The first Divine Service was held in the nearly completed building on 16 December 1825 by Reverend John Youl who was the first ordained minister to serve in northern Van Diemen’s Land. St John’s Church of England became the mother church in northern Tasmania.

The clock in its tower served as the town clock for more than 80 years and it was the birthplace of the Launceston Church Grammar School. While it provided spiritual guidance and support for Launcestonians, its congregations in return provide monetary and material support for the expansion of the church into the imposing building it is today.

Over 200 years St John’s Church has been witness to the ebb and flow of life in Launceston. It is the oldest public building in the city and the last surviving church of four built around Prince’s Square in the 1800s. Julian Burgess’ history of St John’s Church was commissioned as part of the church’s bicentenary celebrations last year.

About the presenter:

Julian Burgess is a retired journalist and former Associate Editor of the Examiner newspaper in Launceston. He edited and wrote many of the Examiner’s annual historical supplements between 2006 and 2014 and has written hundreds of articles on Tasmanian history.

He was a regular contributor to the Launceston Historical Society’s Our History series and is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction books. He is also vice-president of the Launceston History Centre which is in the process of being established in the historic former Launceston Infant School building in Frederick Street.