The Roaming Churches

The first European religious places in the Central Coast were not on fixed consecrated ground. The faithful would congregate together in the open air on farms and in people’s homes in towns to listen to lay preachers and roving ministers. It was the responsibility of the members of a particular faith to find or donate land to build the first churches on. There would be fundraising efforts through fairs, events, and subscription drives to raise the money.

Much like the roving sawmills, school buildings, and other small historical buildings in this region, churches roamed this countryside. As congregations grew, expanded, and consolidated their parishes, the first small church buildings were relocated and recycled into new uses. Some were split and expanded. Some became camp buildings like the Riana All Saint’s Anglican Church. This church opened in 1903 and served the community until 1929, when it burned down. The replacement building opened in 1931 and was moved in 1996 to Camp Clayton.

The Holy Trinity Church in Ulverstone was originally on Leven Street and moved to Grove Street in 1893. After just over a century of use, St Andrew’s Anglican church in Sprent was moved from its location to Sisters Beach, where it is now a private house. St Andrew’s was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Crawford of the Castra Scheme.

The Shalom Community Church in Sprent is an integrated trinity of churches! Over time, this small space in Sprent has become home to a new complex of buildings that have roamed from other parts of the district. The Wesleyan-Methodist Castra Road Church (1871–c. 1942) and the Spalford Presbyterian Church were rebuilt as one building in 1943. Kindred’s Methodist Church joined them in 1982.