High hopes for repair work at historic church

By Wendy Shaw

Painting and repair works are continuing at the Church of the Apostles in Launceston.

Block by block, a new sandstone chimney above the sacristy was carefully lowered into position on 18 March.

A number of other projects at the historic church are well under way, including painting, roof repairs and stained-glass window works.

Hans Wanders, the chairman of the Launceston Parish’s Finance, Building and Maintenance Committee, said the chimney had been identified by experts as being in ‘poor and unstable condition’ with extensive fracturing of the stone work, and missing and loose pointing mortar, in a 2015 strategic asset management plan.

“After much consulting and plans to put a strengthening frame inside the chimney, it was decided to dismantle the old chimney,” Mr Wanders said.

“It is no longer functional because the fireplace is now behind drawers in the sacristy and no longer usable.

“It has been replaced with solid sandstone blocks in the same design but no flue – the hole that lets smoke out.”

The original chimney was dismantled a few weeks earlier and the copy made by Launceston-based Dunn Stone Industries.

Other work is also under way on the Henry Hunter-designed bluestone church that marked its 150th anniversary in 2016.

“We have a long list of work on the church to which people are quite welcome to donate,” Mr Wanders said on 19 March.

“Starting on Monday, scaffolding will be erected to inspect the [storm] damage caused by the cross coming off the roof to the render in the ceiling of the Nun’s chapel. Then painting will start there followed by painting in the area of the Sacred Heart altar, the aisle arches on both sides and some walls where paint is peeling.”

Meanwhile, the second stage of upgrading protection for the church windows with a low-iron glass layer, is nearing completion.

“The only windows still to be covered with the new glass are the two in the Nun’s chapel,” Mr Wanders said.

“These windows were in bad shape and needed to be removed and taken away for refurbishment. One of the windows came apart when it was removed.

“The sandstone surrounds of these windows were also in bad shape … Once the sandstone repairs have been completed and the windows re-installed, the glass can be placed over the windows.”

Donations towards repairs are being gratefully accepted. Contact the parish office on 6331 4377 for electronic transfer details or place a donation in an envelope marked ‘Church repairs’ or ‘Stained glass’ in the offertory collection basket. Tax receipts are available on request.

The stained-glass project is supported by the Tasmanian Government through the Built Heritage Grants Scheme.