ST. ANDREW'S CARRICK
.............The church at Carrick had its beginnings as far as 1843, when the area was visited by Rev. John Bishton from
Westbury. It was he who saw the need for a future church to service the growing number of free settlers.
....................The following year in 1844, Thomas Reiby was ordained and was the first Tasmanian to take Holy Orders. He was
..................immediatly placed in charge of Carrick and Hadspen. Of course there was no church at that period, so Reiby held
services in a blacksmiths shop.
..............Services were moved from the shop to the brick schoolhouse, which Reiby purchased at his own expense. With
...........endeavour, Reiby converted the old schoolhouse into a church. At this time it was without the castellated tower.
................The church was offically opened by Archdeacon Marriot and conscrated by Bishop Nixon on the 25th November,
1845.
Reiby also lived at Entally House at Hadspen, situated to the left coming from Launceston, just after the
..................bridge crossing. Here Reiby lived in his
later patronage. [Mary Reiby pictured on the $20 note is his
grandmother].
In January 1868, Tasmania was host to the Duke of Edinburgh who journeyed from Hobart Town to
Launceston. The Duke toured back to Hobart, in a coach loaned by Reiby of Entally.
Things progressed at St. Andrew's and by 1850 congregations were swelling. Some statistics are worth
noting from the year of 1850 regarding church attendance. Out of the entire colony's population of 30,000
.....[ many were still convicts ] 18,424 attended church regularly. It should be remembered that those not included in
attending many could not do so because of isolation and long distances.
Reiby visited England and made many friends of the Oxford movement. Henry Manning was one of
these friends; he was Archdeacon of Chichester until he seceded to Rome.
Manning presented Reiby with a unique set of communion vessels, which are still used at St. Andrew's
today. They date from 1843 and upon them is inscribed, "copied from a cup taken from the stone
coffin of Hilary, Bishop of Chichester, A.D. 1148.
The alter vessels are of solid sterling silver, gilded. The organ is reputed to have come from the crypt
of St. Paul's Cathedral London. The east window is a memorial to James, Charlotte and Thomas Reiby.
In 1863 the tower was added giving the total impression of the church which stands today. .................
Thomas Reiby continued on at Carrick untill 1862, when he was replaced by Rev. A. N. Mason. .......
Several times however, he was absent from his charge. At one stage of his career he was moved to
Launceston to take charge of Holy Trinity for three years. After Trinity his brother, James, was placed
in charge of Carrick and he of Hadspen. Between 1853 and 1854 Rev. Augustus Barkway was at
St. Andrew's, but it is not known whether he was in charge or just assisting Reiby.
Inside the church there is a stained glass window placed there by Charlotte William Powell .........
of Devonshire, England in memory of her grandparents James and Charlotte Reiby of ' Moreton',
and of Archdeacon Thomas Reiby of Entally, who built and endowed this church in the year 1846.