St Mary's Anglican Church Hagley

On December 10, 1861, in a ceremony at which 500 people attended, and 250 were seated for lunch, the Bishop of Tasmania, Rt. Revd. F. R. Nixon, laid the foundation stone.

Bluestone for the walls was quarried nearby and freestone for the pillars, arches and mullions came from Bellerive. Slate for the roof was imported from England. The building of the Church took less than a year, and on November 25, 1862, in the presence of a great crowd, the licence was read.

Prior to building the Church, Sir Richard Dry had a Rectory constructed adjacent to the church and instructed his gardeners to landscape the surrounding areas.

In 1869, seven years after the opening of the Church, Sir Richard died suddenly in Hobart. Discussions began on a suitable memorial to honour this man, who had also been part of a team to stop convict transportation to Tasmania.

It was decided that an addition to the Church would be a suitable memorial and that is should take the form of a Chancel. Work on the Chancel began in 1871. The chief feature of the Chancel is the spectacular stained glass Gothic East Window, manufactured by Hardman, England. It is divided into three sections; the middle panel being devoted to the Crucifixion of Jesus. The window was dedicated by Lady Dry to the memory of Sir Richard. Immediately below the window is a beautiful reredos divided into eight small and one large central panel. The reredos is carved of white stone. The original furnishings which were also the gift of Lady Dry, include the altar, prayer desk, Alms dish and the Walker organ, built in London in 1861.

Once the Chancel was completed, on August 24, 1871, St. Mary’s Church was consecrated.

On Wednesday May 25,1875, Lady Dry bequeathed two paintings to St. Mary’s Chancel, both copies of old masters, one a copy of Raphael’s “Transfiguration” and the second a copy of Reni Guido’s “Annunciation”. They are to grace the Chancel forever for all who visit, to learn and inspire.

Sir Richard Dry’s mortal remains were buried under the Chancel as a fitting reminder of his Faith and generosity.

In 1931, it was decided St. Mary’s should have a tower, spire and vestry. Lady Dry had also left a further bequest to the Church in her will and Miss Jane Patterson bequeathed a sum of money and Miss Home also bequeathed a legacy. This money was used to build the tower. The consecration of the tower took place on December 5, 1932 with the words “This spire now stands as an eloquent witness to God and should be an inspiration to all who see it”.

St. Mary’s holds a traditional Anglican service of Holy Communion at 9.30am on the first and third Sundays of the month. All very welcome.

It is and has been an extremely popular venue for weddings over the years. Various services are held during the year such as Blessing of the Harvest, Thanksgiving services, Healing services.