St Mark's Anglican Church

Westbury Place East, Deloraine

B. 1860 J.W. Walker, London (job no. 650).
Res. 1967 Arthur Jones. 1m., 7 sp.st., 1c., tr.
Man: 16.8.8.4.4.II. Ped: 16.

Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA (last updated May 2011)

St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : exterior
[photograph by John Maidment (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : interior from west showing rood screen
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : altar and reredos
[photograph by John Maidment (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : choir stalls designed by Alexander North
[photograph by John Maidment (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : rood screen, choir stalls and organ
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]

The foundation stone of the present church was laid in 1856; it was dedicated in March 1859 and consecrated in March 1860, the building costing £2,100. In 1878 a new chancel, sanctuary and north transept were added to the design of architect William Henry Clayton.¹ The building consists of a nave and aisles under a single roof span, transepts, sanctuary and an octagonal tower, spire and prominent stair turret, placed at the north-west corner of the building. The style is Decorated Gothic. Some of the furnishings were designed by Alexander North, such as the blackwood choir stalls with their characteristic carved ends. There are several fine stained glass windows that include the work of William Montgomery.

St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : organ placed in north transept
[photograph by John Maidment (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : organ placed in north transept
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : console
[photograph by John Maidment (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : rear view
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]

The organ is virtually identical to the instrument at St Mary's Anglican Church, Hagley, not far away. The ledger book AA of the firm of J.W. Walker, London², reports the following:

John Adams Esq^r, Launceston, Tasmania³

1860, Feb^y 29 (no 650)⁴

A small Church Organ, containing the following stops, &c

Compass, FF to G, 51 notes

1. Dou Diapⁿ. Wood thro' 51 16 tone
2. Open Diapⁿ. Ten C then grooved into St. Diapⁿ 44 8
3. Stopped Diapason wood bass, metal treble 51 8 tone
4. Principal 51 47
5. Flute 51 4 tone
6. 15^th. thro' 51 & 12^th tre 32 pipes 83 2^2/3 & 2
7. Sub Bass, borrowed from Dou. Diap. 16ft. tone
8. Keys to Pedals

One & a half octaves German Pedals, FF to D, 22 notes

In neat stained & Varnished Case, with plain spotted metal speaking pipes in front.
10ft. high (organ in highest part 11ft 1 in) 5ft 9 ½ in wide & 3ft 3 in deep, as agreed, for net sum [£]66
Packing the inst^t. Four strong packing Cases, with Glued joints, 2 Cases lined with Tin, Cartage to Docks [£] 12
acct. To Mr Adams Mar 17/60 [£] 78

The new organ recently erected in the church at Deloraine will be opened tomorrow (Sunday). Mr John Adams will preside.⁵

This organ survives largely intact and enjoys a spacious location in the north transept. Restoration work was carried out in 1967 by Arthur Jones who also removed the original stop labels and replaced them with contemporary substitutes.

St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : left stop jamb
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]




St Mark's Anglican Church, Deloraine : left stop jamb
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (30 April 2011)]

1 Dorothea I. Henslowe, Our Heritage of Anglican Churches in Tasmania (Moonah, Tas.: Mercury-Walch, c.1979), p.22

2 The ledger books of J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd are housed at the firm's offices at Brandon, Suffolk where this information was accessed by John Maidment in 1980

3 John Adams was a prominent Launceston organist

4 This is the organ's job number

5 Launceston Examiner, 20 October 1860, p.2