St Peter's

The early Church of England services in Oatlands were initially held in the police barracks and subsequently in a small, rudimentary chapel constructed from split logs, though there is no evidence to suggest it was ever completed. Dorothea Henslowe, as referenced in her book (see references), described it as a modest stone and clay building. The interpretation panel in the Court House building says:

The Courtroom is the earliest part of the Court House. It was built in 1829 as a chapel and 'justice room' ', following a request from William Pike ...

Catechist Mr. William Pike from Park Farm, Jericho, travelled to Oatlands to conduct the services.

In 1832, Surveyor William Sharland’s map of Oatlands documented a six-acre colonial grant designated for the construction of a church and parsonage.

The Hobart Town Advertiser, on the 23rd February 1841, reported under the heading ‘Audit Office’ a payment from the Colonial Treasury to The Venerable Archdeacon for Oatlands Church.

Initial plans for the church were drafted in 1838 by John Lee Archer, with subsequent designs by Robert De Little. Tenders were solicited on the 21st of September 1838, and builders Messrs. Cleghorn and Anderson were contacted, with local builder Mr. George Aitcheson appointed to oversee the stonemasons.

The church and parsonage were completed in 1841, though the church was not consecrated until September 1844.

A census conducted in 1859 recorded 309 parishioners belonging to the Oatlands Church of England.

In 1957, a freestone vestry was added, utilizing materials from the demolished Roman Catholic Presbytery. The construction cost totaled £1,322, funded entirely by the York Plains Church Building Fund.

St. Peter's Anglican Church is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register for its historic heritage significance as a particularly fine and well-preserved mid-nineteenth-century sandstone church. For over 160 years, it has served as a center of worship and community interaction for the Anglican congregation in Oatlands. Established in the 1840s, St. Peter's reflects the role of the church as a social and spiritual hub in regional settlements across Tasmania. It exemplifies the principal characteristics of an Old Colonial Gothic Picturesque ecclesiastical building, as evidenced by its landmark tower, crenellated parapet, wall buttresses, and porch.