St John the Evangelist

Australia's religious history, the august figure of Bishop John Bede Polding looms large as a pioneering luminary. Arriving on the shores of Tasmania in August 1835 en-route to assume his ecclesiastical duties in Sydney, Bishop Polding left an indelible mark on the landscape of faith in the Antipodes.

During his sojourn in Tasmania, Bishop Polding graced the quaint township of Richmond with his presence, where the fledgling Catholic community congregated at the hospitable abode of Mr. John Cassidy of Woodburn. Recognizing the need for a dedicated place of worship, Cassidy generously bestowed a parcel of land nestled atop a hill, commanding a panoramic vista of Richmond and the meandering river below. With solemn reverence, Bishop Polding blessed the foundation stone of this nascent sanctuary, an act imbued with profound symbolism and spiritual significance, before embarking on his journey to New South Wales.

The clarion call for the construction of the Roman Catholic Church echoed far and wide, as evidenced by the resolute notice to builders disseminated in the local newspaper. Under the auspices of Cassidy, Esq., aspiring contractors vied for the honor of erecting this sacred edifice, pledging their fidelity to the solemn task at hand. Guided by the visionary designs of the esteemed architect, Henry Edmund Goodridge, hailing from the storied city of Bath, England, the architectural blueprint fused elements of classical Italianate and Gothic styles, embodying a synthesis of timeless elegance and spiritual grandeur.

Amidst a palpable aura of anticipation and fervent devotion, the Gothic-style church emerged resplendent, opening its doors to worshippers on the auspicious Sunday of the 1st December 1837. Over the ensuing decades, the venerable structure bore witness to a series of transformations, as convict architect Frederick Thomas lent his skilled hand to embellish its sacred precincts with additions and medieval designs, further enhancing its architectural allure.

Through the vicissitudes of time, the picturesque silhouette of this historic church has stood as a silent sentinel, its serene presence a testament to the enduring faith and unwavering devotion of Tasmania's Catholic faithful. As the oldest continuously used Catholic Church in Tasmania, its venerable stature is surpassed only by the hallowed halls of St Brigid’s Catholic Church in Sydney, a beacon of spiritual solace and resplendent testament to Australia's rich religious heritage.