St John's

T he foundation stone for St John's Church at New Town was laid on Monday 6th January 1834. Hobart's newspaper The Colonist and Van Diemen's Land Commerical and Agricultural Advertiser reported:

The very interesting ceremony of laying the

Foundation-stone of the New Church, at the

Orphan School, took place yesterday. — A vast con

course of the most respectable inhabitants assembled on the occasion. The 21st Regiment and

Band arrived about 2 o'clock — the Officers and

men of that Gallant Corps being in full costume;

His Excellency, and Suite arrived about 3 o'clock.

The following details of the Procession and Ceremony has been given us by a Correspondent.

The Procession filed off on each side, when His

Excellency approached the stone. The Architect

then presented his plan, and recommended that

the Foundation-stone be laid at the north-east

corner of the building; this being assented to by

His Excellencv, the Architect proceeded to fix the

lower part of the Stone* in its proper situation.

The upper part of the Stone was then raised by

the engine and one of the Chaplains repeated the

following short prayer: