Oatlands Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

In the year 1832, a survey conducted by Surveyor William Sharland revealed that W. Foord held a possession of three acres, strategically bounded by High and Wellington Streets, as recorded in the Crown Property Office. By the latter part of the 1830s, these three acres had transitioned into the ownership of Joseph Wright, as documented in a memorandum held in the Deeds Office. Subsequently, these acres underwent gradual subdivision into smaller parcels of land. On the 30th June 1840, a segment of this subdivided land was conveyed to the Wesleyan Society.

On the 11th May 1838 a section of the land was consecrated by Bishop Broughton as a churchyard and cemetery for Christian residents of the area.

Oatlands historian, Mr. J.S. Weeding wrote that a chapel was completed in 1841 at a cost of £201. This small chapel was constructed of freestone and measured 31 feet in length and 21 feet wide. It featured a date stone prominently placed above its entrance, a roof clad in shingles, and two windows adorning each side of the structure.

Between the years 1841 and 1847, Campbell Town was integrated into the Oatlands Circuit. In 1849, the Circuit expanded to include Bothwell. However, the Oatlands Circuit ceased operations in 1854, only to be re-established in 1859, at which juncture Bothwell was reintegrated.

This church ceased functioning in 1911 and subsequently served as a meeting place for the Girl Guides. In 1958, the structure was demolished, and its stone material was acquired by a stone and memorial firm based in Launceston.

Presently, remnants of the church's stone foundations can still be discerned, along with several headstones, which bear silent witness to its historical presence.

This site is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register as follows:

The former Wesleyan Chapel site and cemetery at Oatlands is of historic significance as it demonstrates the spread dissenting congregations in rural Tasmania, particularly in the Southern Midlands district, during the early to mid-19th century. The Wesleyan Chapel Site & Cemetery …