Deloraine First Church of England

The first church was erected upon a plot of land situated near the heart of the township, a site later occupied by the establishment of Mr. Furmage's store. The endeavor was financially supported through the generous benefaction of Mr. William Bonney. An interim wooden edifice was constructed, with the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone being conducted by Bishop Francis Russell on the 2nd of May, 1845.

According to an article in The Courier newspaper published in April 1845, the Lord Bishop of Tasmania was scheduled to announce the establishment of a new church in Deloraine. This event was set to take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the 29th of that month.

The first services in Deloraine were held in the court-house then in 1845 a small wooden chapel was built on the western side of the river (Emu Bay Road). The first Bishop of Tasmania, Dr. Francis Nixon in 1847 was licensed to perform the office of missionary chaplain for the 'Parish of Calstock'.

This small wooden church proved inadequate for the ever-growing population, so a larger church was built over on the eastern side of the river.

The following notice appeared in the newspaper:

The old notice, at Deloraine'

church, last Sunday during service, was given out by the clergyman -" This to give notice

there will be no service in this place next

Sunday." There are nearly five hundred souls

in the vicinity of Deloraine who want a cure,

and thirteen Sundays in the year are without

hearing the word of God - ibid.

On visit to Deloraine in 1894 'The Tramp' No 16 in the series wrote:

- a wooden building, which was of later years used as a school, and was pulled down only a few years ago to make room for St. Mark's Sunday-school.

St. Mark's Sunday-school has accommodated a diverse array of occupants over the years. In the early 2000s, it functioned as a martial arts centre. As of March 2024, the rear section of the building remains visible, as evidenced by a Google Street View image you can see from West Barrack Street.

See St Mark's No 55