St Andrew's

From the 1840s onwards, the Presbyterian Church maintained a notable presence in George Town, despite the absence of a formal church edifice within the town itself. The central location of Presbyterian worship and administration was situated across the Tamar River at the ‘Auld Kirk’ in Sidmouth. Whenever feasible, religious services were conducted in George Town; however, it fell upon the parishioners to make the journey by boat to partake in these services.

With the onset of industrial development at Bell Bay, situated a mere three miles from George Town, the local population experienced a marked increase. By 1956, the growing community, comprising members of the Presbyterian faith and the Reformed Church of the Netherlands, deemed it essential to establish a place of worship within George Town.

A 1958 newspaper report noted that one of Australia's historic convict-built structures, which had also served as an inn in its early days, was slated for demolition to pave the way for the construction of a new Presbyterian Church in George Town.

In January 1958, a parcel of land was acquired, and a loan was secured to facilitate the construction. Subsequently, approval was granted for the erection of a multipurpose hall. The foundation stone was ceremoniously laid by the Moderator, the Right Reverend Allan Martin, on 22 June 1958. Through the efforts of voluntary labor, the brick hall was completed and dedicated on 30 January 1960 by the Right Reverend F. Sadler, the Moderator.

On our visit in 1999 this building was damaged by fire.