Centenary of St Luke's at Steppes
Many people may ask: ‘Where is Steppes'?
Gwen Hardstaff - former member St Luke's congregation - has written this history of the Anglican Church in the Lake Country of Tasmania. It is available as a .pdf on this site.
For those not familiar with the Lake Country of Tasmania, your query is understood; those who have a connection with the area know that it is a half-hour drive from Bothwell along the Highland Lakes Road heading toward Miena.
After passing The Steppes homestead, the well maintained church-hall beside the sealed road is now loosely known as the Steppes Hall. Commemorative plaques have been sited here to acknowledge the history of the area and it is a ‘must-see' when travelling this road.
The centenary of the building and dedication of St Luke's Church-Mission Hall at Steppes was celebrated in November by a gathering of approx. 250 former residents and friends of the district.
The day commenced with an ecumenical outdoor service conducted by Rev. Meg Evans of the Midlands Patrol Frontier Services (UCA).
Among the special guests with church connections to Steppes was the family of the late Archdeacon Walter Walters, who as Rector of the Bothwell Parish from 1933-46, was a familiar figure in the Steppes area.
During this service, his daughter Mrs Margaret Ford of Shearwater, related some interesting memories of those years the famiy lived in Bothwell when her father regularly rode his bicycle from Bothwell to Steppes to perform monthly services at St Lukes - a round trip of almost 100kms. Margaret and her brother Robert, with wife Elaine, spent a happy time renewing many friendships and remembering events of those early years.
Provision of church services in the Steppes area has an interesting history; a document, written in 1970 by Miss Madge Wilson of Steppes, notes that in her childhood (circa 1880s) ‘Archdeacon Beresford, Rev Alexander Doctor and Father James Murphy used to ride on horseback to visit their scattered flocks'1 in the Lake Country.
Accommodation was usually provided at the Wilson home at Steppes, where James Wilson was the Chief Constable of Police for the area. The Wilsons later offered their home for Church Services; Madge recorded that one of the first to hold a service there was Bishop Montgomery, who came with Rev J Morling (then Rector of Bothwell), they also came to Steppes on horseback.
Intermittent services followed during the next few years until in 1908, Rev S P H Martin was appointed to Bothwell; he was an Englishman, keenly interested in bush missions and soon realised that he could not adequately minister to the people living in this remote area.
In a letter to The Mercury newspaper in August 1911 2 , he reported that he had appealed to pastoralists owning stock and employing labour in the area to donate funds towards supporting an assistant who could travel to the area for regular services.
Mr T A Stephenson accepted this position and reportedly did good work during the summer months of 1908-9 3. The local residents then decided they should build their own church hall. A building committee was formed,with James Brazendale, Archie Wilson and George Tilley selected to choose a site.
A block of Crown Land beside the Lake Highway was selected: fund raising and a local collection yielded £60, a loan of an additional £30 from three local residents, plus a loan of £50 by Diocesan Church Sites & Loans Fund ensured that funds were in hand to commence building and Claud Blake of Bothwell wasemployed as builder.
Rev Martin stated in his letter to The Mercury 4 that they ‘were able to purchase half-acre of land and erect thereon a really good building - 47ft X 20 ft over all, of wood, of good design, and a credit to the builder at a cost of only £130 for the one main building'.
(N.B. the dimensions stated here include the sanctuary, which could be closed off when the building was used for social functions).
‘The Rev F. Morgan-Paylor kindly travelled from Hobart to be present at the first religious service held within the building, and a largely attended social gathering held later emphasised the fact that the purpose of the building is that both religious services and social gatherings, in connection with the mission, may be held within its walls'. 5
Gifts of furniture for the Sanctuary were received - most of this furniture was hand carved by Madge Wilson, altar linen was made by a group of local women led by Mary and Marion (May) Wilson, Rev S P H Martin donated the East window and Rev E S Woolley gave the brass candlesticks. 6
Subsequent newspaper reports show that fund raising continued for some time after the opening to pay outstanding loan advances.
The district then became separate from the Bothwell Parish, with a promise of financial support to assist with the stipend of the Deacon-in-Charge, E Sigisimund Woolley (formerly employed as a school teacher in Strickland area 1904-5 7) and became known as Lakes Mission District.
The following dates listed here are extracts from The Mercury newspapers of the times and from the Register of Services - Lakes Mission District - St Luke's Hall, Steppes:
18th October 1911 - 11:00 am: Dedication of Sanctuary to St Luke by F Whitington, Archdeacon of Hobart. Also present was Rev A Cutts of Bothwell, and Sigisimund Woolley, Deacon-in-Charge.
Congregation numbered 15 and sum of £1.0.3 was collected - these proceeds were given to building fund for St Lukes Hall Steppes.
16th November 1911: Service - Matins & Litany: This was the first recorded service held at St Luke's Mission Hall; the service was conducted by S Woolley who was in charge of the new Lakes Mission District, now separated from the Parish of Bothwell.
2nd December 1911: Sigisimund Woolley noted in register, was his 1st CommunionService - congregation was 15 with 4 communicants.
17th April 1912: Confirmation service held - candidates confirmed by Bishop John Mercer - Signed register
John M - Tasmania
18th October 1912: Patronal Festival - attendance 74 (2 services held 10:00am & 7:00pm)
Register of Services listed that during 1912 there were 258 communicants for that year, and that services were still held at: Interlaken, Ellis' Store at St Patricks Plains, Wihareja, Lenn Parenna, Kanna Leena, Sandbanks, The Den, Cross Marsh, Boggy Marsh and at Great Lake.
Many entries in this register list family names that are still well recognised in Bothwell district today.
During 1914 the Catechist was listed as M. Wilson (most likely Mary); who signed the Register of Services for that time.
4th October 1915: Communion Service was held at St Luke's, by SPH Martin - Rector of Forth & Leven. Rev Martin was a former rector of Bothwell Parish and obviously maintained a connection with the area. To travel to Steppes would have not been an easy journey, remembering that the main road through to Steppes was almost impassable to motorised vehicles, and there were very few cars in the state.
12th November 1915: Service held by A G Cutts & E E Johnson
19th December 1915: E S Woolley - 6 communicants & baptism O E Turner.
Wood carvings
Madge Wilson was a self-taught artist and her designs and paintings of Bible Texts can still be seen, painted directly onto the baltic pine lining of the former St Luke's Church-Mission Hall.
When Sigisimund Woolley left the Lake Country around 1915-16, the former Lake Mission District again became part of the Bothwell Parish and services were conducted by clergymen from Bothwell until regular services were discontinued at St Luke's in mid-1970s.
In 1976 Madge Wilson, the last of this family of faithful worshippers (with all denominations), died at the family home. Just two generations Wilson family lived at The Steppes for 112 years.
Many of the carvings and linen pieces are now in the church of St Michael and All Angels in Bothwell.
1. Madge Wilson - letter Fr Jim Smith-Mrs Betty Ellis
2. The Mercury newspaper August 1, 1911
3. ibid.
4. ibid.
5. ibid.
6. Madge Wilson - letter Fr Jim Smith-Mrs Betty Ellis
7. History of Osterley K & P Bannister 1973