100 years ago and now
The cake made by Yvonne Crawford and iced by Genevieve French was cut by Betty Johnson and Annie Crawford, watched by Pat Birchall.
Some of the 80 people who helped celebrate 100 years of worship in St Chad's, Levendale.
Newly commissioned to serve in the Parish of Buckland, the Revd Ross Elwood with Bishop John Harrower.
On the morning of August 13th, 1907, the Bishop of Tasmania, Dr Mercer, accompanied by the Revd Thomas Pitt, Vicar of the Parish of Buckland, made his way from Buckland to Levendale for the opening and consecration of the newly constructed wooden church that was to become known as St Chad’s. Nearly 100 people gathered and overfilled the church.
According to the contemporary Church News: ‘Mrs Mace, of Orford, whose good work in the interests of St Chad’s are so well known, presided at the organ, and the choir was led by Mrs Hurst – teacher at the Levendale State school – who is deserving of much credit for its organisation and preparation.’
Almost 100 years later on Sunday 12 August the Revd Canon Robert Legg AOM, the Revd John Teniswood, and some 70 or 80 people celebrated Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, with readings from the King James Bible and traditional hymns complete with rather hesitant ‘Amens’. Presiding at the organ was Valerie Jones, assisted by her husband Peter on the violin.
Everybody entered into the spirit of the occasion: ‘doing things as they would have been done 100 years ago.’
Guests came from as far away as Canberra; particularly welcome was the Revd Ross Elwood and his wife Val, from Ballina, NSW. Ross was commissioned two days later at the Church of St John the Baptist at Buckland.
People then moved to the Levendale Hall for lunch and the special historical display prepared by a team led by Pat Birchall, President of St Chad’s Women’s Guild.