The Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration
Origin of the Bligh Museum
The Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration at Adventure Bay was built where the early voyager first trod the soil of Tasmania, gathering wood from the abundant growth on the foreshore and collecting water from the rivulets which spilled into the bay.
Even the bricks of which the building was contructed have a long history. About 20,000 bricks made by hand on the site for St. Peter's Anglican Church at Variety Bay, opened in 1847, were not used and remained on the kiln near the church for more than a century. they were used in the construction of the Bligh Museum. Variety Bay had a big community (287 in July 1846), mostly convicts, who manned the whaleboats carrying pilots to ships making for Hobart. Pilotage then was competitive and keen were the races between the pilots to reach the ship first. The base of the round watchhouse at Variety Bay still exists.
Ruins of St Peter's Church at Variety Bay, North Bruny as seen in 1970.
St. Peter's was built at the expense of one of the Bruny pilots, William Lawrence and the prayer book he provided for the church is on display in the museum.
It is entitled "Book of Common Prayer, The United Church of England and Ireland, of St. Peter's Church, Bruny Island," and was published by Oxford University Press in 1842 for the society for promoting Christian Knowledge.
The "Hobart Town Courier," of July 18, 1846, recorded that on July 14 of the year the first Bishop of Tasmania, Francis Russell Nixon, left Hobart town in the 285 ton Arequipa for England via Sydney.
The Arequipa sailed at 8:30am and at noon anchored in midstream and William Lawrence took the Bishop and his party two miles down the Bruny shore in boats.
The Bishop was to lay the foundation stone for St. Peter's. The party assembled "at the spot chosen as the site, on the dividing range of Bruny Island, with the sea on both sides in full view."
The Archdeacon and three Clergymen assisted the Bishop in the service, hymns were sung by the congregation, a reading was included and the Bishop led in prayer and spoke appropriate words.
The "courier" of April 21th, 1847, tells of the first service in the church at which the Archdeacon officiated and the Rural Dean, the Rev. R. R. Davies, gave the sermon.
Gallery
Brick Kiln at Variety Bay, North Bruny in 1954
Laying of the founation stone by the late Mrs Dora J Hamilton on the 9th of September 1954
Opening of the Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration by, the then Governor of Tasmania, Sir Ronald Cross on the 26th of March 1956
