|
Excursion to Kirklands Church and Pituncarty
Sunday 26 February 2023, 2pm
Join the Australiana Society for a viewing of Pituncarty and the Kirklands Church. These two early buildings are associated with the Taylor family, which celebrated its bicentenary in the Tasmanian Northern Midlands on 10 January 2023.
The Taylor family – George (64), Mary (56) and six adult children emigrated from Scotland to Van Diemen's Land in 1822, arriving in January 2023. They received land grants on the river flats and open plains north of Campbell Town, and called their property Valleyfield. In 1824 bushrangers attacked, and the family, including women and servants, fought the intruders off. George junior was awarded another 500 acres for his bravery. He befriended local Aborigines, learning their language and customs, but general conflict erupted, and George died of spear wounds in 1826. He was the first Taylor buried at the Kirklands Presbyterian Church.
The Kirklands Church was completed 1836 and is associated with the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Tasmania. The simplicity of its construction is beautiful and its interior is unchanged almost 200 years later. A private church, still in use, we have been granted access by the Trustees.
Pituncarty was an original grant to Arthur Buist from Fifeshire in Scotland. His wife was a member of the Taylor family. Nearby properties, Winton, St Johnstone and Kenilworth are still held by family members. You can see Egleston, Streanshalh and Kenilworth homesteads from this site. Pituncarty is a traditional Scottish farmhouse type building with broad chimneys and skews situated on the Macquarie River.
NB. Pituncarty is private property and not open for inspection outside this tour.
Event details:
Date: Sunday 26 February 2023
Meet: Kirklands Church, Valleyfield Road, north-west of Campbell Town
Time: 2.00pm at the Church
Cost: $40 members, including refreshments, non-members welcome $50.
Pay: Payable to the Australiana Society to confirm your attendance.
Pay by EFT - BSB 067 000, Account 1093 9529
Register your payment with your surname + initials (eg Smith A)
Cheque payments: Please post to Gemma Webberley, Treasurer, ‘Poplarville’, 68 Risdon Road, New Town, 7008.
Confirm: your booking by email with Annabel Tyson: Tyson.Annabel@gmail.com or Mobile 0429 311874
Enquiries or dietary requirements: Annabel Tyson, Tasmanian Branch Events Co-ordinator. As this is a site in a paddock situation, please bring your own chair. Shade will be available. These are unpowered sites. There are WCs at Kirklands but by all means take advantage of toilets at Campbell Town or Epping Forest on your way to this event.
Speakers: members of the Taylor family.
Directions:
To Kirklands from Campbell Town (from south) on Midlands Highway. Take left turn into Cressy Road at the northern end of Campbell Town at the Harold Gatty Memorial. Travel approx. 13 km then take the right fork into Valleyfield Road (there is a sign to Longford at this fork). Continue approx. 1km to Kirklands which is on the left (easily seen).
To Kirklands from Epping Forest (from north) on Midlands Highway. Turn right into Barton Road which is opposite the Roadhouse shop. Travel 10km to crossroads. Turn left into Valleyfield Road and travel for 12 km to Kirklands which you will see on the right.
We will aim to travel in convoy from Kirklands to Pituncarty. There will be balloons at the Pituncarty gateway to signal where to drive in through paddocks
|
