Mission Hall – Glenorchy

The spiritual base in Glenorchy is the tiny Mission Hall. Built in 1889 by Henry William Valpy and family on their property in the Rees Valley. Clergy from the Anglican and Presbyterian churches in Queenstown would travel to Glenorchy several times a year to hold services in the Mission Hall and visit families in the area travelling by steamer and horse.

As time passed there was a migration of the population from the Rees Valley to the township of Glenorchy and the Mission Hall was no longer in use. By the 1950’s a group of concerned locals formed a Trust and secured a freehold section in the Glenorchy village. In 1957 the Mission Hall was moved to Glenorchy on the back of a truck and with local effort the church was refurbished with St Peter’s Queenstown donating the altar.

In 2008 the Head of the Lake Community Church Trust was formed. With the building now needing urgent repairs – local fundraising, community grants, and help from St Peters and other Queenstown churches made a full restoration possible. The Mission Hall has been returned as close as possible to its original 1889 state.