A century-old church building on Hobart’s eastern shore is entering a new chapter as the local Muslim community transforms the former Lindisfarne Uniting Church into a mosque — a development welcomed warmly by its previous owners.
After months of standing quiet by the highway, the historic building is now filled with activity and purpose once again.
For the Hobart Muslim community, the project is not just about acquiring a place of worship, but about creating stability for families who have struggled with a shortage of religious and cultural services in Tasmania, ABC News reported.
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Uniting Church Tasmania, which sold the building, expressed genuine support for the transition.
“What we really appreciate is that this will continue to be a place of community gathering, of reflection and worship, and for wellbeing and care,” said Uniting Church Tasmania synod liaison minister Rohan Pryor.
“[That is] what it’s been ever since 1903, when it was built. It’s been a hub of the local community.”
Healthcare professionals Hood Al Dawahdeh and Hebah Kaljeh, who are leading the effort with the wider Muslim community, say the new mosque — House of Guidance Hobart — will help fill a critical gap.
“I would like to acknowledge the beautiful heritage of this former church, built in 1903, as a place of worship,” Al Dawahdeh said.
“It has been serving the community for more than a century, and the House of Guidance Hobart will continue this legacy,” he added.
Inside, the couple walks through the old sanctuary with their daughter, taking in the wooden pews and century-old details they plan to preserve. They say honoring the building’s past is central to their vision.
New Life
Kaljeh explained that modest Islamic education, Arabic classes and interfaith dialogue will eventually take place here — programs she believes are vital for young people.
“We love everything here, and for this reason we wanted to stay,” she said.
“And maybe instead of just leaving because of the lack of services, just to create the services here and help not only our family, but also the wider community.”
Their efforts come amid broader concerns about Tasmania’s “brain drain,” as professionals leave the state due to limited opportunities and, for some, a shortage of religious or cultural infrastructure.
With Tasmania being the only Australian state without an Islamic school — though Bowen Road Primary School recently introduced Islamic studies — many Muslim families face an added layer of isolation.
As community members toured the former church and met the new owners, Uniting Church representatives reaffirmed their support.
Pryor drove from Launceston to Hobart to personally welcome the couple and their plans.
“Their commitment to community, to education, to being part of the wider community, I think that enriches all of us,” he said.
Retired Uniting Church minister Rosalind Terry echoed that sentiment.
“We give God a different name. But we all worship the same God,” Reverend Terry said.
Still, she acknowledged the pain felt by some within her community.
“There are still people who grieve greatly that the church has had to be sold, but we haven’t found a way of engaging the young people,” she said.
Pryor said he understands that sense of loss — but sees hope ahead.
“But there’s a new life coming to this space, a new community who’ve got religious faith — even if a slightly different flavour to the Uniting Church Christian flavour.”
For the Hobart Muslim community, the House of Guidance Hobart is more than a new mosque — it is a chance to stay, to belong, and to help shape the spiritual landscape of Tasmania for generations to come.