Faith groups can provide lots of different types of support to international students. They can offer a safe and welcoming community, help you find connections and give you support when times are tough.
Thankfully, Hobart is home to lots of different cultures and faiths. In the 2021 census, 38.4 per cent of Tasmanians identified their main religion as Christianity, 1.7 per cent as Hinduism, 1 per cent as Buddhism and 0.9 per cent as Islam.
This means that no matter your faith, you’ll find a place to practice in this welcoming city. Read on to discover where you can find your faith community in Hobart.
Christianity in Hobart
Christianity is the world’s most popular religion. In Hobart, you’ll find this well-represented through many active churches, chapels and other faith groups.
There are many denominations of Christianity, including Catholicism, Anglicanism, Baptism and more. We’ve listed a few places to start your search below, but you may want to visit a few churches in your preferred denomination to find the right one for you.
Catholic churches
- Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church, New Town
- Corpus Christi, Bellerive
Anglican churches
- St David’s Cathedral, Hobart
- St George’s, Battery Point
- Wellspring Anglican, Sandy Bay
Other Christian churches
- Hobart Baptist Church, North Hobart
- St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Hobart
- Rosny Seventh-day Adventist Church, Montagu Bay
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Montagu Bay
- C3 Church, Hobart, offering live translation of services into over 50 languages
- Faith Methodist Church, Hobart, a Chinese Christian church
- Hobart Nepali Church, Lenah Valley, a Nepali Christian church
- Russian Orthodox Church, New Town
- Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Parish of Hobart, Hobart
- Korean Full Gospel Church, Montrose
Islam in Hobart
The Islamic community in Hobart might be small, but it’s vibrant and growing. Not only does this mean you’ll find plenty of places of worship around you, but you’ll also find lots of halal food options, too!
If you’re looking to attend services, you can do so at Hobart Mosque in West Hobart. They also have wudu washing facilities and a women’s area available.
To find friends and connect with people your age, you might consider joining a student group, like the University of Tasmania’s Muslim Society.
Finally, don’t forget to keep an eye out for upcoming cultural events, like the Multicultural Eid Festival.
Hinduism in Hobart
Hinduism is Hobart’s second most popular religion, so you can expect to find lots of people who share your faith and loads of opportunities to get involved.
To practice your faith, you can attend BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir, located in Claremont. Alternatively, head to the Hindu Temple at Bridgewater, which is also home to the Hindu Society of Australia, a group that hosts regular events for the community.
You can even get along to the popular Diwali celebration, which is held each year in Franklin Square.
Buddhism in Hobart
Thankfully, there are also a few fantastic Buddhist temples in the area where followers can go to practice their faith.
Near the city, you’ll find Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre in New Town, which offers sessions both in-person and online. Over the river, head to Otago to find Wat Sanggharangsee, a Thai Buddhist temple.
Both temples offer a range of community events, activities and celebrations on auspicious days throughout the calendar, along with meditation teaching and practices.
Judaism in Hobart
The Hobart Synagogue, located in the city, is Australia’s oldest synagogue. It has been there since 1845 — only 41 years after the first European settlement and more than 50 years before Australia became a country!
While the synagogue reports there are fewer than 400 people in the community, it’s strong and active. They even host lots of annual events, including a Seder, a Purim party and a Hanukkah picnic.
Other faiths
If you practice another faith, you may still be able to find a place of worship in Hobart.
For example, followers of Sikhism can attend Gurdwara Nanak Darbar, a Sikh temple in Cambridge.
If you can’t find an appropriate place, you may want to look online. Many places of worship across Australia and the world offer online services via live streaming, making it easy to connect with your community from anywhere.
