Biography

Revd. William Henry Browne
Rector of St. John's Church 1828-1868
 William Henry Browne (1800-1877) was the longest serving rector of St. John’s Church.
This short biography of William Henry Browne was kindly provided by Gill Morris, whose edition of the journal of Revd. Browne, "His Record is on High", gives a full and fascinating insight into his life and times as rector of St. John's Church, Launceston. 
The Reverend William Henry Browne, LL D, was rector of St John's Church from November 1828 until June 1868. 
William Henry Browne was born on 20 August 1800, the eldest son of Henry Browne, Barrister-at-Law, and Isabella, daughter of banker William Galwey, Esq., of Mallow. He spent his early years in Mallow where he attended Mr Hopley's 'gentlemen's boarding academy'. Shortly after his mother's death, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, in October 1817 and graduated BA in 1822. There, while studying for Holy Orders, he came under the influence of the evangelical revival within the Established Church of Ireland, a movement promoting more diligent pursuit of parish duties by priests and their involvement in education and missionary agencies. In October 1824, Browne was ordained deacon and was appointed on a small stipend to the curacy of Whitechurch, a parish with an absentee rector, located eight kilometres north west of Cork; he was priested in April 1825. 
No doubt, filled with missionary zeal, he soon appreciated that his opportunities for personal advancement and greater financial security in Ireland were slight, and fortuitously through the influence of Lord Shannon, a Colonial Chaplaincy in Van Diemen's Land was offered to him. Before leaving Ireland, he was awarded the degree of LLD 'special gratia' by Trinity College, Dublin, and he sailed from Cork to Hobart Town on the Coronet on 1 May 1828. 
On his arrival, he was one of only six colonial chaplains in Van Diemen's Land. Appointed to the recently built St John's Church, Launceston, his parish encompassed the entire northeast of the island. His duties were onerous requiring a man of prodigious physical energy and stamina. Each week, he held three services on Sunday and one on Wednesday at St John's and conducted services at the Gaol, Penitentiary and Hospital. His duties also included inspecting the government schools at Launceston and George Town. He rode, walked and occasionally sailed to visit his more isolated parishioners and paid regular visits to George Town and both sides of the Tamar River, and also Norfolk Plains (Longford) until the appointment of the Reverend Robert Rowland Davies (1805-1880) there. 
As more settlements grew, he oversaw the extension of Anglican parishes throughout the north and engaged with ministers of other denominations. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Launceston Church Grammar School, the Launceston Bank for Savings, the Launceston Benevolent Society and the Bible Society during the 1830s as well as involvement in other local organisations. Less than a year after his arrival, Browne married Caroline Willis, second daughter of Richard and Anne Willis , of Wanstead Park, Conara, and rather than build a rectory on the land adjacent to his church, he built a house (Bifrons) on his own land at the corner of High Street and Patersons Plains (now Elphin) Road. There Caroline gave birth to four babies, two sons and two daughters before she succumbed to pulmonary consumption which claimed her life in February 1845. 
He remarried in June, 1846. His thirty year old Irish bride was Julia Gavan, whose father had been rector of the parish of Wallstown, County Cork. Four more children were soon added to his family. He continued to take a prominent role in the Launceston Church Grammar School, St John's (private) Hospital and the Launceston Bank for Savings and also in the anti transportation movement. 
His relationship with Bishop Nixon soured as he opposed High Church practices and there were several well publicised clashes. Regarding himself as the senior chaplain in the north, it must have been disappointing when his friend, the Reverend R R Davies, was appointed the first Archdeacon of Launceston in 1850. Browne had never taken a long absence from his parochial duties and was granted extended leave to return to Ireland in 1853 after the death of his father. He had inherited his family's Ballinvoher estate although its income would not have sustained him and his family. During his absence, the Venerable R R Davies moved to Hobart as Archdeacon and the Reverend William Tancred was appointed Archdeacon of Launceston. 
The Browne family returned to their home at Bifrons in November 1855 and the rector continued his parochial and other duties and oversaw extensions to St John's. After serving faithfully for forty years, aged sixty eight, Browne requested to retire in 1868, stating: 
In the performance of [my] duties, I have ridden upwards of 24,000 miles, 
& in open boat about 3,200, I preached more than 4,000 times to free 
Congregations & 2,000 to inmates of the Jails & Penitentiaries. My 
Parish register records the entry, during my Ministry, of 1,834 Marriages, 
1,822 Churchings, 4,153 Baptisms and 2,231 Burials, an amount seldom 
if ever equalled in the hist[ory] of the Col[onial] church, & wh[ich] I trust 
will be kindly & liberally considered by his Ex[cellenc]y the Gov[erno]r
& Council. W H Browne Senior Chaplain of Tasmania.
His request was granted and he received a pension of £404/5/0d, soon increased to £ 413/4/5d. per annum. In August 1870, he was appointed Archdeacon of Launceston , a role he fulfilled until his death at Bifrons on 18 June 1877. He was buried at the Church of England Burial Ground in Cypress Street with the utmost simplicity, according to his instructions. See also article in Australian Dictionary of Biography linked below.
The information below is an extract from Engraved in Memory by J.S. Gill. 1988. 
Her earlier biography of Browne, taken from that work, is linked below.
During the construction of the east end of St. John’s Church, Mr Montague Browne, a direct descendant, caused to be erected a monument in the shape of the family arms, carved in sandstone and crafted by Mr Hugh Cunningham. The inscription reads:
THE VEN. W. H. BROWNE LL.D.
RECTOR 1828-1868
ARCHDEACON 1870-1877
Arms:
Sa. on a chev. three lions passant between two bendlets.
Crest:
An eagle displayed.
Motto:
Suivet raison.”

Australian Dictionary of Biography
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/browne-william-henry-1837
All Saints Historical Website
https://resources.allsaints.network/documents/History/Browne_WH_biography-J_Gill.pdf