Biography

Christopher George Wilkinson (1855 - 1929) was born in England on 16^th December 1855. He was educated there and graduated M.A. from St. John's College, Cambridge.

He was made a deacon of the Church of England at Ripon in 1880, and priest in 1881. His first appointment was as curate at Calverley, 1880-1881, then at Upholland, 1882-1889.
Wilkinson married Florence Shann at Ripon in Yorkshire in 1882. They had 6 children.

He came to Tasmania the next year and became the incumbent of Emu Bay, moving round the parishes of Wynyard and Burnie.

In 1895 he accepted the position of co-headmaster of the Launceston Church Grammar School with Mr Harry Gillett. The Reverend Wilkinson remained headmaster until 1918. At this time the school was situated at 37 Elizabeth Street, next to St. John's Church. Mrs Wilkinson, Florence, had been a much-loved school matron. In conjunction with his duties at the school, the Reverend Wilkinson was assistant curate of St. John's. He was appointed acting rector in 1919, between the departure of Canon Baker and the arrival of the Reverend Crotty.

The Wilkinsons had two sons and four daughters, one of the latter, Doris, became headmistress of the Launceston Girls' Grammar School, in Elizabeth Street.

For a time after retirement, the Reverend and Mrs Wilkinson lived with Doris at her school, then the three of them went to where Doris was appointed headmistress, to Darlinghurst Church of England Girls' Grammar School, but in 1926, the Reverend and Mrs Wilkinson moved to Cremorne, Sydney.

He died there on 4^th May 1929 and she died on 16^th August 1937. At the Launceston Church Grammar School one of the school houses was named in honour of the priest and former headmaster. The school has in its possession a silver chalice, once his property; it now bears the inscription:
CHRISTOPHER G. WILKINSON, HIS CHALICE,
L.C.G.S. HEADMASTER 1895-1918
to this chalice a silver paten has been added with the inscription:
MOS PATRIUS ET DISCIPLINA
IN LOVING MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER GEORGE WILKINSON PRIEST,
AND OF FLORENCE HIS WIFE 1895-1918
In recognition of his work at St. John's Church, a marble plaque was erected in the chapel, bearing the following inscription:
MOS PATRIUS ET DISCIPLINA
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE WILKINSON
Late in 1929, at Holy Trinity Church, Launceston, in recognition of his worthy contribution to the spiritual well-being of so many people in and around Launceston, the chapel furniture was given to his memory. The inscription on the altar reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE WILKINSON PRIEST
THIS ALTAR TOGETHER WITH
OTHER FURNISHINGS IN THIS CHAPEL,
WAS ERECTED BY HIS FELLOW COMMUNICANTS AND DEDICATED ON OCT. 20TH 1929
BY THE LORD BISHOP OF TASMANIA

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