Built in 1842, the church has been in continuous use since its foundation, but could be one of 108 properties in Tasmania sold to help fund redress for survivors of child sexual abuse. 

Mr Gaunt’s great-great-great-granddaughter Julie Gaunt said selling the church would be a huge loss to the community and threatened her family legacy. 

“I understand the reasons behind the proposed sale, but I wish that we were celebrating both this pioneer and his church this year and not watching the community of Windermere fighting for its survival,” she said.

“Tasmania has always been so proud and protective of its heritage and this will be a huge loss if the church is sold.

“Matthius was in every sense of the word a fighter for the underdog. 

“What about the history and the community? I do not want to see his final remaining public legacy lost with the proposed sale by the Anglican Church.”

When Dr Gaunt left England for Tasmania in the 1840s, his wife Frances said she would not move with him unless there was a place for her to worship. 

St Matthias was subsequently established and stands today as one of Australia’s oldest rural churches. 

From NSW, Ms Gaunt said her family had always kept a close association with the church, including attending last year’s 174^th anniversary. 

In 2011 a conservation management plan detailed the church’s history including the adjoining cemetery, with 132 marked burial sites and 121 unmarked. 

Ms Gaunt said the names in the cemetery were part of Tasmania’s history and needed to be protected. 

“We are talking about some of the founding pioneers of the state,” she said. 

“The community has worked very hard to keep this church going over the years and I think they deserve better than this.”

The final list of properties to be sold will be considered by all parishes and finalised at a Synod meeting in June.