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Charles Frederick L'Oste (1829–1935)

Death at 106 Years of Age.

HOBART, Sunday. The Rev Charles Frederick L'Oste has died. He attained his 106th birthday on Wednesday last. He was Australia's oldest clergyman and was probably the oldest resident of Tasmania and possibly the oldest clergyman in the world. His home overlooked St George's Bay, near St Helens, on the cast coast of Tasmania. During his 103rd year he delighted in the experience of an aeroplane flight. Mr L'Oste who was of French descent, was bom at Lincoln, England, and in 1861, when aged 32 years he came to Melbourne in the ship Suffolk. After a period in Melbourne in the service of the Anglican Church, he went to Riverina, where in 1866 he was oidaincd. He went to Tasmania in 1867 to take charge of the Dentrecasteaux Channel parish and was afterwards appointed to the Anglican Church at Waratah. Next he shared with his younger brother, the Rev J. W. H. L'Oste who died in 1927, in North Queensland, aged 96 years the care of the Cullenswood parish. In 1889 the brothers took charge of St Helens parish. Mr Charles L'Oste who served in several other parishes in Tasmania, retired when aged 80 years. Since then he had lived at St Helens. Mr L'Oste, who was a bachelor, was a member of a family in which there had been clergymen for five generations. It is believed that he was the oldest living graduate of Corpus Christi College Cambridge. He spent much time in recent years in reading and in writing poetry and dramatic composition. He had said that he believed that his long life was due to absolute contentment and to absence of worry. He had been ill for some days. Mi L'Oste had a nephew, the Rev. E. J. B. White vicar of Holy Advent Church East Malvern (Vic), with whom he had conducted a regular correspondence.

Original publication

Citation details

'L'Oste, Charles Frederick (1829–1935)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/loste-charles-frederick-18646/text30276, accessed 19 March 2024.

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