Smithton and Queenstown, Tasmania.

The Patrol Ministry shares responsibility for local ministry in Smithton, Queenstown and Tullah. The primary base for ministry moves between Queenstown and Smithton, with Smithton being the main town.

The Patrol has traditionally been focused around the mining, hydro-electricity, fishing and tourism industries associated with the West Coast. The northern border of the Patrol is along the road from Waratah-Savage River-Corinna. The Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair and Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Parks are the eastern/southern patrol borders. The West Coast communities are constantly changing as the industries come and go, as new technology changes their shape, and as new tourism ventures emerge.

Visiting the small communities is a high priority in this ministry. As the Patrol Minister visits and makes time to listen to people, opportunities occur for conversations about marriage and family, and the complexity of life. The Patrol Minister also seeks to support young families who are often separated from traditional support networks.

There are also a variety of worship styles and theological perspectives as many people down the West Coast are not members of the Uniting Church. Nevertheless, they are recipients of the patrol ministry.

This is a complex and beautiful landscape in which to serve.