Christ Church, Tingalpa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Tingalpa |
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Christ Church, Tingalpa, 2005
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| Location | 1341 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1868 - 1993 |
| Official name: Christ Church Tingalpa and Burial Ground | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 February 1998 |
| Reference no. | 601799 |
| Significant period | 1868-1993 (fabric, and historical cemetery use) 1886- c. 1996 (historical, use of current church) |
| Significant components | headstone, grave surrounds/railings, church, trees/plantings, burial/grave |
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Christ Church Tingalpa and Burial Ground is a very old church building and cemetery in Tingalpa, Queensland, Australia. It was first built in 1868. Today, it is known as the Pioneer Wedding Chapel. This special place is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its important history.
History of the Church
Building the First Church
The first Christ Church in Tingalpa was built in 1868. It was designed by a Brisbane architect named Richard George Suter. This church was the first Anglican church in the area between Kangaroo Point and Moreton Bay.
The church was built on a one-acre piece of land. This land was given by Joseph Berry to the Church Trustees. It was a good spot because it was central to the small farming community. This community included places like Wynnum, Manly, and Lota. Local people helped clear the land and raised money to build the church.
The first church was finished quickly and was one of the earliest Anglican churches in Brisbane to be officially blessed. Many important people attended the blessing ceremony in 1868. These included the Governor of Queensland, Colonel Samuel Blackall.
The Burial Ground
A small burial ground was also started on the church land. The first person buried there was Susannah Weedon in July 1868. Many early farming families from the Tingalpa-Wynnum area were buried here. This included the Coxen family. Important people like the Hon. William Duckett White and Richard Thomas Jefferies were also buried here. The most recent burial was in 1993.
The Second Church
On December 5, 1885, a strong cyclone destroyed the first church. The local Anglican community was not rich, but they were determined to rebuild. They used wood and other materials saved from the old church to build a new one.
The second Christ Church Tingalpa was finished and blessed in 1886. It was smaller and simpler than the first church. This time, a concrete floor was added to make the building stronger against strong winds. An old photo shows a separate bell tower next to the church.
As more people moved to the area, especially after the railway opened in 1889, other churches were built. Christ Church Tingalpa became less central to the growing community.
Changes and Challenges
In the early 1900s, the church faced tough times. It was renovated in 1907, but then it was neglected again.
In 1923, Christ Church Tingalpa was taken over by a special group called the Order of Witness. This group was an experiment within the Anglican church. They wanted to help people in remote areas, like railway camps. The church became their chapel, and a nearby farmhouse became their home. They made the old church beautiful with new decorations.
However, the Order of Witness left the area in 1927. The church then became part of the Morningside parish. Services continued for a while, but the building started to fall apart again. By the mid-1930s, there was even talk of tearing it down.
Saving the Church
Luckily, an enthusiastic local priest, Rev. EJV Cavey, saved the church in 1938. He organized a loan to fix it up. The old shingled roof was replaced with corrugated iron. The concrete floor was replaced with wood. The old bell tower was removed and a new timber structure was built in its place. The church was re-dedicated in 1939.
After World War II, the Tingalpa area grew rapidly. More houses and businesses were built. In the 1950s, the church was painted and updated. In 1964, a church hall was built next door. By 1968, the church's 100th birthday, things looked good.
However, in the late 20th century, fewer people attended church. In the early 1990s, there was talk of demolishing Christ Church again. The bell tower was removed in 1996, and all the inside decorations were taken out.
But the church was saved once more! A group called The Friends of Tingalpa Cemetery Heritage Group Inc. stepped in. They restored the building, and now it is known as the "Pioneer Wedding Chapel".
What the Church Looks Like
Christ Church Tingalpa is a small, single-story timber building. It sits back from the busy Wynnum Road. The church has a high, pointed roof made of corrugated iron. Its outside walls are made of weatherboards.
The church has a simple rectangular shape. At the eastern end, there's a small chancel (the part of the church where the altar is). To the south of the chancel is a small room called a vestry.
At the front, on the western side, there's a small entrance porch. Above the entrance, there's a pointed arch vent. The main entrance has double timber doors with a pointed arch shape. There are also pretty windows with three panes of glass and timber designs.
Inside, most of the walls and ceilings are covered with fibrous cement sheets. The chancel walls are made of wooden boards. The floor is made of hardwood. The church no longer has its original furniture or decorations.
The Burial Ground
The site also has a burial ground, or cemetery. Most of the graves are to the west and south of the church. The earliest headstone is from 1868, and the most recent is from 1993. Some of the older graves still have their fancy wrought iron fences. There are many different styles of headstones from different time periods. Some parts of the ground are uneven, which suggests there might be unmarked graves too.
Large trees, mostly Norfolk Island pines, surround the site. At the front, there are two big fig trees that seem to mark the original entrance to the grounds.
Why Christ Church Tingalpa is Special
Christ Church Tingalpa and Burial Ground was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1998. This means it's a very important historical place.
Showing Queensland's History
This place helps us understand how Queensland developed, especially the Tingalpa-Wynnum area, from the mid-1800s. It shows how early settlers wanted to bring their culture and religion to their new home. It's also one of the earliest Anglican churches in Queensland to be officially blessed.
A Rare Place
The burial ground is especially important because it is very old. It was created before many of the larger public cemeteries in Brisbane. It is rare because only a few Anglican church burial grounds still exist in Brisbane.
Learning About the Past
The site can teach us a lot about how Tingalpa and nearby areas were settled long ago. It also gives us clues about how people lived back then.
A Good Example
The burial ground has headstones from 1868 to 1993, showing many different styles. It's a good example of a small church cemetery in what was once a rural area. The church building itself is a good example of a simple, rectangular timber church common in Queensland. It still has some pretty decorative parts from its first design.
Beautiful and Important
The church and its surroundings, with tall trees and old graves, look very picturesque. It adds a lot to the beauty of the Tingalpa area.
Important to the Community
Both the church and the burial ground are very special to the local community. Many generations of families from Tingalpa have worshipped and been buried here. It has been a center for Anglican worship since 1868.
Connected to Important People and Groups
The place is linked to the early settler families of the area, like the Weedon, Coxen, Stanton, and White families. It is also important for its connection to the experimental Order of Witness in the 1920s.
