Christ Church Anglican Church, St Lawrence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church Anglican Church |
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Christ Church Anglican Church, 2009
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| Location | Cannon Street, St Lawrence, Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architect | Alfred Mowbray Hutton |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: Christ Church Anglican Church | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 27 October 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601661 |
| Significant period | 1890s (historical) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | school/school room, furniture/fittings, church, garden/grounds, residential accommodation – chaplain's house/quarters, trees/plantings, views to |
| Builders | Newman Brothers |
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The Christ Church Anglican Church is a historic church located on Cannon Street in St Lawrence, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Alfred Mowbray Hutton and built in 1898 by Newman Brothers. This beautiful church is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of Queensland's history and culture.
Contents
A Look Back at the Church's History
The Christ Church Anglican Church in St Lawrence was built in 1898. It was designed by a well-known architect named Alfred Mowbray Hutton. The construction work was done by Newman Brothers, a company from Rockhampton.
Early Days of St Lawrence
European settlers first arrived in the St Lawrence area around 1860. A man named John Arthur Macartney started a large farm called Waverley Station. St Lawrence was very important for the farming industry in the 1800s. Macartney used the St Lawrence Creek to bring in his supplies. Later, a factory was built there to process animal products. In 1861, the area was chosen as a port, and government buildings like a Telegraph Office and Police Station were soon built.
Why a Church Was Needed
Before the church was built, people in St Lawrence held religious services in the Courthouse. Both Catholic and Anglican services took place there every three months. In 1893, a meatworks factory opened, which made the town's population grow steadily. By the late 1890s, the community really needed a permanent church building.
Building the Church
In March 1898, a church leader named Vicar AH Julius visited St Lawrence. He helped arrange for the church to be built right away. Five acres of land were bought in a great spot. People said the church would be easy to see from the main street.
Alfred Mowbray Hutton, an architect from Rockhampton, designed a simple church. It could seat about 100 people. It also had a side section with a large classroom and a small bedroom with a verandah for visiting priests. Newman Brothers of Rockhampton won the contract to build it. On May 21, 1898, the first stone of the church was laid by the Premier of Queensland, Thomas Joseph Byrnes.
The Church's Role in the Community
The church was very important to the local community. It had a classroom for Sunday School, where children could learn. The bedroom was used by priests who visited. For a while, the church's vestry (a room for changing robes) even served as a home for a local school teacher. The church has almost always relied on visiting priests, as there has rarely been a full-time priest living there. Today, it is part of the North Rockhampton Parish.
Keeping the Church Strong
By 1985, the church needed repairs. Local people formed a committee to raise money. They managed to replace the roof, paint the vestry, and fix the beautiful stained glass windows. In 1988, a special grant helped pay for new wall linings, new flooring, and more painting. Even today, services are still held in the church a few times each year.
What the Church Looks Like
The Christ Church Anglican Church is a single-story building made of timber. Its outside walls are covered with weatherboards. It has a pointed, triangular roof (called a gable roof) made of corrugated iron. The church stands out at the eastern end of Macartney Street.
Outside Features
At the front of the church, there's a small porch with its own gable roof. Both the main roof and the porch roof have timber crosses on top. The rooms on the southern side of the church have a sloping roof.
Wooden stairs lead up to the front door on the porch. The front doors are made of cedar wood and have a pointed arch design. Inside, they open into the main part of the church. High up on the eastern wall, there are three pointed arch, stained glass windows. A similar single window is above the main front door. On the western side, there's a round vent high up. Along the northern side, there are five pointed arch cedar windows. The southern side has three similar windows. The side rooms have windows that can be pushed out (casement windows) with metal sunshades above them.
Inside the Church
Inside, wooden pews (long benches) are arranged on both sides of a central walkway. This walkway leads to the raised area at the eastern end of the church, called the sanctuary. The eastern wall of the sanctuary and the wall next to it are covered with painted wooden panels. The rest of the church walls are covered with a type of timber lining called chamferboards. The sanctuary is about a meter higher than the main church floor. It has a cedar altar and communion rails. The timber ceiling has arched metal rods for support.
At the back of the church, there is a sandstone font, which is a basin used for baptisms. It has pretty carvings. A wooden plaque on the porch has a brass plaque attached to it. The wooden plaque says: "Laid by Hon T.J. Byrnes; May 21, 1898; A.H. Julius Vicar; W Armstrong Warden."
The rooms with the sloping roof on the side can be entered through double cedar doors on the southern wall. This area has timber floors and chamferboard walls. A partition divides the room at the western end. Inside, there's a wooden trunk and a metal bed with a mosquito net. A timber organ, built by WH Paling & Co, is also located in the room on the southern side of the church.
The church is surrounded by mature trees and garden beds, making it a peaceful place.
Why the Church is Important
The Christ Church Anglican Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 27, 2000. This means it's recognized for several important reasons:
- Showing Queensland's History: Built in 1898, the church helps us understand how the Anglican Church and the town of St Lawrence grew during that time.
- A Great Example of Church Design: With its steep gable roof and pointed arch windows and doors, the Christ Church Anglican Church is a wonderful example of a beautiful timber church built in the Gothic style.
- Its Beauty and Location: The church is important because it looks very nice and stands out as a landmark in the town of St Lawrence, especially from Macartney Street.
- Important to the Community: For over 100 years, this church has been a place of worship. It holds special social value for the Anglican community in St Lawrence and the surrounding area.
- Connected to a Key Person: The church is important because it was designed by Alfred Mowbray Hutton, who was a well-known architect in the Rockhampton area.
