Old St Patrick's Church, Brandon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old St Patrick's Church, Brandon |
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St Patrick's Catholic Church, Brandon, 2011
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| Location | 27 Spiller Street, Brandon, Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architectural style(s) | Carpenter Gothic |
| Official name: St Patrick's Catholic Church (former), Burdekin Academy of Dance | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600372 |
| Significant period | 1910 (fabric) 1910–1974, 1989, 1991 (historical) |
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The St Patrick's Catholic Church is a special old building in Brandon, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a Roman Catholic church. It was built in 1910 and is located at 27 Spiller Street. Today, it is also known as the Burdekin Academy of Dance. This building is so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
Contents
The Church's Journey
Early Days of Brandon
The old St Patrick's Catholic Church in Brandon was built from timber in 1910. Back then, Brandon was part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. The church stopped being used for services in 1974.
In the late 1860s, the government encouraged people to settle in Queensland. They wanted people to grow crops like sugar cane. The "Alienation of Crown Lands Act of 1868" helped people with less money get land for farming. In 1878, land sales started near the Burdekin River. A man named William Bannister bought land and soon after created a town called Brandon.
Growing Community Needs
As more people moved to Brandon, they needed community services and places for worship. Priests from Townsville would visit to hold Catholic services. They used different places like a sugar mill, hotels, and even the local school in Brandon.
In 1893, the Burdekin area became part of the Diocese of Rockhampton. In 1896, people decided to build the first Catholic church in the Burdekin District in Brandon. This first church opened in 1897. However, it was damaged by Cyclone Leonta in 1903 and had to be rebuilt using the damaged materials.
A New Church and Parish
Around 1907, priests from Ingham took care of the Burdekin district. By 1908, it was looked after by the Townsville Parish. In 1910, plans were made to create a new parish that included both Brandon and Ayr. This new parish officially started on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 1912.
The new St Patrick's Church was built in 1910. The older church was moved and used as a school. Later, in 1936, it was moved again to become St Francis Catholic Church in Jarvisfield. In 1944, a small part of the new St Patrick's Church was damaged by fire, but it was repaired.
Changes and Preservation
The church was used by the Catholic community until 1974. A new church was opened next door on April 21, 1974. The old church was recognized as important by the National Trust of Queensland and the Australian Heritage Commission in 1975.
In 1979, the church was sold to Filippo Patane, who rented it to the Burdekin Academy of Dance. In 1989, Cyclone Aivu hit, and the building lost much of its roof and was moved off its foundations. The owner decided to sell it for removal. However, the Burdekin Shire Council wanted to save this historic building. They bought it in April 1989 to keep it in the town.
In January 1991, the building was moved to a new spot next to the Renown Theatre on Spillar Street in Brandon. The Shire Council fixed it up to be a community meeting place and for weddings. Since April 2015, the council has used the building as the Artspace. Here, local artists can show and sell their art and crafts.
What the Church Looks Like
The former St Patrick's Church is a single-story timber building. It is located on the edge of Brandon town. It faces Spillar Street to the east. The building sits on low stumps and has a steep, pointed roof covered with corrugated iron.
The front of the church is balanced, with an entrance porch in the middle. On each side of the porch are tall, narrow windows. The parts of the roof that stick out have decorative wooden supports.
The outside walls have exposed wooden frames and are covered with wooden boards. The side walls of the main hall are supported by timber buttresses, which are like strong supports. The tall windows, doors, and archways all have pointed, arched tops, which is a style called Gothic.
You enter through the porch at the eastern end. Inside, the main part of the building is an open hall with a shiny timber floor. Above the entrance, there is a small loft area that you can reach by a narrow wooden staircase. The roof inside has special wooden supports and a sloped ceiling lined with diagonal boards. At the back, there is a small room leading to the rear doors. There are no original church fittings left inside.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The former St Patrick's Catholic Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, because it meets several important rules:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. The church helps us understand how the Burdekin District grew and how the Catholic Church became established in North Queensland.
- It shows important features of its building style. It is a great example of a "carpenter Gothic" church. This means it's a wooden building designed to look like the grand stone Gothic churches. It was even used as an example of this style in a book called Identifying Australian Architecture.
- It is beautiful. The church has a very nice design and looks appealing. It is listed on the Registers of both the National Estate and the National Trust of Queensland because of its beautiful architecture.
- It is important to the community. The church has a strong connection with the Catholic community in the area. It is believed to be the oldest building still standing in the Shire of Burdekin. The Shire Council bought it to make sure it was saved for the community.
