St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Toowong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola |
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Church from Kensington Terrace, 2014
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| 27°29′09″S 152°59′13″E / 27.4859°S 152.987°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 16 June 1929 |
| Founder(s) | Archbishop James Duhig |
| Dedication | St Ignatius Loyola |
| Dedicated | 18 May 1930 by Archbishop James Duhig |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Jack Hennessy, junior |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Years built | 1929–1936 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick, terracotta tile, fibrous cement sheeting |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Ignatius Parish, Toowong |
| Archdiocese | Brisbane |
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola is a historic Roman Catholic church located in Toowong, Brisbane, Australia. It was designed by architect Jack Hennessy, junior. The church was built between 1929 and 1936. It is known for its special design style, called Romanesque Revival. This church is an important landmark in Queensland.
Contents
History of the Church
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola in Toowong officially opened in 1930. It was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by Jack Hennessy, a Sydney architect. This church was part of a big plan by Archbishop James Duhig to build many important churches in Brisbane. He wanted to show the strength and presence of the Catholic Church.
Early Catholic Community in Toowong
European settlers arrived in Toowong in the 1860s. The area grew quickly after a railway line opened in 1875. In 1879, the first Catholic Mass in Toowong was held in a private home. Before this, Catholics traveled to St Stephens Cathedral in the city center.
In 1888, Archbishop Robert Dunne bought land for a church. A timber church, named St Michael and the Holy Souls, opened there in 1893.
The Sisters of Mercy bought a large house nearby in 1902. They called it Mount St Mary's Convent and started teaching at the school next to the church in 1903. A tramline from the city opened in 1904, helping Toowong grow even more.
Archbishop Duhig's Vision
In 1912, James Duhig became Archbishop Dunne's helper. He took over many duties. Duhig wanted to bring more religious groups to Queensland to expand education. In 1916, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) took charge of the Toowong area. They bought a house near the church for their priests. It opened on July 30, 1916, which is St Ignatius Loyola Day.
By the early 1920s, the old church and school were too small. The Sisters of Mercy offered some of their land for a new building. In 1928, people decided to build a hall under the new church to save money. This hall could also be used as a school.
John Francis (Jack) Hennessy drew up the plans in 1929. His father was also a famous church architect. Jack Hennessy had designed other churches for Archbishop Duhig, including St Agatha in Clayfield and Corpus Christi in Nundah.
Building the New Church
The first stone for the new church was laid on June 16, 1929. Archbishop Duhig said that the time for wooden churches was over. He wanted strong, lasting churches built on high, visible spots.
Concrete Constructions Ltd built the church. All the building materials were of the best quality. The five altars inside were designed in Melbourne and made in Italy. Many beautiful gifts were given to the church. These included statues and stained glass windows. Some windows were made by John Hardman of London. Others were made by William Bustard, a well-known local artist.
The Architects and Builders Journal of Queensland said the church would be "one of the handsomest churches of its size in Queensland." The Catholic Leader newspaper thought the Italian Romanesque style was perfect for Queensland's climate. The church has amazing details inside. This includes fancy altars, statues, stained glass, and special scagliola work.
Scagliola is an artificial stone that looks like marble. It is made from plaster, glues, and dyes. It can be made to look like rare and colorful types of marble. It is much lighter than real marble. This allows for large and detailed decorations that would be too hard or expensive to make with real stone. This technique was developed in Germany and Italy in the 1400s. It was often used to decorate churches.
The church was blessed and opened by Archbishop Duhig on May 18, 1930. It was named after St Ignatius Loyola. The total cost was about £16,010. The old timber church was moved to Graceville.
Changes Over Time
Between 1933 and 1936, some work was done using workers from a program to help people find jobs during the Great Depression. Land around the church was dug out to make it easier to access. The dirt was used to create a car park on the northern side.
The hall under the church was not ideal for a school for long. It was too small. A new school building was started in 1946 and opened in 1948. It has been made bigger several times since then.
In 1959, a pipe organ was installed in the church. It was bought as a memorial to Father Leo Murphy, a priest who had served at St Ignatius since 1942.
In 1963, the Sanctuary floor was paved with marble. New lighting was also put in. After changes from the Second Vatican Council, the first Mass where the priest faced the people was held in 1966. A special wooden communion table was made for this. The baptismal font, made of marble, was moved to the front of the church.
Church Design and Features
The Church of St Ignatius Loyola is a brick building in the Romanesque style. It is built on a steep hill in Toowong. Its high position and square bell tower make it easy to see from far away. It has two levels: a hall on the lower floor and the main church on the upper floor.
The church has a unique front with a stepped roofline. It is built with colorful orange and brown bricks. The roof is covered with Roman terracotta tiles. You reach the upper church level by climbing steps to a large terrace.
The church is shaped like a cross. It has a long main area (nave) and shorter side sections (transepts) with small chapels. On the northern side, there is a fancy scagliola pulpit. Doors on the southern side are reached by bridges from a raised walkway.
The ceiling inside is made of fibrous cement sheets with decorative vents. Above the main entrance, there is a choir loft with wooden panels. This is where the organ is located. Near the entrance, there are also altars and doors to confessional booths, which are now used for storage.
Pictures showing the Stations of the Cross are on the walls of the nave. At the far end is a rounded area called the chancel. This area has vestries (rooms for priests) and a sanctuary. The sanctuary is reached through arches covered in orange-veined scagliola. The floors are concrete, with marble in the Sanctuary.
The lower floor has its own entrances. It contains a large hall with a stage and a kitchen. There is also a covered walkway with arches along the northern side.
Right behind the church is a brick school building. This school is not considered part of the church's heritage listing.
Why This Church is Important
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2005. It is important for several reasons:
- Showing Queensland's History: The church shows how the Catholic Church grew in Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. Archbishop James Duhig wanted to build strong, beautiful churches on important sites. This church is a great example of his vision.
- Unique Features: The church is special because of its wide use of scagliola for the sanctuary and pulpit. This might be the only example of such detailed scagliola work in Queensland.
- Great Design: It is a very good example of a church built between the two World Wars. It shows the popular Romanesque church style with its tower, interesting shapes, and colorful brickwork. This style was a favorite of Archbishop Duhig.
- Beautiful Building: The church is considered very beautiful and well-designed. Its location makes it a landmark. The inside is also notable for its high-quality fittings, including stained glass, altars, statues, and the scagliola work.
- Community Connection: As a parish church, it has been very important to Catholic families in the area for many years. It has provided spiritual, social, and educational support.
- Important People: The church is strongly connected to the work of Archbishop James Duhig and the architect John Francis Hennessey. It also shows the work of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Queensland.
See also
- List of Jesuit sites
