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 beautiful old Roman Catholic church located at 46 Grove Street in Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named Jack Hennessy, junior. The church was built between 1929 and 1936. It is so special that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005, which means it's an important historical building.
Contents
History of the Church
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola in Toowong first opened its doors in 1930. It was built in a style called Romanesque Revival, which means it looks like old Roman buildings. The church was part of a big plan by Archbishop James Duhig to build many important churches in Brisbane. He wanted these churches to show how strong and present the Catholic Church was in the area.
Early Days of Catholicism in Toowong
Toowong started to grow in the 1860s, especially after the railway line opened in 1875. People built homes there, and by 1878, there were enough families for a school.
The first Catholic Mass in Toowong was held in a private home in 1879. There was no church building yet, so Catholics went to St Stephen's Cathedral in the city. In 1888, Archbishop Robert Dunne bought land for a church. On 9 April 1893, a new timber church, called St Michael and the Holy Souls, was opened.
In 1902, the Sisters of Mercy, a group of nuns, bought a large house nearby. They called it Mount St Mary's Convent and started teaching at the school next to the church in 1903. A tram line opened in 1904, helping Toowong grow even more.
In 1912, James Duhig became a leader in the church, helping Archbishop Dunne. He wanted to bring more religious groups to Queensland to help with education. In 1916, a group called the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits) took over the Toowong area. They bought a house near the church to use as a home for their priests. It opened on 30 July 1916, which is St Ignatius Loyola Day.
By the 1920s, both the church and school were getting too small. The Sisters of Mercy offered some of their land for a new, bigger building. In 1928, people decided to build a hall under the new church that could also be used as a school. John Francis (Jack) Hennessy, a well-known architect, drew up the plans in 1929. He had designed other churches for Archbishop Duhig, like St Agatha in Clayfield and Corpus Christi in Nundah.
Building the Church
The first stone for the new church was laid on 16 June 1929. Archbishop Duhig said that "the day of wooden churches are past." He wanted strong, lasting churches to be built.
The new church was built by Concrete Constructions Ltd. All the materials used were of the best quality. The altars were designed in Melbourne and made in Italy. Many beautiful gifts were given to the church, including statues and stained glass windows. Some windows were made by John Hardman of London, and others by William Bustard, a famous local artist.
People thought the new church would be one of the most beautiful in Queensland. Its "Italian Romanesque style" with bright colors was seen as perfect for Queensland's climate. The inside of the church has amazing details, especially the scagliola work in the sanctuary and pulpit.
Scagliola is a special artificial stone made from plaster, glue, and dyes. It can look just like real marble, but it's much lighter. This means big, fancy decorations can be made that would be too heavy or expensive with real stone. This technique was developed a long time ago in Germany and Italy.
An Australian company called Melocco Brothers helped bring scagliola back into use. In 1929, one of the brothers, Galli Melocco, came to Brisbane to work on the St Ignatius Church. It's believed this might be the only major scagliola project in Queensland.
Archbishop Duhig blessed and opened the church on 18 May 1930. It was named after St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. The old timber church was moved to Graceville.
Changes Over Time
Between 1933 and 1936, more work was done on the church. The land around it was dug out to make it easier to get to. The dirt was used to create a car park on the northern side.
The hall under the church wasn't ideal for a school for very long. It was too small. So, 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 for many years.
In 1963, the Sanctuary floor was paved with marble, and new lights were put in. After some changes in church practices, the first Mass where the priest faced the people was held in 1966. A special wooden table was made for this. The baptismal font, made of marble, was moved closer to the front of the church.
What the Church Looks Like
The Church of St Ignatius Loyola is a brick building built on a steep hill in Toowong. Its location and tall square bell tower make it easy to spot from far away. It has two levels: a hall on the bottom and the main church on the top.
The front of the church is unique, with a stepped roofline. It's built with colorful bricks in orange and brown. The roof is covered with Roman terracotta tiles. You reach the upper church level by climbing steps to a large open area. The church is shaped like a cross, with a long main section (nave) and shorter side sections (transepts) that have small chapels. On one side, there's a fancy scagliola pulpit.
Inside, the ceiling is covered with special panels. Above the entrance, there's a choir loft with wooden panels where the organ is located. Near the entrance, there are altars and doors that used to lead to confessional booths, but now they are used for storage.
Along the walls of the main church area, there are panels showing the Stations of the Cross. At the far end, there's a rounded area called the chancel, with rooms for priests and a sanctuary. These areas are decorated with orange-veined scagliola. The floors are concrete, but the Sanctuary has marble paving.
The lower floor has its own entrances and contains a large hall with a stage and a kitchen. There's also a covered walkway with arches along one side.
Right behind the church is a brick school building, but it is not considered part of the heritage listing.
Why the Church is Special
The Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005 for several important reasons:
- Showing Queensland's History: This church is a great example of how the Catholic Church grew in Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. Archbishop James Duhig wanted to build strong, beautiful churches on high places to show the Church's importance. This church fits that vision perfectly.
- Unique Features: The church is special because it uses a lot of scagliola in its sanctuary and pulpit. This might be the only place in Queensland with such extensive use of this artificial stone.
- Great Example of its Style: It's an excellent example of a church built between the two World Wars. It shows the popular Romanesque Revival style with its tower, interesting shape, and colorful brickwork. This style was a favorite of Archbishop Duhig.
- Beautiful Design: The church is very beautiful and well-designed, sitting on a prominent spot. The inside is especially lovely with its high-quality stained glass, altars, statues, and the amazing scagliola work on the walls and pulpit.
- Important to the Community: As a local parish church and former school, it has been very important to Catholic families in the area for many years. It has provided spiritual, social, and educational support.
- Connected to Important People: The church has strong links to Archbishop James Duhig and the architect John Francis Hennessy. It also shows the important work of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Queensland.
See also
- List of Jesuit sites
