St Anne's Anglican Church, Jondaryan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Anne's Anglican Church, Jondaryan |
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Church building and grounds, 2014
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| Location | Evanslea Road, Jondaryan, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1859 - 1893 |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: St Annes Anglican Church, Jondaryan, Jondaryan Homestead church, St Anne's Church of England | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600634 |
| Significant period | 1850s-1890s (historical) 1850s-1860s (fabric) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | furniture/fittings, church, views to |
| Builders | Hugh Bradford |
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St Anne's Anglican Church is a very old church located on Evanslea Road in Jondaryan, Australia. It is also known as the Jondaryan Homestead Church. This special church was built in 1859 by a carpenter named Hugh Bradford. It started as a private chapel for the huge Jondaryan farm station.
The first church service was held there in late 1859 by a preacher named Benjamin Glennie. Later, the church also served the new town of Jondaryan. In 1893, it was moved to its current spot and changed a bit. St Anne's is the oldest church still standing in the Darling Downs area. It is also one of the oldest churches in all of Queensland! People still have church services there today, and it's a popular place for tourists to visit. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Contents
The Story of St Anne's Church
St Anne's Church is made of timber slabs and was built way back in 1859. It started as a private church on a big farm called Jondaryan Station.
Early Days of Jondaryan Station
Jondaryan Station was first set up in 1842. Over the years, it had a few different owners. In 1856, Robert and Edwin Tooth bought it. They were also involved in starting a famous brewery and a sugar company. Later, in 1858, Kent and Weinholt leased the station, and then bought it in 1863. James C. White managed Jondaryan for them.
Big farm stations like Jondaryan were like small villages. Many people lived and worked there, not just the manager's family. They had homes for workers, a store, a blacksmith, and other important shops. By 1870, Jondaryan had over 500 employees!
Reverend Benjamin Glennie's Visits
The first travelling minister for the Darling Downs area was Reverend Benjamin Glennie. He was a very energetic pioneer clergyman. In 1848, he was asked to serve the Moreton Bay area, so he could only visit Jondaryan sometimes. But from 1850, he was based closer, in Drayton. He held services at many stations on the Downs. The first church in Toowoomba wasn't built until 1856.
Building the Church in 1859
Going to church was important for the people living on the station. In 1859, James White arranged for a church design from an architect in Melbourne. Jondaryan Station was building many new things around 1860, including a new main house. Building the church was probably one of the first steps in making the station better.
An Irish carpenter named Hugh Bradford built the church. He used materials from Jondaryan and also ordered some from Toowoomba. Reverend Benjamin Glennie held the very first service in the new church on 23 October 1859. Mr. White's wife, Anne, also ran a Sunday school for the children on the station. Even though Glennie was Anglican, the church was open for workers from other Christian groups to use.
Moving the Church in 1893
A town also grew up nearby, called Jondaryan. It became more important after the Western railway line arrived in 1868. Even so, the town's success was closely linked to the station. St Anne's, the station church, remained the main place of worship for the town.
In 1893, there were very bad floods. The church was the only building on the station that stayed above the water! Later that year, people decided to move the church to its current spot. This new site was about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) from the Jondaryan town. Thomas Taylor, who owned the local hotel, gave the land for the church. He also gave a beautifully carved lectern to the church.
When the church was moved, some changes were made. A small room called a vestry was added. The ceiling and the special area for the altar, called the sanctuary, were lined. The main part of the church, called the nave, had its floor lowered. The church then became part of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane. It was officially dedicated on 18 December 1893. A carved Bishop's chair, made from Queensland beech wood, was given at that time. The pine pews (church benches) and the silky oak prayer book case were made by the Jondaryan station carpenter.
More recently, around 1988-1990, new concrete supports were added along the walls. These help support steel beams that were put in above the original timber stumps. The church still holds regular services and is a popular place to visit.
What St Anne's Church Looks Like
St Anne's Church has a main area called a nave with four sections. It also has a clerestory, which is a raised part of the roof with windows. You enter through a small porch with a pointed roof. The church also has a chancel, which is a special area with a raised floor and its own roof.
The vestry (small room) on the south side has a lower floor than the church. You reach it by steps. The whole building stands on timber stumps. The roof is made of corrugated iron and has a small belfry (bell tower) at the western end. The front and back of the church have decorative, scalloped barge boards.
The church is mostly built with vertical timber slabs and battens. The timber slabs on the east and west clerestory walls, the vestry, and the lower gable walls are laid flat. The upper parts are covered in weatherboards. The windows are narrow and pointed, called lancets. The clerestory windows are square. The sanctuary window has borders of coloured glass.
Inside, the roof is held up by special wooden frames called kingpost trusses and square hardwood posts. The walls of the clerestory and chancel are covered with horizontal pine boards. In the main walking areas, called aisles, you can see the rough, hand-cut ironbark slabs of the walls. The church is simply furnished with an altar table, a lectern (stand for reading), altar rails, and timber pews.
Why St Anne's Church is Important
St Anne's Anglican Church in Jondaryan was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's a very important historical site for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland grew: St Anne's Church helps us understand how early farm stations in Queensland worked. Jondaryan, run by the Tooth family, was like a small community with a "village" for its workers and their families.
- It's a rare old building: St Anne's is the oldest church still standing in the Darling Downs area. It's also one of the very oldest churches in all of Queensland.
- It teaches us about old building methods: The church shows us examples of how buildings were made long ago, using materials found nearby.
- It looks beautiful: Many people find the church very pleasing to look at.
- It's special to the community: The church has been important to the families of Jondaryan and the surrounding community for a very long time, for social, cultural, and spiritual reasons.
- It's linked to important people: The church is also connected to the life and work of Reverend Benjamin Glennie. He was the first Anglican clergyman (preacher) in the Darling Downs area.
