St David's Anglican Church, Allora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Davids Anglican Church, Allora |
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St Davids Anglican Church, 2015
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| Location | 1 Church Street, Allora, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1887–1901 |
| Architect | Francis Drummond Greville Stanley, John H. Buckeridge |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival |
| Official name: St Davids Anglican Church, St David's Church of England | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 24 March 2000 |
| Reference no. | 602061 |
| Significant period | 1880s (historical) ongoing (social) 1880s, 1900s (fabric) |
| Significant components | views to, hall, residential accommodation – rectory, church, garden/grounds, stained glass window/s |
| Builders | W.G Gillam |
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St Davids Anglican Church is a very old and special church located at 1 Church Street in Allora. It is in the Southern Downs Region of Queensland, Australia. This beautiful church was designed by a famous architect named Francis Drummond Greville Stanley. It was built between 1887 and 1901.
The church is also known as St David's Church of England. Because of its history and design, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 March 2000. This means it is protected as an important part of Queensland's past.
The Story of St Davids Church
St. David's Church in Allora is made of timber and built in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like the grand churches from the Middle Ages in Europe. The church stands out at the end of Allora's main street. It was built in 1887–88. Its design came from a top Queensland architect, F.D.G Stanley.
This building is actually the second church to be built on this spot. The area also has a rectory (a house for the church's priest) built in 1901. This rectory was designed by architect John H. Buckeridge. There is also a parish hall, which was built in 1912 and updated in 1962.
Allora is one of Queensland's oldest towns away from the coast. A small settlement started here around Dalrymple Creek in 1844. The town was officially mapped in 1859, and land started being sold in 1860.
In 1862, Reverend Benjamin Glennie bought land for the Anglican Bishop of Brisbane, Edward Tufnell. A small timber cottage was built on this land. It was used as a school, a Sunday school, and a home for the teacher. Reverend Glennie would visit once a month to lead church services. Before this, church services in Allora were often held in the Dalrymple Hotel. Sometimes, they were held at early farms like Talgai Station.
Allora grew steadily through the 1860s. By the end of the decade, it was a busy town. It served the many farms that grew crops on the rich black soil along Dalrymple Creek.
In 1868, the very first St. David's Church was built on the same site as the current one. It was designed by architect Richard George Suter. His timber churches often had a special look with their outside wooden frames. Suter also designed Allora's first school in 1866, which looked similar to the church. The original slab hut continued to be used for church services until the new church was finished. Then, in 1870, it was moved and became part of St. Matthew's Church in Spring Creek. In 1870, Allora became its own church area (parish). A new rectory was built, also designed by Suter.
People started talking about building a new church at a meeting in April 1886. They planned a timber church with a shingle roof that could seat 400 people. Architect F.D.G Stanley discussed the plans with them. However, the first design was too expensive. So, they decided on a smaller church that could seat 250 people.
New plans were shown and accepted in December 1886. In January 1887, local builder W.G Gillam's offer of £800 was accepted. Building was delayed because Bishop William Webber asked for some changes. He wanted doors removed from the north and south walls. Not all his requests could be met. Still, Bishop Webber laid the foundation stone on 5 August. The old 1866 church was moved to make space for the new one. It was then used as a parish hall until it was taken down in 1911.
The new church officially opened with a service on 23 December 1888. However, Bishop Webber did not formally dedicate it until 1 February 1890. At that time, the church was made of a single layer of timber. Its wooden frame was visible on the outside, and it had a timber shingle roof. All the main furniture inside, like the pews, were also designed by Stanley and made from cedar wood.
F.D.G Stanley was a very important architect in early Queensland. He designed ten churches for the Anglican Church, and five of them are still standing. St. David's Church in Allora is the only one of his timber churches that the diocese still owns.
Over the years, St. David's Church has had some small changes. In 1888, a rainwater tank was put on the south side. In 1892, metal rods were added to help support the walls because the heavy shingle roof was pushing them outwards. In 1897, the outside of the church was covered with horizontal pine boards and painted. This cost £108.
After World War I, a special altar and altar rails were added to remember those who served. The original altar was then given to St Andrew's Church at Glengallan. In 1938, for the church's 50th birthday, the shingle roof was replaced with diamond-shaped cement tiles. In 1978, this was changed again to corrugated metal, and the church was painted. In the early 1980s, sixteen beautiful stained glass windows were put in.
The first rectory, designed by Suter, was sold and moved to 35 Warwick Street, Allora. The current rectory was built in 1901. It was designed by architect John H. Buckeridge, who worked for the Diocese. The building cost £546.
A hall for Sunday School was built in 1912. Later, in 1962, it was joined with the old St. Andrew church from Glengallan. Together, they became the parish hall that is there today. In 1967, a small garage and storage shed were added next to the hall.
What the Church Looks Like
St. David's Church in Allora is a small timber building. It sits on a low brick base and is covered with weatherboards (overlapping timber planks). It has a very steep, wide metal roof. The church is part of a large grassy area that also includes the timber rectory and the parish hall.
The church is designed like traditional churches. It has a long central area called a nave with six sections. At the back, there is a rounded area called an chancel. Six windows with fancy tops line the sides of the building. These windows show where the internal sections are.
Gabled parts that stick out from the north and south sides of the church make it look like it has transepts (side arms of a cross-shaped church). This makes the building look more formal and grand. Other cool parts of the church's outside include a thin timber spire called a fleche on the roof. There are also six gabled roof vents and decorative, cut-out wooden boards under the roof edges.
You enter the church through a small gabled entrance porch at the front. This porch is part of a concrete path that goes all the way to the street. At the street, there are four decorative steel gates on brick posts. On either side of the porch, there are single windows with three-leaf clover shapes at the top. Above the porch, there are three tall, narrow lancet stained glass windows. A ramp is located on the northern side of the building for easy access.
Inside the church, you can see the open roof structure. It has arched wooden supports. The ceiling is lined with unpainted, stained timber boards placed diagonally. The timber used for the church and its furniture, like cedar, is now very rare and special. The wooden fittings include the pews (church benches), rails, pulpit (where the preacher stands), and the altar. Stained glass windows are found in the gabled sections of the north and south walls, and in the rounded chancel area.
The rectory is a low, single-story house with a gabled hip roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides). It is made of timber and has verandahs on two sides. One side of the verandah is enclosed. You enter the house by a few steps. These steps are next to two pairs of timber columns with decorative tops and supports. The roof is made of painted corrugated steel and has two brick chimneys.
The parish hall is made of two parts. Both are timber buildings with corrugated steel roofs and stand on short timber posts. The northern part used to be a church. It has a pitched roof, a small entrance porch, and three pairs of double-hung sash windows on each side. The southern part is wider with a flatter roof. It has pairs of casement windows with an arched shape at the top.
Why This Place is Special
St Davids Anglican Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 March 2000. It met several important rules to be listed.
It shows how Queensland's history developed. The St. David's Church area shows how the Allora district grew as an important farming region. It also shows how the Anglican Church grew in Queensland. It reflects how the local community worked together to meet their spiritual needs. The site has both buildings built for the church and older buildings moved there.
The church is also special because of its connection to the famous Queensland architect F.D.G Stanley. It is one of only two of his timber churches for the Anglican Church that are still standing and mostly unchanged. The rectory is also linked to another important Queensland architect, John Buckeridge.
It shows what a typical old church looks like. St. David's Church area shows the main features of a small timber church from the 1800s and its related buildings in a small country town. Key parts of the church include its simple shape, the very steep gable roof, the timber spire, and the decorative wooden boards under the roof.
It is beautiful and well-designed. The church is important for its architecture and beauty. Its design is well put together and uses architectural parts to make the church look grand in its setting. The rectory is also a lovely example of a graceful timber house. All the buildings together make a significant landmark in Allora and can be seen from the New England Highway.
It has a strong connection to the community. St. David's Church has a strong spiritual and social connection with the Anglican community in Allora. It has been their main place of worship for over 100 years.
