St George's Anglican Church, Beenleigh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's Anglican Church, Beenleigh |
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Church in 2015
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| Location | Beenleigh Historical Village, Main Street, Beenleigh, City of Logan, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architect | Francis Drummond Greville Stanley |
| Official name: St George's Anglican Church | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600001 |
| Significant period | 1876 (fabric) 1876–1964, 1981 (historical) |
| Significant components | tower – bell / belfry |
| Builders | Wohlsen and Ehlers |
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St George's Anglican Church is a very old church building located in the Beenleigh Historical Village in Beenleigh, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built in 1875. This church is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
The story of St George's Church began in March 1871. That's when Reverend Dubois became the Church of England minister for Beenleigh. He started holding church services in the local court house.
By August 1871, the people of Beenleigh decided they wanted their own church building. But things slowed down when Reverend Dubois left in March 1873. For a while, there was no new minister.
Then, in January 1874, Reverend James Gilbertson arrived. Plans for the church started up again! They asked builders to offer prices for the work in May 1874.
The church was finally built in 1875. The builders were Wohlsen and Ehlers. The design came from a well-known architect from Brisbane, FDG Stanley. A local pioneer, Michael Tansey, generously gave the land for the church. It was officially opened on Thursday, September 16, 1875.
This was the very first church ever built in Beenleigh. At that time, Beenleigh was part of the Southport church area. Later, it became its own church area in 1982.
A new church, also called St George's Anglican Church, was built right next door in 1964. In 1981, the original old church building was carefully moved. It found its new home at the Beenleigh Historical Village, where it was also repaired.
What the Church Looks Like
This church is a single-storey building made of timber. It sits on low concrete stumps. The roof is very steep and made of corrugated iron. You can find it facing Main Street in the Beenleigh Historical Village.
The church has a rectangular shape. It has a smaller section at the northern end called a chancel. The chancel is narrower and has a lower roof than the main part of the church. A small entrance area, called a porch, is on the western side. This is the only way to get inside.
The walls are made of vertical timber boards. You can see the wooden frame on the outside, which has a cool criss-cross pattern. The ceiling inside is also made of diagonal timber boards.
The entrance and the front of the church have decorative curved and diagonal timber pieces. Four wooden steps lead up to the porch. The main doors are double doors made of diagonal timber boards. They open right into the main space of the church.
Inside, the main room is open. The chancel area has a slightly raised wooden floor. It is framed by a special arch called a chancel arch.
You can see the wooden beams (called rafters) that support the roof. There are also strong wooden beams (called tie beams) that help hold the roof up.
The church has tall, thin windows that open outwards. They are arranged in groups of three on the end walls and as single windows on the side walls. In front of the church, there's a copy of the original wooden bell tower.
Why This Church is Special
St George's Anglican Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's important for a few reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. This church was the very first one built in Beenleigh. It helps us understand the early days of the town.
- It's a beautiful building. The church is a great example of how timber can be used to create a decorative and attractive building.
- It shows great design and building skills. It's a fine example of how a timber church can be built in a creative way.
- It's connected to an important person. The church is one of the surviving works of the famous architect FDG Stanley.
See also
- List of churches under the patronage of Saint George
