St James Anglican Church, Toowoomba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James Church, Toowoomba |
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Viewed from Mort Street, 2014
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| Location | 145 Mort Street, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s–1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1869–1953 |
| Architect | Richard George Suter |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: St James Church, St James Church of England | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 28 July 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601298 |
| Significant period | 1860s (historical) 1860s, 1880s, 1900s, 1950s (fabric) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, church, views to, furniture/fittings, steeple, stained glass window/s, garden/grounds, tower – bell / belfry |
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St James Church is an old and important Anglican church building in Toowoomba, Australia. It is located at 145 Mort Street, right on the corner with Russell Street. A famous architect named Richard George Suter designed it. The church was built over many years, from 1869 to 1953. It is also known as St James Church of England. This special building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 July 2000 because of its history and unique design.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
St James Church of England was built in 1869. It was designed by Richard George Suter, a well-known architect from Brisbane. This church was actually the second Church of England building in Toowoomba.
Why a New Church Was Needed
The very first Church of England in Toowoomba was a small wooden building. It was built in 1857 on the same spot where St Luke's Anglican Church is today. Toowoomba was growing very fast, and soon this small church was too tiny for all the people.
People started talking about building a bigger, more lasting church. Some wanted to replace the old wooden church with a brick one in the same spot. Others, especially important people in the town, thought the church should move to a new area. A man named James Taylor, who was a politician, even offered land near the Mort Estate for the new church.
Choosing a Design and Location
In 1866, a local architect named Arthur Hartley drew some plans. Then, in 1868, Richard George Suter from Brisbane also created designs. In September 1868, the church leaders liked Suter's plans.
However, they still couldn't agree on where to build the new church! Finally, in February 1869, the Bishop changed his mind. He decided the Mort Estate site was better because more people lived there.
Building the Church
In April 1869, a local builder named Richard Godsall won the contract to build the church for £1400. Construction began soon after.
Suter's design for St James Church looked like the small parish churches in England from that time. They were Gothic Revival style buildings. This means they had steep roofs, small fancy towers, and beautiful brickwork with pointed arch windows.
The original St James Church is special because it used bricks of different colors to create stripes. This is called "polychrome brickwork" and it's quite rare in Queensland. Suter designed other churches like this, including St Mark's in Warwick.
The Opening Day
The land for St James Church was bought by James Taylor in 1865. The official church organization took ownership in 1884.
The first stone of the church was laid on 1 May 1869 by the Governor of Queensland, Samuel Wensley Blackall. The church officially opened on Thursday, 23 December 1869. The Bishop of Brisbane, Edward Tufnell, led the opening ceremony.
The local newspaper, the Toowoomba Chronicle, wrote about the opening. They described the church as having a round chancel (the area near the altar), a main hall called a nave, and side sections called transepts. It had a stone foundation and fancy stone details.
The Two Churches Debate
Many people, including the Bishop, thought this new church would replace the older St Luke's. But the new church was named St James, after St James the Less. This showed it was a new church, not just a continuation of St Luke's.
Some church members were unhappy about the move. They wanted to keep the old St Luke's site, where services still happened in what was now a school room. This argument went on for about 30 years! In the early 1900s, St Luke's and St James finally became separate church areas, divided by Margaret Street.
Changes and Additions Over Time
By 1876, St James Church was already considered too small. Cracks even appeared in the round chancel at the eastern end. Money was tight because they were still supporting two churches.
It wasn't until 1882 that major additions began. Local architect James Marks designed these changes. The original round chancel was replaced with a larger brick extension. This new part had a pointed end facing Mort Street with a special three-part window. The main nave was also made longer.
In the 1880s, beautiful wooden carvings behind the altar (called a reredos), altar rails, and choir seats were added. Amazing stained glass windows were also put in the northern nave windows. These windows, made by an English company, show scenes like the Nativity of Jesus and the Agony in the Garden. In the 1890s, the slate roof was replaced with metal sheeting.
More structural problems appeared, and in 1904, the eastern part of the church facing Mort Street was taken down. The chancel was rebuilt, along with the northern transept. This work was overseen by Brisbane architect John Smith Murdoch.
In 1912, the St James Parish Hall was built across Russell Street. It's also a heritage-listed building. In 1953, another part, the baptistery, was rebuilt. More recently, the southern porch was replaced with a brick section.
What St James Church Looks Like
St James Church is on the corner of Russell and Mort Streets in Toowoomba. There's a new rectory (the priest's house) next to it. A wooden bell tower stands behind the church. Gardens and old trees surround the building.
Architectural Style and Features
St James is a medium-sized building. It shows the importance of early English Gothic Revival architecture in churches during the late 1800s. You can see this style in its steep roof and wooden steeple. The church also has special brickwork, stained glass windows, and pointed arch openings. Inside, it has wooden roof supports called hammer beam trusses and dark wooden furniture like pews and altar rails.
Because the church has been changed and added to many times, the brickwork and details on the outside are not all the same. The oldest part of the building stands out with its striped brickwork and sandstone details. Newer parts are built with bricks of a single color.
The church has a cross shape, called a cruciform plan. The main part, the nave, runs from east to west, with the altar end facing Mort Street. The nave has a pointed roof covered with metal. The side sections, the transepts, also have pointed roofs, a bit lower than the main roof. Where the roofs cross, there's a small wooden steeple. This steeple has open, decorative wood and a tall, pointed metal roof.
The East End and Entrances
The eastern end of the church, facing Mort Street, has been rebuilt a lot. This part, the chancel, is square-shaped. It has a central window with three parts. Outside, there are brick supports called buttresses next to the window and at the corners. On either side of the eastern end are smaller sections with pointed roofs, which are vestries (rooms for clergy).
The northern and southern transepts are where the main entrances to the church are. The northern porch is open, with a brick base and wooden railings. It has an arched opening. Above this porch is another three-part window. The porch on the southern transept was replaced around the 1970s with a closed entrance area.
Along the sides of the main nave, there are small, narrow windows called lancet windows. These are separated by brick buttresses.
Inside the Church
The western side of the building has a small pointed roof section that was added later. Above this section is another three-part window.
Inside, the church is one large open space with white painted walls. The ceiling is divided into sections, or bays, by wooden hammer beam roof trusses. The ceiling itself is lined with wooden boards.
A special part of the inside are the beautiful wooden screens and rails around the altar. Stained glass windows light up the nave and the western end of the church. Old wooden pews are arranged in two sections with a central aisle for walking.
Why St James Church is Important
St James Church was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 July 2000 for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. St James Anglican Church is an old church from the 1860s. It shows how the Church of England grew in southeast Queensland.
- It shows rare or unusual parts of Queensland's culture. The original part of the church is a rare example of a Gothic Revival building that uses different colored bricks. This was common in England and southern Australian states, but not often seen in Queensland.
- It shows the main features of this type of building. It's a great example of early English Gothic Revival architecture for a small church.
- It is beautiful and well-designed. St James is a good example of the work of the important early architect, Richard Suter. Its original part is special because of its unique polychrome brickwork.
- It has a strong connection to the community. The church has been a place of worship for over 130 years. It holds social and spiritual meaning for many people.
