St John's Church, Mundoolun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Church, Mundoolun |
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St John the Evangelist Church, Mundoolun, 2006
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| Location | Mundoolun Road, Mundoolun, City of Logan, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1901 - 1915 |
| Architect | John Hingeston Buckeridge |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: St John's Church, Memorial Church of St John the Evangelist | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 26 November 1999 |
| Reference no. | 601082 |
| Significant period | 1900s |
| Significant components | cemetery, tree groups - avenue of, church, tower, views to, furniture/fittings |
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St John's Church is a special old Anglican church located in Mundoolun, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by an architect named John Hingeston Buckeridge and built between 1901 and 1915. This church is also known as the Memorial Church of St John the Evangelist. It's so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on November 26, 1999, which means it's protected for future generations.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
St. John's Church in Mundoolun is a private family chapel. It was built in 1901 on land owned by the Collins family. They first settled in this area in the 1840s. The church is made from local sandstone and was designed by John Buckeridge, who was the main architect for the Brisbane church area. The Collins family asked him to design it in 1899.
Why the Church Was Built
The Collins family built this chapel to remember John and Anne Collins, their parents. John Collins passed away in 1898. The Collins family came to Australia from Ireland in 1839. This was the same year that the Moreton Bay penal colony closed, allowing new settlers to move into the area around Brisbane.
Anne's cousin, William Humphries, started a large farm at Mundoolun in 1842. The Collins family joined him as partners in 1844. By 1847, they had bought out Humphries and owned the land themselves. The Collins family became very successful farmers, owning many properties like Tamrookum and Rathdowney, as well as their home at Mundoolun.
The Collins Family's Influence
John and Anne Collins had five children. From 1863, their sons helped with the family business. They bought more land further north and west. In 1877, Robert and William Collins started a big farming company in the Northern Territory.
Robert and William went on a trip around the world in 1878-1879. This trip greatly influenced Robert. In the United States, he was very impressed by the idea of National Parks. When he returned, he started working hard to create a national park in the McPherson Range in Queensland. He continued this effort until he died. He even became a member of the Queensland Parliament in 1896 to help his goal. Sadly, he didn't live to see Lamington National Park created in 1915. However, he is known as the "Father of the National Park Ideal" in Queensland.
Choosing the Church Location
Around 1900, the Collins family was very successful. The five children decided to build a memorial for their parents. They chose a spot on a hill near the family cemetery. From this spot, they could see their home and the Albert Valley.
The Architects and Builders
The family asked architect John Buckeridge to design the chapel. Buckeridge had come to Queensland in 1886 to help build St. John's Cathedral in Brisbane. He was the official architect for the Brisbane church area from 1887 to 1902. He designed about sixty wooden churches in Southern Queensland.
Even though Buckeridge designed it, another architect named Robin Dods oversaw the building of St. John's, Mundoolun. Construction started on June 22, 1900. It took almost 18 months to finish, with fifteen men working nearly all the time. The local stone was very hard to cut, which made the work slow. The stone came from a quarry nearby. The altar, lectern (where readings are given), prayer desk, seats, doors, and ceiling wood were all made from red cedar trees from Tamborine Mountain.
The church was officially opened on December 27, 1901, which is St. John the Evangelist Day. However, it wasn't officially made a sacred place until August 29, 1905. A tower was added in 1915 to remember Robert Martin Collins, who died in 1913. The base for the tower was built in 1900 with the rest of the chapel, but it took almost twenty years to finish the tower itself. Bells were never put in the tower.
Today, St John's Church is part of the Jimboomba Parish in the Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane. It is often used for weddings and other special events.
What the Church Looks Like
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St. John's Church in Mundoolun is a family chapel made of sandstone. It's designed in a style called Early English Gothic, which is a type of old church architecture. It sits on top of a hill. A path lined with hoop pine trees leads to the entrance. A small cemetery with more hoop pines is located to the southwest of the church.
Church Structure
The church looks strong and solid, even though it's not huge. It faces southeast. It has a main worship area (called the nave and chancel), a special area for the altar (the sanctuary), a small room on the south side (the vestry), and an entrance on the north side (the porch). There's also a room for the organ with a balcony, and a tall tower on the west side with a place for baptisms at its base. You can also see a metal rainwater tank on the south side.
The church walls are made of rough sandstone blocks. The outside stone has a textured look, while the inside is smooth. The window frames and parts of the buttresses (supports on the outside walls) are also smooth. The roof is very steep and covered with corrugated iron. The porch, vestry, and organ room have their own smaller roofs. The porch ceiling and doors are made of cedar wood. The outer porch door was removed due to damage and has been replaced with a metal security door.
Windows and Tower
The tower has strong buttresses supporting it. It has a decorative top edge called a castellated parapet. There are three windows with wooden slats on each side of the tower, where bells would normally be. The church gets its light from tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. Many of these windows have been fixed or replaced because of damage.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has beautiful wooden features made from local red cedar. The ceiling is shaped like a half-barrel and is made of cedar boards. It is supported by curved wooden arches. The vestry, porch, and baptism area have flat cedar ceilings. The baptism area has a special ceiling with hinged sections, possibly for bell ropes. The organ room has a stone ceiling. The pews (church benches), altar rails, and other furniture are also made of cedar. The floors in the chancel, sanctuary, baptism area, and vestry are raised higher than the main floor. These areas, along with the main walkway, are covered with carpet. On the walls, you can see plaques remembering people from the area, including members of the Collins family.
The Cemetery
The small cemetery next to the church holds the graves of many Collins family members and their relatives. It also has the grave of Bullum, also known as John Allen. He was the last person from the Wangerriburra tribe and had a long connection with the Collins family.
Why This Place Is Important
St John's Church, Mundoolun, was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on November 26, 1999, because it meets several important requirements:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed.
St. John's Church helps us understand how the Beaudesert farming area grew in South-East Queensland.
- It is a rare type of building.
As a large, private family chapel made of stone, St John's Church is a very unusual and special building in Queensland.
- It shows key features of its architectural style.
St. John's clearly shows the main features of an Early English Gothic Revival Church. This includes its lancet windows, simple arched ceilings, buttresses, and its square, castellated bell tower.
- It is beautiful and well-designed.
The church has strong architectural and beautiful qualities. This comes from its excellent design, the use of local materials, skilled craftsmanship, and its lovely, peaceful countryside setting.
- It has a strong connection to a community or group.
St John's Church has a special link to the Collins family. They were early settlers in the Beaudesert area who became very important and powerful farmers across Queensland and the Northern Territory. Robert Martin Collins is especially important for his efforts to create a national park in the McPherson Range. He started the national parks movement in Queensland in the 1890s. The cemetery holds the graves of many Collins family members and Bullum (John Allen), the last survivor of the Wangerriburra tribe, who was connected to the family his whole life.
- It is connected to important people in Queensland's history.
The church is also linked to the important church architect, John Buckeridge.
