St John's Anglican Church, Rockhampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Anglican Church, Rockhampton |
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St John's Anglican Church
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| Location | 278 Ford Street, Berserker, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1912 |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: St John's Church | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 5 August 2003 |
| Reference no. | 602342 |
| Significant period | 1910s (historical) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | views to, trees/plantings, furniture/fittings, church, memorial – plaque |
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St John's Anglican Church is a special old church located at 278 Ford Street in Berserker, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1912 and is considered a very important historical site. Because of its history, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 5, 2003.
The Church's Story
St John's Mission Church is a small timber building designed in a Gothic style. It was built in mid-1912 on Ford Street in North Rockhampton. This area was once known as "Kanaka Town." This church was actually the second place of worship on this spot. It replaced a smaller mission room that was built there in 1896.
South Sea Islanders in Rockhampton
From the 1860s, people from the South Sea Islands (sometimes called Kanakas) began arriving in Rockhampton. They came to work on sugar cane farms and large cattle properties. The first group included 189 men from an island called Tanna.
The Church of England started reaching out to the South Sea Islander people in the Rockhampton area in the 1880s. This was around the time a new church area, or parish, was formed in North Rockhampton. The Church of England Diocese of Rockhampton was officially created in 1892. By 1889, there were about 200 Islanders in the North Rockhampton parish. The Church even helped Islander families buy land in the Creek and Ford Street area. They did this by putting the property in the Church's name.
The First Mission Room
The land where St John's Mission Church stands was bought in 1891. In 1896, the South Sea Islander community in North Rockhampton built the first St John's Mission Room on this land. They used their own materials and did all the work themselves. It was officially opened on May 5, 1896. The first baptisms (a Christian ceremony) for nine South Sea Islander people happened there on June 19, 1896. The first wedding was held on December 15, 1896.
The South Sea Islander community used this small mission room for their weekday meetings and Sunday School. They also went to St Barnabas' Church, which was about a kilometer away, for regular services. The Islanders had also helped prepare the land for St Barnabas' Church in 1896.
Standing Up for the Community
The South Sea Islander community in Rockhampton showed great dedication to their Christian faith. The church leaders, local parish, and church council (Synod) supported them. They stood with the Islanders in their fight against a law called the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901. This law would have forced many South Sea Islander people to return to their home islands.
In 1904, the Synod asked the Australian Government to stop this forced removal. This was especially important for children born in Australia to Islander families. It was also important for those who had lived in Australia for many years.
Building the New Church
By 1910, the first mission room was badly damaged by white ants. So, plans were made to build a stronger church. On January 19, 1910, the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton bought the land for £10. The community then started raising money to build the new church.
By May 1912, the South Sea Islander community had raised £60 for the new St John's Mission Church. They did this without much help from the parish. The total cost was estimated at £80.
The foundation stone for the new church was laid by Bishop George Halford on May 25, 1912. About 30 South Sea Islanders were there. The Bishop, clergy, and people walked around the church site, making offerings as they sang "Onward, Christian Soldiers". The church was finished and fenced by the end of October 1912. The remaining £20 debt was paid off by the mission members in March 1913.
Community Life and Leaders
Two services were held at the church each week. One was on Sunday afternoons, led by Frank Solomon. The other was on Tuesday evenings, led by the Vicar (a church minister). Mr. Solomon was born in the Solomon Islands. He was a lay reader, meaning he was a non-clergy member who helped lead services. He often led the evening prayers and services. Frank Solomon was a dedicated member of the church. He was the Vicar's representative on the first St John's Mission Church Committee in 1912. He passed away on October 5, 1945.
In the 1910s, the South Sea Islander community in North Rockhampton grew as families settled down. By June 1913, a Sunday School had started at St John's. In 1916, the church building was made bigger. A sanctuary (a holy part of the church) was added to the eastern end. Around 1916, a silver wattle tree was planted south of the building.
St John's Mission Church has had a long connection with the people of Menapi, in Papua. They have given gifts to the North Rockhampton church many times. One special gift is a clam-shell font (a basin for baptisms) on a carved stand.
Florence Amy Willie (1922–1981) was an important community leader who was baptised at this church. Her family came from Ambrym in Vanuatu. She was also known as Florence Amy VeaVea. She later became a church council member and helped take care of St John's.
St John's Church celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday, October 28, 1962. For the anniversary, volunteers covered the outside of the church with new material and painted it. Two weeks later, Mrs. Pasawi and Mrs. Crutwell from Menapi gave two pictures to St John's. One was of the Last Supper, and the other was of Bishop George Ambo. It is thought that the pine trees on either side of the church's front entrance were planted around the time the front porch was enclosed.
Weekly services and Sunday School at St John's were a very important part of the South Sea Islander community in North Rockhampton. They continued with few breaks until recently. Now, many South Sea Islander families live across North Rockhampton and the surrounding areas. A small group still attends Sunday services at St John's. While Sunday School no longer happens, special events like funerals, christenings, and Christian holidays still bring many people to the church. St John's Church is still a key part of Ford Street. It shows the physical, spiritual, and community growth of the South Sea Islander people in Rockhampton.
What the Church Looks Like
St John's Anglican Church is on Ford Street in North Rockhampton, in the area once called "Kanaka Town." It is a small building made of timber. It has a main rectangular part with a gable roof. At the eastern end, there is a hipped-roof sanctuary. At the western end, there is a small entry porch with a skillion roof. The church looks like a small box with a steep roof made of corrugated iron. It has pointed arch windows and exposed timber walls, which are features of the Gothic style.
Most of the outside of the building is covered with fibrous-cement sheeting. This was put over the original timber walls. The church sits on timber stumps, which are about 0.75 meters (2.5 feet) high at the western end and 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) high at the eastern end. All the stumps have been replaced or fixed over time.
The sanctuary at the eastern end of the building has no windows. Its walls are covered with weatherboards. The front entry porch at the western end used to be open. Now, its side walls are covered with fibrous-cement sheeting, each with a small rectangular window. You enter the porch using central timber stairs. There is a skillion awning (a small roof) across the front of the church and the porch. The inside wall of the porch is the original outside wall of the main church. It has the original double timber doors that lead into the main hall.
There are two pointed arched windows on each side wall of the main hall. Their arched tops are now covered on the outside but can still be seen from inside the church. Below each arch are two hopper windows (windows that open inwards from the top).
The inside walls of the main hall and the sanctuary are lined with timber boards, which are now painted. The timber boards in the main hall, which is the oldest part, are wider than those in the sanctuary. The ceilings of both areas have been covered with newer fibrous-cement sheeting, making them look continuous. The floors throughout are timber boards, but the sanctuary floor is a bit higher.
In the main hall, two rows of timber pews (church benches) are arranged on either side of a central aisle. Plaques and religious pictures are attached to the walls. A large timber crucifix hangs from the ceiling frame between the sanctuary and the main hall. A framed picture of Jesus and his disciples is in the center of the wall above a gold curtain. The main altar is in front of the curtain on a raised platform.
At the eastern end of the main hall, between the pews and the sanctuary, there is church furniture. This includes a timber prayer desk, a timber chair, a small podium, and a simply carved clam-shell font. The carvings on the font's stand show religious pictures about the life and crucifixion of Jesus. A dedication plaque on the base of the font says:
To the Glory of God for use at St John's Mission Church, Ford Street North Rockhampton. This Shell was given by the people of St Bartholomew Menapi-Papua and Parish priests Father Norman Cruttwell and Father Amos Paisawa to the Mission Congregation of St Johns.
The font, pictures, and prayer desk are still important parts of the church. The font is used for baptisms and special services. It is also a unique piece of furniture.
The grounds around St John's Anglican Church have well-kept lawns. Trees and shrubs surround the church, and there are garden beds along the eastern and northern edges. Several trees, including a poinciana, two pine trees that frame the church entrance, and a large silver wattle, separate the church from the grass path leading to Ford Street. The pine trees especially make the church and its grounds look balanced.
Why St John's Church is Important
St John's Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 5, 2003, because it meets several important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
St John's Anglican Church is important because it shows how the South Sea Islander community in Central Queensland grew. It also shows how different cultures came together in Rockhampton. The site of St John's Church has been important to the South Sea Islander community since the first mission room was opened on May 5, 1896. The current St John's Mission Church was built in 1912 by the South Sea Islander community themselves, without financial help from the church leaders. This shows how the whole community worked together for something they believed was important for their spiritual well-being.
Showing Church Characteristics
St John's Anglican Church shows the main features of a European church building that was adapted by the South Sea Islander culture. With its pitched gable roof, cross decorations, pointed arch windows (seen inside), porch, and sanctuary, St John's Church is a good example of a simple, Gothic-influenced timber church. The inside of the church is very important to the South Sea Islander community. Many items, like the clam-shell font on its carved stand, connect them to the people who were part of the church and to the missionaries in Menapi, Papua, who helped them.
Its Beautiful Look
St John's Church is still a significant part of Ford Street's appearance. As a reminder of North Rockhampton's "Kanaka Town," it shows the physical, spiritual, and community growth of the South Sea Islander people in Rockhampton.
The trees along the front of the property are also special. These include two distinct pine trees on either side of the front entrance, a poinciana tree, and a large silver wattle. The silver wattle is thought to be from the original plantings on the site, as seen in a photo from around 1916.
Connection to the Community
St John's Anglican Church and the mission room before it have a strong and special connection to the South Sea Islander community for social, cultural, and spiritual reasons. Socially, St John's has been a central place for community gatherings and events. These include Christian holidays, prayer services, Sunday school, weddings, funerals, baptisms, and church meetings. The church connects people to the early Islanders who built a strong community in the area and nearby regions, sharing a spiritual bond with the Church.
Association with Important People
St John's has a special connection with the church leaders, parish, and Synod who supported the South Sea Islander community. They opposed the Australian laws of 1901 that tried to force South Sea Islander people to return to their home islands against their will. St John's Church is also linked to the important work of individuals within the South Sea Islander community and the Anglican Church. These people were significant in the history of Queensland. They include Bishop George Halford, who became the Anglican Bishop of Rockhampton in 1909. He was highly respected for his long and active support of the South Sea Islander community. Another important person was Frank Solomon, the South Sea Islander community's representative on the first St John's Mission Church Committee, who dedicated his life to this church.
