St Mark's Anglican Church, Warwick facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids St Mark's Anglican Church, Warwick
St Mark's Anglican Church, 2019
Location	55 Albion Street, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1840s–1860s (mid-19th century)
Built	1868
Architect	Richard George Suter
Architectural style(s)	Gothic

Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: St Marks Anglican Church
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600943
Significant period	1860s–1870s (historical) ongoing (social) 1860s, 1870s, 1930s (fabric) 1980s
Significant components	tower – bell / belfry, views to, furniture/fittings, stained glass window/s, church
Builders	John McCulloch

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St Mark's Anglican Church is a special old church located at 55 Albion Street in Warwick, Queensland, Australia. It's known as a "heritage-listed" building, which means it's important to history and protected. This church was built in 1868 and was designed by an architect named Richard George Suter. It's actually the second church with the name St Mark's to be built on this spot!

A Look Back: The Church's History
What the Church Looks Like
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Why St Mark's Church is Important
See also

A Look Back: The Church's History

St Mark's Anglican Church was built starting in 1868. It was designed by a well-known architect from Brisbane named Richard George Suter. This was the second Anglican church to be built on this particular piece of land in Warwick.

Early Days of the Church

In 1848, a man named Benjamin Glennie came to Australia. He was a deacon, which is a type of church leader. He was sent to the Moreton Bay area, which included what is now Queensland. Glennie traveled a lot to hold church services in places like Ipswich and the Darling Downs.

On August 20, 1848, Glennie led the very first Church of England service on the Darling Downs. It happened at the Royal Bull's Head Inn in a town called Drayton. In 1850, Glennie became the vicar for the Darling Downs. He decided to build four churches in the area. Each church was named after one of the four apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These churches were planned for Drayton, Warwick, Toowoomba, and Dalby.

The first St Mark's church, which was later used as a hall, around 1900.

Building the First Church

The first Anglican church service in Warwick took place around 1848. For a while, services were held in the old Court House. Then, in 1858, Benjamin Glennie helped build a timber church. This first church was on the same land where the stone church stands today.

It was a simple building made of timber slabs with a shingled roof. It cost about £329. This first church was later used as a parish hall until it was taken down in 1910.

Building the Current Church

In 1860, Glennie became the Rector of Warwick. He decided it was time to build a stronger, more lasting church. Richard George Suter, the architect, was chosen for the job. John McCulloch was the builder. The stone for the church came from quarries owned by Bishop Edward Tuffnell.

The first stone of the current church was laid on March 19, 1868. The original part of the church had a short main area (called a nave), side sections (transepts), and a special area for the altar (chancel). It also had a small room called a vestry. The roof was made of timber shingles.

The second St Mark's Church of England in Warwick, around 1887.

Changes and Additions

Over the years, the church has been changed and added to. By 1874, the main part of the church (nave) was made longer. Porches were added to the transepts, and beautiful stained glass windows were put in at the western end.

More big changes happened in 1938 and 1939. A new architect, Lange Leopold Powell, designed these updates. The church was made even bigger using the same type of sandstone. New sections were added next to the chancel. One became a vestry, and the other was an extension of the chapel. The nave was made longer again, and the base of a tower was built at the western end.

The columbarium at St Mark's Anglican Church, 2015.

The plans from 1938 also included Queensland's first columbarium wall. This is a special wall where urns containing ashes of people who have passed away can be placed. Lange Powell died before the work was finished. Another architecture firm, Dods and Thorpe, took over. In 1962, the tower was made taller with an extension.

What the Church Looks Like

St Mark's Anglican Church is a beautiful building made of sandstone. It stands at the corner of Grafton and Albion Streets in Warwick. The church has a traditional cross shape, with extra parts added in the corners. A tower stands next to the main entrance at the western end.

Outside the Church

The church is built from blocks of sandstone. The parts around the windows, carvings, and buttresses (supports) are made of smooth sandstone. The roof is a modern material called Colorbond. It has pointed gables over the main parts of the church.

You enter the church from the western side, which faces a driveway. The entrance has a porch with three pointed arch openings. Above the porch, there's a round window with a beautiful pattern of colored glass.

The tower has two main sections and a bell tower on top. The bottom part of the tower is sandstone, and the upper part is made of brick covered in cement. It has tall, narrow windows.

The sides of the church have transepts with small entrance porches. These porches have steeply sloped roofs. On the north side, steps have been replaced with a ramp to help people with disabilities. The main walls of the church have pairs of tall, narrow windows.

The eastern side of the church has three gabled sections. The middle section sticks out a little. It has a large patterned window, and above it, a small three-leaf shaped opening.

Inside the Church

Inside, St Mark's Church has a long main area (nave) that meets the transepts, and then leads to the chancel. The walls are mostly rough sandstone, but the arches and other details are smooth sandstone.

The chancel, which is a bit lower than the rest of the church, has a timber ceiling. The eastern wall of the chancel has five tall, narrow windows. Below these windows, there's a wooden screen called a reredos, with carved patterns. A brass rail separates the chancel from the rest of the church.

The church roof has special timber frames called hammerbeam trusses. The underside of the roof is lined with timber boards. High up, there are openings that used to have wooden panels. These panels could be opened to let in light and air. Now, most of them have glass louvres.

The north transept of the church is now a chapel. The south transept is also a smaller chapel. There's a vestry, which is a room for the clergy, with smooth walls.

The pipe organ inside St Mark's Church.

There's an organ gallery at the western end of the church. You can reach it by stairs inside the tower. The tower itself has a first floor and the bell tower above.

One of the most special things inside the church are the stained glass windows. These tall, narrow windows are found in pairs in the nave and singly in the transepts. They were designed by William Bustard. They show different biblical stories, like Jesus welcoming children, the birth of Jesus, and the Archangel Gabriel visiting Mary.

Why St Mark's Church is Important

St Mark's Anglican Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important place for several reasons:

Shows Queensland's History: The church helps us understand how Warwick grew as a town and how the Church of England developed in Queensland. It also connects to important early figures like architect Richard George Suter and the first Rector of Warwick, Benjamin Glennie.
A Great Example of Church Design: It's a good example of a 19th-century Church of England building in Queensland. Its design was influenced by the Gothic Revival style, which was popular at the time.
Beautiful to Look At: St Mark's is a very beautiful building. It's well-designed and sits in a noticeable spot, making it an important part of the street view. Inside, it has many finely made parts, like the timber ceiling, the reredos (wooden screen), the seating, the glass, and the stonework.
Creative and Smart Design: The stained glass windows by William Bustard are very creative and show great skill. The way the church was designed to allow light and air through high openings was also very clever for its time.
Important to the Community: The church has a strong connection with the people of Warwick. Especially for members of the Anglican community, it has been their church for almost 130 years.