St Mary's Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point |
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St Mary's Anglican Church, West Front, 2017
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| Location | 455 Main Street, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | Richard George Suter |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival |
| Official name: St Marys Anglican Church | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600244 |
| Significant period | 1873, 1879, 1889, 1892–93, 1901, 1931 (fabric) |
| Significant components | stained glass window/s, gate – entrance, church, trees/plantings, furniture/fittings, hall, wall/s, memorial/monument, residential accommodation – rectory, pipe organ, tower – bell / belfry |
| Builders | Alfred Grant |
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St Mary's Anglican Church is a very old and important church located at Kangaroo Point in Queensland, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named Richard George Suter and built in 1873 by Alfred Grant. This church is so special that it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected because of its history and beauty.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The Church of St Mary's was built in 1873. It replaced an older church made of timber that stood closer to the river. The new church was designed by Richard G. Suter, who was the architect for the local church area.
Laying the Cornerstone
The first stone of the church, called the cornerstone, was placed on April 30, 1872. The Governor of Queensland, George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, and the local Anglican Bishop of Brisbane, Edward Tufnell, were there. Inside this stone, they placed a special "time capsule." It held a bottle with a signed paper from important people, a copy of the church plans, a newspaper called the Brisbane Courier, and some old coins.
The church was officially opened and dedicated to St Mary the Virgin on November 5, 1873, by Bishop Tufnell.
Church Buildings and Features
The Sunday School building, where children learned, opened on November 30, 1879. Bishop Matthew Hale opened it.
In 1892, a big storm called a cyclone damaged the church's roof and its small bell tower, called a bellcote. Some parts of the church show that more sections, like a room for priests or a bigger bell tower, might have been planned but were never built.
The church has the oldest pipe organ in Queensland. It was brought from a church in London in 1876. This amazing instrument was built by H.C. Lincoln. More parts were added to it in 1961. Today, experts maintain it, and there are plans to fully restore it in the future.
The church hall was built in 1879. The rectory, which is the house for the church's priest, was finished in 1889. It was designed by another church architect, John Hingeston Buckeridge.
St Mary's was a special church for the governors of Queensland when they lived nearby. It has always been known as the naval chapel in Queensland. It even had stairs that connected it to the Naval Stores below the cliffs.
Memorials and Tributes
After Reverend William Maitland Woods passed away in 1926, a bell tower was built to remember him. He was a former priest at the church and served as an army chaplain during World War I. The bell tower has a plaque and special words on its bells dedicated to him.
The Warriors' Chapel was opened in 1950. It has a memorial for those who died on the ship HMAS Voyager in 1964. You can also find many other plaques and monuments in the church gardens that remember naval service members.
What St Mary's Looks Like
St Mary's is a church built in the Gothic style. It sits high up on a hill overlooking the Kangaroo Point quarries and the river. It's made of a local stone called Brisbane tuff. The church has a cross shape, but its side sections (transepts) are not very deep. The roof, which was once made of timber shingles, is now covered with ribbed metal. A small stone bellcote sits on top of the front roof.
Inside, the main part of the church, called the nave, does not have a lining on its walls. Wooden beams, called trusses, hold up the roof. The area around the altar, called the sanctuary, has plaster walls. Its ceiling features three beautiful paintings by the famous artist R. Godfrey Rivers.
The church hall is a timber building. It also has a cross shape and a stage. Its roof is made of corrugated iron and has a central vent.
The rectory, the priest's house, is a large brick home with verandahs on three sides. It stands on brick pillars. The front entrance has a gabled roof. The verandahs have wooden posts and railings.
St Mary's Studio
St Mary's Studio was located in the basement of the church hall. From 1950 to 2010, it was a busy place for artists, art classes, and art groups. It played a big part in developing the art scene in Brisbane. Many well-known artists, like Betty Churcher, Roy Churcher, Margaret Cilento, Jon Molvig, and Mervin Moriarty, taught classes there. The Half Dozen Group of Artists used the space as their studio starting in 1975. This group is now located in Sherwood.
Why St Mary's is Important
St Mary's Anglican Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed: St Mary's has always been the special naval chapel in Queensland. It also has the oldest pipe organ in Queensland and features religious art by Godfrey Rivers.
- It's a rare and special part of Queensland's heritage: St Mary's is an early and complete church area, including the church, hall, and rectory. It's also one of only two stone churches designed by R.G. Suter that are still standing.
- It's a great example of its type of building: St Mary's is a good example of an early and complete church area. It's also one of only two stone churches designed by R.G. Suter that are still standing.
- It's beautiful to look at: The church is a historical and visible landmark in Kangaroo Point.
- It has a strong connection to the community: St Mary's Anglican Church has always been the naval chapel in Queensland, which gives it a special meaning for many people.
- It's connected to important people and groups: St Mary's is an early and complete church area, and it's one of only two stone churches designed by R.G. Suter that are still standing.
