St Matthew's Anglican Church, Drayton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Matthew's Anglican Church, Drayton |
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St Matthew's Anglican Church, 2012
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| Location | Beatrice Street, Drayton, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1886–1887 |
| Architect | James Marks |
| Official name: St Matthews Church of England | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600837 |
| Significant period | 1880s, 1980s (historical) 1880s, 1930s, 1980s (fabric church) 1910s (fabric hall) 1900s (fabric) |
| Significant components | church, residential accommodation – rectory, wall/s – garden, trees/plantings, views to, stained glass window/s, church hall/sunday school hall, tower – bell / belfry |
| Builders | Seath, Hobart and Watson |
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St Matthew's Anglican Church is a special old church in Drayton, Queensland. Drayton used to be a town, but now it's a suburb of Toowoomba. This church is considered a "heritage-listed" building. This means it's important to Queensland's history and is protected.
The church is on Beatrice Street. It was designed by a famous architect named James Marks. Builders Seath, Hobart and Watson constructed it between 1886 and 1887. It's also known as St Matthew's Church of England. This church is actually the second one with this name in Drayton. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
Contents
A Look Back at St Matthew's History
St Matthew's Church is a small church made of bluestone. It was built in 1886-1887. This church is the second one to be called St Matthew's in Drayton. There's also a timber hall built in 1913 and a rectory (a house for the church's priest) from 1902-1903. Both the hall and rectory were moved to this site in 1930.
Early Church Days in Drayton
Anglican church services have been held in this area for a very long time. They started when Europeans first settled on the Darling Downs. Reverend John Gregor began holding services in homes and camps in 1840. After he passed away, Reverend Benjamin Glennie took over in 1848. He was very energetic!
Reverend Glennie held his first service in Drayton at the Royal Bull's Head Inn. There were no churches on the Darling Downs back then. In 1850, he bought land and built a parsonage (another name for a rectory) on Rudd Street. He even used this parsonage for church services.
Building the First Churches
Over time, the main activity in the area moved north to "The Swamp," which later became Toowoomba. Reverend Glennie wanted to build churches in the four main towns of the Downs. He dreamed of four churches, each named after one of the Bible's evangelists. He achieved this with:
- St Luke's in Toowoomba (built 1856)
- St Mark's in Warwick (built 1857)
- St Matthew's in Drayton (built 1859)
- St John's in Dalby (built 1866)
The first St Matthew's church in Drayton was a simple building made of wooden slabs. It took a while to build a proper church. This was because the government stopped giving money for church buildings in 1852. Reverend Glennie had to collect donations from people to build churches in Drayton, Warwick, Dalby, and Toowoomba.
In April 1856, two acres of land were bought for the church. The first service in the new church was held on January 23, 1859. Some people thought the building wasn't very pretty. But it served as a place of worship for many years and was made bigger in the late 1860s.
A New Church for a Growing Community
By 1884, the first church was too small again. So, everyone agreed to build a new one. Architect James Marks suggested a hilltop site for the new church. This spot had better ground for the foundations.
After looking at costs for different materials, they decided to build a stone church. The builders Seath, Hobart and Watson won the contract in March 1886. Bishop William Webber laid the foundation stone on August 16, 1886.
The Architect: James Marks
The architect, James Marks, was from the local area. He started a very important family business of architects. They designed many public, private, and business buildings in Toowoomba. James Marks came to Queensland in 1866. He started his practice in Dalby before moving to Toowoomba in 1874.
His eldest son, Harry, joined his father's business in 1903. Harry later worked on the rectory. James's grandson, Charles Marks, also became an architect in Toowoomba.
Building the Current Church
To save money, the church was first built with a timber chancel (the area around the altar). It was officially opened on December 22, 1887. The church's original bell was replaced in 1880 with a larger one. In 1889, they decided to move the bell to the new church's porch. A sandstone bell turret was added to the porch for this purpose. By 1892, this and a temporary vestry (a room for the priest to prepare) were finished.
The old church building was then used as a Sunday school. In 1901, it was taken down, moved a little, and rebuilt. Its old roof shingles were replaced with corrugated iron. In 1903, a new rectory was built across from the old church site. It was designed by William Hodgen, another well-known Toowoomba architect.
Changes and Improvements Over Time
By 1910, the heavy bell and its turret were causing damage to the church's porch. To fix this, the sides of the porch were closed in. The bell was moved to a separate, free-standing bell tower that you can still see today.
In 1913, a new Sunday School hall was built on the old site. It even used flooring from the first St Matthew's church and its 1901 roof.
Between 1923 and 1935, Reverend Samuel Atherton was the Rector. He led many big projects to improve the church. In 1930, the rectory and hall were moved from the old site to be closer to the church. The rectory was also made more convenient. Its kitchen, pantry, and bathroom, which used to be separate, were now connected. Harry Marks drew the plans for this work.
In 1933, the old timber sanctuary was replaced with bluestone, as was originally planned. Between 1933 and 1935, the inside of the sanctuary was paneled. The bell turret was also removed from the porch. Many items were given to the church after these changes. This included the door knocker from the Royal Bull's Head Inn, which was placed on the vestry door. Two palm trees were planted in front of the church on April 20, 1935, to remember Mr and Mrs Searle. Even during the tough times of the Great Depression, all the work was paid for by May 1934. This was a great achievement! Reverend Atherton's hard work is remembered in the park across from the church, which is named after him.
In 1986, repair work was done for the church's 100th birthday. This included replastering and painting the inside. In 1987, the temporary timber vestry was replaced with a stronger masonry one. Many church members also helped fix up the rectory around this time. The rectory had already been worked on a lot in the 1950s and 1960s. More work was done in 1995, and the house is no longer used as a rectory. The timber hall is still there and is still used. The spot where the first church stood, at the corner of Cambooya and Rudd Streets, is now marked by a stone monument.
Rectors of St Matthew's
Some of the Rectors (priests) who served at St Matthew's include:
- 1861–1863: Vincent Ransome, who was related to Thomas Alford, an early settler of Drayton.
- 1923–1935: Samuel Atherton, who oversaw many improvements to the church.
What St Matthew's Looks Like
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St Matthew's Church is built on the highest ground in Drayton. The church grounds also have a separate bell tower and a timber Sunday School building.
The church has four main parts: the nave (the main seating area), the porch (entrance), the sanctuary (the area around the altar), and the vestry. It has a gabled roof covered with corrugated iron. The sanctuary roof has gabled vents. The walls are made of rough-cut bluestone blocks laid in a random pattern. The vestry is built from basalt sandstone and has a flat roof hidden by a parapet (a low wall).
The edges of the gables, the buttresses (supports), and the frames around doors and windows are made of Murphy's Creek sandstone. The arched entry porch is also made of sandstone. It has a concrete floor and sandstone steps. The windows are tall, narrow lancets, some with pretty decorated glass.
Inside, the walls are painted plaster. The nave has an open timber ceiling with visible wooden beams. The floors are timber. The sanctuary floor is higher than the nave floor. The sanctuary has timber-paneled walls and a curved timber ceiling.
Palm trees surround the church. A low wall, made of the same bluestone as the church, is built at the front.
The Hall and Rectory
The hall is to the northwest of the church. It's a simple timber building with a gable roof covered in corrugated iron. It has a central gabled porch entrance on its long side. At the back, a skillion roofed (a single-sloping roof) extension runs along the building. The windows are lancets, and a group of three windows at the short end has decorated glass.
The former rectory is set back from the corner of Cambooya and Glennie Streets. It's a single-story timber house on low stumps with a corrugated iron roof. You enter through a gabled porch and a small open verandah. A central hallway leads to bedrooms on the left and a living room with a corner fireplace on the right. At the back, the hall opens to a service area with a laundry and study. There's also a kitchen wing at the back. It has a separate hipped roof, which suggests it might have been a detached kitchen that was later connected. This wing includes a dining area, kitchen, pantry, and bathroom. The verandah facing Glennie Street has been enclosed to create a sunroom.
Why St Matthew's is a Heritage Site
St Matthew's Church of England was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
St Matthew's shows how Drayton and the Anglican church in Queensland grew. It's the oldest church parish on the Darling Downs. This church is the second one in Drayton, replacing an older timber church. It shows how the area developed. The Sunday school hall, built in 1913, even uses parts from the original 1859 church. The rectory, built in 1902-1903, shows how it was changed over time to fit the needs of different priests.
A Rare and Special Building
The stonework of St Matthew's is very well built. It's a rare example of a church made from local bluestone. This makes it very special.
Beautiful Design
The church's stonework is not only strong but also beautiful. It's a great example of a church built with local bluestone. Its design is considered very pleasing to look at.
Important to the Community
This church has been very important to the Anglican community in the area for many years. It's a place where people gather for worship and community events.
Linked to Important People
St Matthew's Church is strongly connected to the work of James Marks. He was part of a famous family of architects in Toowoomba. It also shows the hard work of Reverend Benjamin Glennie. He was a very important person in the history of Drayton and Toowoomba. He helped start the Anglican Church on the Darling Downs. The church is also linked to other Rectors, especially Reverend S. Atherton, who did a lot for the church.
See also
