St Michael and All Angels Church, Kingaroy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael and All Angels Church, Kingaroy |
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St Michael and All Angels Church, 2008
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| Location | 2–6 Alford Street, Kingaroy, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Colin Deighton |
| Architectural style(s) | Arts & Crafts, Gothic |
| Official name: St Michael and All Angels Church | |
| Type | state heritage |
| Designated | 17 September 2010 |
| Reference no. | 602763 |
| Significant components | church |
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St Michael and All Angels Church is a beautiful old Anglican church located at 2–6 Alford Street in Kingaroy, Australia. It was designed by an architect named Colin Deighton and built in 1911. This special building is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
History of St Michael and All Angels Church
St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church is a lovely timber building. It was designed by architect Colin Deighton and built between late 1910 and 1911. The inside of the church still looks much like it did when it was first built, showing amazing craftsmanship with its timber features. The land for the church was given by Arthur Youngman from Taabinga Homestead. He also helped pay for the building.
How Kingaroy Grew
People started settling in the Kingaroy area in the 1840s. Farmers began choosing land from the 1880s. They grew corn (maize) and raised pigs. These products were sold in Kilkivan, which was the closest train station at the time.
The town of Kingaroy really started to grow when the railway line from Kilkivan arrived in 1904. Before that, in 1898, only one person, Daniel Carroll, lived near what would become Kingaroy. He had a small hut and land for his horses. By 1902, a school opened with about twenty students.
When the train line reached Kingaroy in 1904, it became a busy railway stop. Daniel Carroll and Arthur Youngman, who owned nearby land, sold plots for new buildings. When the first train arrived, there were only three buildings: Carroll's new hotel, the Carrollee, FC Petersen's store, and Carroll Cottage. After the railway, Kingaroy quickly became a central town with shops, hotels, and public buildings like churches and schools. Kingaroy was the main railway stop for seven years, which helped it become the most important town in the area.
Farming in the South Burnett
In the early 1900s, the South Burnett region became a fast-growing farming area. The railway made it easier to clear land for farms. Timber was a big industry for a while, with logs being taken to the Kingaroy railway yards.
Around 1910, the Wide Bay region was the second-biggest producer of maize in Queensland. It was also a major producer of wheat and cotton. In the 1920s, the peanut industry began in Kingaroy and became very important. By 1941, Kingaroy was the largest town in the South Burnett.
Building the Church
At first, Anglican church services and Sunday School in Kingaroy were held in a hut. But as more people joined the church, they needed a proper building. Around 1910, the church was offered two pieces of land. They chose the land offered by Arthur Youngman of Taabinga, who also donated money for the building.
The church was designed by architect Colin Deighton. He had worked with John Hingeston Buckeridge, who was the main architect for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane for many years. Colin Deighton designed several churches in country areas.
The first stone for St Michael and All Angels Church was laid on November 10, 1910. Building started in December 1910 and finished in 1911. The church was designed to hold 250 people. It cost almost £2000, which was a lot of money back then. The Archbishop of Brisbane, St Clair Donaldson, officially opened the church in 1912. Everyone in the growing town thought it was a very important event. In 1912, a church newsletter called The Church Chronicle said St Michael and All Angels Church was "a really beautiful Church - one of the best wooden buildings in the Diocese."
The church was built in a cruciform plan, which means it's shaped like a cross. It has a high nave (the main part of the church) and arched windows that make it feel very tall. The roof has exposed timber beams that form an arched ceiling.
Inside the Church
The timber used inside St Michael and All Angels Church is thought to have come from the Taabinga area. The red beanwood pulpit (where the preacher stands) and pews (the benches) were made from timber from the Atherton Tableland.
The vicar, Reverend PS Wigram, came from a wealthy English family. He received many gifts for the church. These included a beautifully carved English oak altar with painted panels of angels, an altar cross and candlesticks from Venice, and a chalice and paten (cups used in communion) from his godparents. A painting of St Peter by a German artist was also given by a friend.
After 1912, the Nanango church area was split into three parts: Nanango, Kingaroy, and Wondai. Each had its own priest. A house for the priest and later a church hall were built on the site to help the growing church community. A ramp for wheelchairs was added to the side of the entrance. On November 14, 1993, the church was officially blessed by Assistant Bishop of Brisbane Clyde Wood.
Next to the church, a large peanut storage and processing plant was built starting in 1927. The success of the peanut industry in Kingaroy means the church now stands beside a big industrial area. This contrast makes the beautiful church stand out even more. The church has been serving the Anglican community in Kingaroy since it was built in 1910.
What the Church Looks Like
St Michael and All Angels Church in Kingaroy is a very well-preserved example of an early 1900s timber church. It sits on mostly flat land, east of Kingaroy's main shopping street. The church grounds are shaped like a triangle. They are bordered by the old Kingaroy-Nanango railway line on the east and Alford Street on the south. The church faces east to west, with the main entrance porch on the west side. The very tall silos of the Peanut Company of Australia are to the north of the church, creating a striking background.
Church Design and Outside Features
The church building has a typical cross shape, called a cruciform plan. The main part, the nave, has a long, steeply sloped roof. This main roof is crossed by another gabled roof, a bit lower, which forms the north and south transepts (the arms of the cross). The northern transept has a small side-chapel, and the southern transept has a vestry (a room for the priest). Lower lean-to roofs along the nave create aisles on the north and south sides. A gabled entrance porch with sloped sides provides a covered entrance to the church from the west.
The church roofs are covered with new terracotta tiles. The outside walls are covered with weatherboards (overlapping timber planks). The church stands about one metre off the ground on a mix of timber and concrete stumps.
The front of the church (facing west) is balanced and even. The entrance porch sticks out from the main gabled building. A timber-framed bellcote (a small structure for a bell) sits on top of the main roof, above the entrance porch. It is covered with the same tiles as the roof. Decorative timber pieces connect the roof's bargeboards (the boards along the edge of the gable). You can reach the entrance porch by steps from the south or by a newer timber ramp from the north. The porch has decorative brackets that form arched openings. The lower part of the porch is enclosed with weatherboards.
Windows with arched timber frames and leadlighting let light into the nave. Stained glass windows are in the side chapel and chancel (the area around the altar) walls. The shapes of the arches in the windows change depending on how wide the opening is. Clerestory windows (windows high up on the wall) with coloured leadlight are on the north and south walls above the chancel. Crosses are on top of the bellcote and at the peak of each gabled roof. Timber steps lead from the south side to the vestry and from the north side to the side-chapel. Simple double doors lead into the church from the entrance porch. The timber inside the church is not painted.
Inside the Church
The exposed timber frame is the most striking feature inside the church. Timber scissor-braces (crossed beams) support the roof across the nave and the north and south transepts. Metal rods are placed at regular spots in the ceiling. The ceiling itself is lined with unpainted v-jointed timber boards.
The aisles are separated from the nave by a row of timber arches. These arches are made of timber posts and decorative timber brackets, and they support the main roof. The chancel is slightly raised and separated from the nave by a timber arch. There is also a timber screen, like a rood screen, that supports a wooden crucifix. All the timber inside is unpainted.
The chancel holds the altar, which is made of carved English oak. Old panels with paintings of angels, which were once part of the altar, have been moved to the eastern wall behind the altar. This wall has dark timber panels with lighter strips. Beautifully detailed candlesticks and an altar cross sit on the altar. Timber communion or altar rails are in front of it.
A baptistery (where baptisms happen) is located to the west of the side chapel. It has a wonderfully carved marble font. An old pulpit (to the north of the chancel) and old pews in the nave are made from red beanwood. Organ pipes are near the southern transept, facing the nave. A timber board for hymns is on the wall at the western end of the nave, near the entrance. The floor is carpeted.
Outside, there are rose garden beds to the west of the church, where a large timber cross stands. A line of trees along the property boundary creates a barrier to the railway line. A simple timber arch marks the entrance from Alford Street. A new concrete path leads from the street to the entrance porch and vestry.
Why This Church is Important
St Michael and All Angels Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on September 17, 2010, because it meets several important criteria.
Showing Queensland's History
This church helps us understand how Kingaroy grew and became successful after the railway line arrived in 1904. Kingaroy was the end of the railway line for seven years, which helped it become the main town in the South Burnett region. This area became one of Queensland's most important farming districts in the early 1900s.
The building of St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church between 1910 and 1911 shows how much Kingaroy's population was growing at that time.
A Great Example of a Church
St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church is an excellent example of a timber-framed church. When it was built, it was considered one of the best timber buildings in the Brisbane Diocese. It is still very much in its original condition. It shows the main features of an early 20th-century Anglican church, with its cross-shaped plan. The northern transept has a chapel, the southern transept has a vestry, and the western end has an entrance porch.
Its Beautiful Look
St Michael and All Angels Church is very beautiful. It is well-designed with its cross shape. The church is important because of the amazing craftsmanship inside. The unpainted timberwork of the roof frame, walls, and ceiling is very artistic. The church has many finely made parts, including the exposed roof frame that fills the interior, fancy timber columns, a rood screen, a chancel arch, a carved English oak altar, a pulpit, a bishop's chair, pews, panels of angels, and a crucifix. It also has beautifully detailed candlesticks, a chalice, a paten, and a painting of St Peter.
Its steeply sloped roof with a fancy bellcote makes a strong impression when you see it from the street.
