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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The St Michael and All Angels Church is a beautiful old Anglican church building in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by an architect named Colin Deighton and built in 1911. 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
A Look Back: The Church's History
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 new, showing off amazing woodworking skills. The land for the church was given by Arthur Youngman, who also helped pay for its construction.
How Kingaroy Grew
People started settling in the Kingaroy area in the 1840s. Farmers grew corn and raised pigs. They sold their goods at Kilkivan, which was the closest train station at the time. When the railway line reached Kingaroy in 1904, it became much easier to transport farm products to markets. This helped the small farming towns in the South Burnett area grow.
The town of Kingaroy really began when the railway arrived in 1904. Before that, in 1898, only one person, Daniel Carroll, lived near where Kingaroy is now. He had a small hut and horse yard. By 1902, a school opened with about twenty students. When the train line reached Kingaroy in 1904, it became the end of the line, and the town quickly started to form.
Daniel Carroll and Arthur Youngman, who owned nearby land, sold blocks of land for the town in 1904. When the first train arrived, there were only three buildings: Carroll's new hotel, a store, and Carroll Cottage. After the railway, Kingaroy quickly became a busy 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 area grew fast as a farming region. The railway helped 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 (corn) in Queensland. It was also a major producer of wheat and cotton.
In the 1920s, the peanut industry started in Kingaroy and became very important. By 1941, Kingaroy was the largest town in the South Burnett region.
Building the Church
At first, Anglican church services and Sunday School in Kingaroy were held in a hut. But as more people moved to Kingaroy, the church community grew quickly and needed its own building. Around 1910, the church was offered two pieces of land. They chose the land offered by Arthur Youngman, who also gave money for the building.
The architect, Colin Deighton, designed the church. He had worked with the main architect for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane before. Deighton designed several churches in the countryside, including St Colomb's Anglican Church in Clayfield, Brisbane.
The first stone for St Michael and All Angels Church was laid on 10 November 1910. Building started in December 1910 and finished in 1911. The church was designed to hold 250 people and cost almost £2000, which included the furniture. 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. A church newsletter in 1912 called it "a really beautiful Church - one of the best wooden buildings in the Diocese."
The church was built in a cruciform plan (shaped like a cross). It has a tall main area called a nave and arched windows that make it feel even taller. The ceiling has exposed wooden beams that cross each other.
The timber inside the church is thought to have come from the Taabinga area. The pulpit (where the priest speaks) and pews (church benches) are made from red beanwood, a special timber from the Atherton Tableland. The priest, Reverend PS Wigram, came from a wealthy English family and received many gifts for the church. These included a carved English oak altar with paintings of angels by his family members, an altar cross and candlesticks from Venice, and a chalice and paten (cups and plates used in communion) from his godparents. A painting of St Peter by a German artist was also given by a friend.
After 1912, the church area was divided into three parts: Nanango, Kingaroy, and Wondai, each with its own priest. A house for the priest and later a church hall were built on the site as the community grew. In 1993, the church was officially consecrated (made sacred) by Assistant Bishop of Brisbane Clyde Wood.
The church is located next to a large peanut storage and processing plant, which started being built in 1927. This interesting mix of a beautiful old church and a big industrial site shows how Kingaroy has grown. The church has been an important part of 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 timber church from the early 1900s. It sits on mostly flat land, east of Kingaroy's main shopping street. The church grounds are shaped like a triangle. The church faces west, with its main entrance in that direction. The huge silos of the Peanut Company of Australia stand behind the church, making a very noticeable background.
The church building is shaped like a cross, which is called a cruciform plan. It has a long, steeply sloped roof over the main part (the nave). Another roof crosses it, forming the north and south transepts (the arms of the cross). The north transept has a small side-chapel, and the south transept has a vestry (a room for the priest to prepare). Lower roofs run along the sides of the nave, creating aisles. A covered entrance porch is at the front (west side).
The church roofs are covered with terracotta tiles. The outside walls are made of weatherboards (overlapping timber planks). The church stands about one meter off the ground on timber and concrete stumps.
Outside the Church
The front of the church (facing west) looks the same on both sides. The entrance porch sticks out from the main building. A timber-framed bellcote (a small structure holding a bell) sits on top of the main roof above the porch. Decorative timber pieces are at the ends of each gabled roof. You can enter the porch by steps from the south or by a ramp from the north. The porch has decorative timber supports that form arched openings.
Windows with arched tops and leadlight glass let light into the nave. Special Stained glass windows are in the side chapel and the chancel (the area around the altar). The shapes of the arches around the windows change depending on how wide the opening is. Smaller, coloured leadlight windows are high up 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 to the vestry on the south side and the side-chapel on the north. Simple double doors lead into the church from the porch. The timber inside is not painted.
Inside the Church
The exposed timber frame is the most striking feature inside the church. Wooden beams cross the nave and transepts, supporting the roof. The ceiling is lined with unpainted timber boards. The aisles are separated from the nave by a row of timber arches, which are made of timber posts and decorative brackets. The chancel is separated from the nave by a timber arch with a wooden crucifix. All the timber inside is unpainted.
The chancel area is slightly raised and holds the altar, which is made of carved English oak. Old painted panels of angels, which used to be part of the altar, are now on the eastern wall behind the altar. 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 next to the side chapel. It has a beautifully carved marble font. An old pulpit (on the north side of the chancel) and old pews in the nave are made from red beanwood. Organ pipes are near the south 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 covered with carpet.
Outside, rose garden beds are to the west of the church, where a large timber cross stands. A line of trees follows the edge of the property, creating a barrier to the old railway line. A simple timber arch marks the entrance from Alford Street, where a new concrete path leads to the church entrance and vestry.
Why This Church Is Important
St Michael and All Angels Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 17 September 2010. This means it's recognized for several important reasons:
Showing History's Story
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 made it the main town in the South Burnett region. This area became one of Queensland's most important farming regions in the early 1900s.
The building of St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church between 1910 and 1911 shows how quickly the population of Kingaroy was growing and how important it was to meet the spiritual needs of the community during this time of big growth.
A Great Example of Church Design
St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church is an excellent example of a timber-framed church. When it was built, people thought it was one of the best timber buildings in the Brisbane Diocese. It is still very much like it was originally. It shows the main features of an Anglican church from the early 20th century, with its cross-shaped plan. The north transept has a chapel, the south transept has a vestry, and the west end has an entrance porch.
Its Beautiful Look and Feel
St Michael and All Angels Church is very beautiful. It is a well-designed building with its cross-shaped plan. The church is important because of the amazing craftsmanship inside. The unpainted timberwork of the roof frame, walls, and ceiling is still in great condition and shows wonderful artistic skill. The church has many finely made parts, including the exposed roof frame that fills the inside, fancy timber arches, a rood screen (a screen with a crucifix), a chancel arch, a carved English oak altar, a pulpit, a bishop's chair, pews, panels with angel paintings, and a crucifix. It also has beautifully decorated candlesticks, a chalice, a paten, and a painting of St Peter.
Its steeply sloped roof with a fancy bellcote makes a strong and beautiful statement in the street.
