St Stephen's Chapel, Brisbane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Chapel |
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|---|---|
| Old St Stephen's Church; Pugin Chapel | |
St Stephen's Chapel, 2015
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| 27°28′08″S 153°01′43″E / 27.4688°S 153.0286°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | |
| Dedication | Saint Stephen |
| Dedicated |
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| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Augustus Pugin |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1848–1850 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone; slate |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Cathedral Parish of St Stephen |
| Archdiocese | Brisbane |
St Stephen's Chapel, also known as the Pugin Chapel, is a very old building in Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It used to be called Old St Stephen's Church. It is a Roman Catholic building that was once a church and is now a chapel.
The famous architect Augustus Pugin designed it. Builders Alexander Goold and Andrew Petrie constructed it between 1848 and 1850. The chapel is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it is an important historical building that needs to be protected. It was rededicated as St Stephen's Chapel in 1999.
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A Look Back: History of St Stephen's Chapel
The land where the chapel stands was set aside for a church in 1847. In 1848, six plots of land were given to the Roman Catholic Church. The official papers were signed in 1849 by New South Wales Governor Charles Fitzroy. At that time, Queensland was still part of New South Wales.
Many Catholic people lived in Brisbane in the 1840s. About 30% of the people in 1846 were Catholic. The government helped pay for Old St Stephen's Church. It officially opened on 12 May 1850.
As Brisbane grew, the Catholic community also grew. In 1859, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane was created. Old St Stephen's became a Cathedral. However, it was too small for the growing number of people.
So, in 1863, work began on a new, bigger cathedral. This new building is the current St Stephen's Cathedral. While the new cathedral was being built, the old church needed more space. A wooden extension was added, and new doorways were cut into the stone wall.
The soft sandstone of the old church was also starting to crumble. The small bell tower had to be taken down before 1875. A temporary wooden bell tower was put up in 1888.
New Uses for the Old Church
After the new cathedral was finished in 1874, the old church found new purposes. The Christian Brothers used it as a school until 1880. Then, the Sisters of Mercy ran a school there until 1892.
After that, the building was used for many different things. It was a storeroom, offices, a display area, a meeting place, and even a choir practice room.
People thought about tearing down the old church many times. But in the end, they decided to fix it up. They wanted to make it a place of worship again.
Restoration and Re-dedication
The restoration work tried to make the chapel look like it did originally. They rebuilt the bell tower and fixed the stone patterns in the windows. They also put a timber shingle roof back on.
A beautiful stained glass window was added to the west side. It shows Jesus Christ and the story of St Stephen. The inside of the chapel is now flexible. Its furniture can be moved for different church services, weddings, or music events.
On 5 February 1999, the church was officially re-dedicated. It became St Stephen's Chapel, a special place for prayer and quiet reflection. Inside, there is a shrine dedicated to Saint Mary MacKillop.
What St Stephen's Chapel Looks Like
The chapel is built from local sandstone. It used to have a shingled roof, but now it has a slate roof. It looks like a typical small English church. It has a main rectangular room called a nave. A square chancel is attached to it through an archway.
A small square room called a sacristy is on the north side of the chancel. A square porch is at the south-west end of the nave.
Outside the Chapel
The outside walls are very simple. The lower part is smooth stone. Small pointed windows, called lancets, are set into the wall above a decorative molding. The chancel has a small round window in the top part of the wall, with three lancet windows below it.
The west end of the chapel has a simple but nice window in the upper part. A door is below it. The original stone patterns in the window have been replaced with wood. The sandstone on the outside has worn down over time. A small stone bell tower used to be above the western roof, but it was removed before 1875.
Inside the Chapel
Inside, the chapel has beautiful Gothic shapes. It has well-made timber trusses (support beams) and a timber ceiling above. The stone walls inside have been painted.
St Stephen's Chapel is located near the front of the site, facing Elizabeth Street. It is south of the bigger St Stephen's Cathedral. The open grassy area around the chapel has palm trees and concrete paths. This area was part of a renovation project in 1989.
Why St Stephen's Chapel is Important
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Old St Stephen's Church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. It is important for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. It is the oldest church building still standing in Brisbane. It also shows building methods used in the 1840s.
- It is a great example of its type. It is a wonderful example of a small stone English Gothic Revival church. It was one of the first churches built in Brisbane to last a long time.
- It is beautiful. It is part of a group of important church buildings, and it is the oldest one.
- It is important to the community. It has a strong connection with the Catholic community in Brisbane. It is still highly valued by both Catholics and the general public.
- It is linked to important people. It shows the work of an early builder, Andrew Petrie. Its design is also linked to the famous British architect, Augustus Pugin.
