1. St Paul’s Anglican Church
– Dedication of St Paul’s
- Introduction and overview
On Sunday 21 September 1924 the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr Sharp, dedicated St Paul’s Anglican Church at 554 Vulture Street East in East Brisbane. The now State heritage-listed impressive red brick church was built to a Gothic-style design by diocesan architects Atkinson & Conrad (now Conrad & Gargett), similar to that of the nearby ‘Churchie Chapel’, which they also designed and which was dedicated on 4 May 1924.
The history of St Paul’s goes back to 11 January 1887 when a group of local East Brisbane Anglican residents met at a building (now 17 Didsbury St) owned by Charles Ewbank to discuss establishing a church in the suburb. Twelve days later, on 23 January the first service was held at the same venue. The celebrant was a curate from St Mary’s at Kangaroo Point which had opened 14 years earlier, in 1873.
As attendances at services and Sunday School continued to increase, the parish was ready to work towards getting their own church. After a period of intense fund-raising they were able to buy a site on the corner of Vulture and Edgar Streets. As more funds were raised plans for a temporary timber church were drawn up, construction began and the new church was dedicated by Archbishop Sharp on 1 December 1887.
By 1912 the congregation had outgrown the timber church and began planning for a new permanent church. Once again a fund-raising campaign was started, but was interrupted in 1914 by the outbreak of World War I. The community was granted official Parish status in 1923 and shortly after was authorised to build a new church when funds permitted.
Progress was swift from then on. In June 1923 the Anglican Diocese bought a new site on the corner of Vulture Street and Balmoral Tce. This was a more prominent and suitable location as it was on the crest of the hill and close to a tramline.
It was agreed that the new church would be built of brick and not timber to signify permanence. Plans were drawn up by renowned architects Atkinson and Conrad, tenders were called in January 1924 and the contract was awarded to Mr J Hood. The foundation stone was laid on 23 March by the Archbishop. Six months later the new church was complete and dedicated on 21 September 1924.
– 99th Birthday Celebrations and Commissioning Service
Yesterday afternoon, Sunday 24 September 2023, I was privileged to join a large congregation of parishioners and guests in the historic heritage-listed St Paul’s Anglican Church in East Brisbane. It was a special thanksgiving service to mark the 99th anniversary of the dedication of the church on 21 September 1924.
The afternoon started with the blessing of the beautifully restored Walker Organ by the Right Reverend John Roundhill, Bishop for the Southern Region. Well-known guest organist Steven Morris then played the organ throughout the service. Mr Morris’ excellent playing demonstrated the best sounds of the organ and was much appreciated by the gathering. After a few words about the history of the church, the Bishop performed the moving ceremony of commissioning the very popular and highly regarded Reverend Mark Vincent as Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of East Brisbane.
As I looked around this impressive solid brick Gothic-style church with the exposed timber roof trusses, stained glass windows and timber pews I couldn’t help be amazed that 99 years ago this beautiful solid building was erected in only six months! I’m sure that wouldn’t be possible these days!
After the service everyone moved to the parish hall for drinks, a presentation by Rev. Vincent about the planned centenary celebrations next year, a look at the history display put together by Julie Vincent, followed by a shared meal. There was a happy buzz and very warm atmosphere as past and present parishioners shared stories and reminisced. The collage below tells the story of a memorable afternoon.
St Paul’s has weekly Sunday services at 8:30 am (8:00 am from 1 October) and warmly welcomes visitors. See https://stpaulseastbrisbane.org.au/
– Centenary of laying of the foundation stone
On Sunday afternoon 23 March 1924 at 4:00 pm several hundred parishioners and friends of St Paul’s Anglican Church in East Brisbane gathered together to celebrate the laying of the foundation stone for their new church. Here’s an overview of its fascinating history.
It all began on 11 January 1887 when a group of local Anglican residents met in the home of Charles Ewbank in Didsbury Street (No. 1 on map) to discuss establishing their own church in the area. Churches in the area at that time were Holy Trinity Anglican at Woolloongabba (1869), St Mary’s Anglican at Kangaroo Point (1873), and the Mowbraytown Presbyterian Church (1885). From 23 January 1887 small services conducted by a curate of St Mary’s as well as Sunday School classes were held in the Ewbank home.
As attendances at services and Sunday School grew the congregation decided it was time for them to build their own church. After a period of intense fundraising and hard work they bought a site on the corner of Vulture and Edgar Streets [No. 2 on map] in what was then known as Darragh’s Paddock or East Woolloongabba for £215.
Not long after plans for a temporary timber church were drawn up, construction began and the new church was dedicated by Archbishop Sharp on 1 December 1887, just under eleven months after that first meeting!
The congregation continued to grow rapidly and soon started to outgrow the small church. In 1912 planning for a new permanent church began and fundraising efforts started but were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II in 1914 and did not recommence until 1922. The community was granted Parish status in 1923 and in May was authorised to build a new church when funds were available.
Once again progress was quick. A new site was bought on the corner of Vulture Street and Balmoral Terrace [No 3 on map]. The location was more suitable for a permanent church as it was on the crest of a hill and close to the south turn of the East Brisbane tramline.
Renowned architects Atkinson and Conrad were commissioned to draw up plans for a brick church, tenders were called in January 1924 and the contract awarded to Mr J Hood for £5,067. The rector Rev. G. Neal turned the first sod on 5 February and on 14 February laid the first brick.
On 23 March 1924 a special service was held in the timber church “and then a long procession, headed by a Cross-bearer, carrying the Processional Cross recently presented to the church, wended its way up the hill to the new site, the visiting clergy, the rector of the Parish and the Archbishop and his Chaplains bringing up the rear.
A large crowd was waiting for the ceremony of laying the [foundation] stone. The service was a customary one. The Church Mission Band led the hymns.’
Archbishop Sharp would return six months later on 21 September to officially dedicate the new church to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the parish of St Paul’s.
– Centenary of Dedication
At 10:30 am on Sunday 21 September 2024, one hundred years ago today, Archbishop Sharp dedicated the St Paul’s Anglican Church in Vulture Street, East Brisbane.
The progress of construction of this beautiful brick church was amazing as the foundation stone had been laid only six months previously, also by Archbishop Sharp, on Sunday 23 March 1924.
This is how the ceremony was described in The Telegraph of 22 September 1924.
The full text reads:
‘On Sunday morning the new St Paul’s Church at East Brisbane was dedicated by the Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr Sharp. The church has been secured after 12 years of effort on the part of the parishioners.
Rev G. Neal ministered to a large number of communicants in the old church at 7:30 am. At 10:30 the archbishop walked to the eastern entrance porch. Here the choir assembled and his Grace invoked a blessing. Then advancing to the closed door, he knocked thereon with his silver mounted shepherd’s crook and was admitted by the officers of the church.
A petition signed by the rector and church wardens, on behalf of the parishioners, was delivered to the Archbishop by the church wardens, in the name of those present, saying: “Reverend Father in God, we pray you to dedicate this church.”
Then followed a beautiful and impressive ceremony. His Grace administered to 102 communicants.
In the course of his address he said it had given him great joy to dedicate the church, the building of which he was instrumental in furthering, and the foundation stone of which he laid on the third Sunday in Lent.
Churches, he said, were firstly built for the adoration, worship, praise and honour which were God’s due from His children. Secondly, they were built in order that Christ’s people who have been members of Christianity by their baptism may be enabled by the sacrament they received, y the prayers they offered, by the Christian teaching and exhortation they heard to give themselves more thoroughly to Christ’s obedience.
His Grace congratulated the parish on the building of the church, which had been made possible by the zeal and diligence of the rector and the fine support of the parish.
The estimated cost of the new church, which is of beautiful design, is between £10.00 and 17.000. A debt of £2,090 has to be eliminated, and the realisation of a debt-free church must be the resolution of the younger parishioners.
To the fact that a new church has been built a great amount of credit is reflected on the work of the Rev. George Neal. The architects were Messrs Atkinson and Conrad, and Mr J Hood was the builder.’
2. Canon Jones Memorial Chapel
The Canon Jones Memorial Chapel is located in the grounds of the Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) in Oaklands Parade, East Brisbane. The foundation stone was laid by Archbishop Gerald Sharp on 1 August 1923. It was built out of red bricks on what was then the highest part of the school grounds. Built by Thomas Keenan, the building could accommodate 250 boys. It was dedicated by the Archbishop on 4 May, 1924.
