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Impressive architectural pile contains historical treasures ADMIRING the architecture and history of old churches is a common pursuit when visiting other cities, yet we seldom visit our own. The formidable red brick church that fills the skyline when exiting Central Station in Ann St is hard to miss, yet despite its external austerity, St Andrew’s Uniting Church is a treasure containing some historical gems. It opened as St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in 1905, on the corner of Creek and Ann streets, and has been dominating its corner since the days
when horse-drawn carts didn’t need traffic lights. Built in the somewhat stern Romanesque style – before the grand excesses of the Gothic St John’s Cathedral– the building is an excellent example of the ecclesiastical architecture that emerged in the late 1800s. It is one of the earliest buildings in Brisbane to have Romanesque detail and is also recognised as one of the best examples of the neo-Romanesque style in the southern hemisphere. The congregation had to replace their
elegant English Gothic brick structure in Wickham Tce which had opened less than 20 years earlier in 1887, when a tunnel was needed for the railway line to be extended from Central to Brunswick St. The Brisbane Courier of August 26, 1905, reported the opening: “St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church stands out as one of the finest and most impressive architectural piles in this State. “Opinions differ as to the actual beauty of the building, because it is of a character to which our eyes have hitherto been unaccustomed; but a little closer acquaintance will enable the spectator to better perceive and appreciate its qualities.” St Andrew’s has a lofty raked timber ceiling, arched roof trusses, tall stainedglass windows, brick arches and a huge pipe organ that dominates the view on entry. The elders’ chairs and communion table are in the tiered chancel in front of the organ. It has changed little since it opened in 1905. Many of the pews are numbered, probably related to the British habit of numbering private pews allocated to families who contributed to the cost of
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St Andrew’s
Rare Scottish communion tokens. church construction in the days before “free” churches. Also in the church is a collection of about 800 Scottish communion tokens, one dating to 1768. They were a mark of identification to exclude spies and ill-doers from betraying a secret meeting place to the government troops. It was a means of distinguishing those who made a “credible profession of their faith” from the ungodly. There is also the Gallipoli memorabilia of Rev Dr Ernest Northcroft Merrington, who was minister of St Andrew’s from 1910-1923. He served as Colonel Chaplain to the AIF in Gallipoli, Egypt and the European campaigns. One of the last stained-glass windows to be installed in the church honours the son of a local family, a pilot who was killed in World War II. The window’s design incorporates a depiction of a pilot going to heaven in the topmost circular pane. Hidden under the church is the Vera Wade Gallery where natural light shines down through its high glass-tile ceiling and huge pillars support the elegant arches, highlighting the works of local artists. In 1977, the Uniting Church in Australia brought together the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational congregations and four years later, the former Congregational Church at 446 Ann St – since demolished and replaced by the Metropolis Apartments – joined St Andrew’s. The church was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. saintandrews.org.au
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30 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2021
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