St Joseph's Church is a heritage-listed

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

at Fryer Street, North Ward,

City of Townsville The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It was designed by Charles Dalton Lynch and Walter Hunt and built from 1920 to 1921 by Joseph Rooney. It is also known as St Joseph on The Strand. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

on 26 November 1999.

History

St Joseph's Church was designed by

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

architectural firm Charles Dalton Lynch and Walter Hunt, and was constructed by Townsville building firm Rooney Ltd in 1920-1921. The new settlement of

Cleveland Bay The Cleveland Bay is a breed of horse that originated in England during the 17th century, named after its colouring and the Cleveland district of Yorkshire. It is a well-muscled horse, with legs that are strong but short in relation ...

, established in 1864 at the mouth of Ross Creek, was part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brisbane The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane is a Latin Church Metropolitan Diocese, metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Brisbane and covering the South East Queensland, South East region of Queensland, Australi ...

. The first priest in the northern section of the new diocese was Fr William McGinty who established a parish centred on Bowen. Fr McGinty first visited Townsville (

) in 1866 where he performed baptisms on 16 February and said Mass on the following Sunday in the Court and Customs House on Melton Hill. Church of St Joseph on the Strand Townsville circa 1878

Church of St Joseph on the Strand Townsville circa 1878

It was not until 1872 that the parish of Townsville was established with Fr Connolly as parish priest. The first church in the new parish, St Joseph's, was opened by Fr Connolly in 1872. The new timber building was located on The Strand close to the site of the present church. This church, which was the first constructed in the town, was destroyed by flood waters which swept the building out to sea during torrential rain in 1892.In 1878, because of the vastness of the Queensland Vicariate, Bishop James Quinn, Bishop of Queensland, proposed that three new dioceses be established with one centred on Townsville. However, in 1882 only one new Queensland diocese was established with

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

as its centre. Townsville waited a further fifty-two years before a diocese was established in the north. Despite the disappointment Catholics in Townsville continued planning for the establishment of a Townsville Diocese. A great deal of work was done to establish Catholic institutions, religious orders and new parishes in the north Queensland portion of the Rockhampton Diocese. Part of this expansion included the construction of new schools and churches, including the Sacred Heart Cathedral, which was planned to be the cathedral church of the hoped-for Townsville diocese. Because of the focus on the expansion of the Catholic Church across

North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...

during the later part of the nineteenth century, planning for a new St Joseph's Church did not begin until 1918. The new building was designed by Townsville architectural firm CD Lynch and Walter Hunt. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop of Rockhampton

Joseph Shiel Joseph Shiel (17 February 1873 – 7 April 1931) was a Roman Catholic priest in Australia. He was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rockhampton from 26 January 1913 until his death on 7 April 1931. Early life Joseph Shiel was born on 17 February 18 ...

in January 1919. The building was constructed by Joseph Rooney of the well known north Queensland building firm of Rooneys Ltd. The new church was opened on Sunday 10 July 1921 by Bishop Shiel with

Archbishop of Brisbane In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

James Duhig Sir James Duhig KCMG (2 September 187110 April 1965) was an Irish-born Australian Roman Catholic religious leader. He was the Archbishop of Brisbane for 48 years from 1917 until his death in 1965. At the time of his death he was the longest-ser ...

in attendance. The new church, which faced Fryer Street, was located close to the site of the original church which had faced the Strand. The altar, which was designed by parish priest Monsignor Bourke, was crafted by Joseph Rooney in memory of Matthew Rooney and his wife and daughter, who lost their lives when the ship '' Yongala'' sank off Cape Cleveland in 1911. Since the construction of the first church on the site in 1872, St Joseph's Church and parish has been a focus for Catholic community worship and activity. Key church organisations have been located close by, including the parish presbytery, a Catholic orphanage, St Joseph's Primary School (established in 1875) and St Patrick's Secondary Day/Boarding School (established in 1905). Small extensions, which were added to the church in the 1950s, increased the size of the rooms on either side of the altar. Some changes were made to the interior layout in the 1980s. The creation of a raised platform with a modern altar was in keeping with the changes recommended by the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

. These changes saw the removal of some pews and most of the statues; however the Rooney Commemorative Altar was not removed.

Description

St Joseph's Church, a reinforced concrete structure with a

corrugated iron Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a bu ...

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

roof to the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and lower skillion roofs to the side

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parl ...

s, is located on a level site fronting Fryer Street to the southeast. The church consists of the original central section which has had arcades added to both sides with

vestries A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquially ...

at the rear. The southeast elevation is a symmetrical composition with a central pointed arch entrance with timber doors flanked by lancet shaped niches. The central entrance is surmounted by a large plate

tracery Tracery is an architecture, architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of Molding (decorative), moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the s ...

window which comprises five lancets surmounted by two

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

s and a central

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ...

with eight sections, and framed by an expressed moulding. A

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

window is located above this window, and a small crucifix surmounts the gable

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

. The central section of this elevation is flanked by paired

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es which separate the lower side aisles. The side aisles each have a pointed arch entrance with timber doors surmounted by a crucifix window. The side aisles are framed by paired

es (originally a single buttress, with the second buttress added as part of the side arcade). The church is accessed via concrete steps fronting Fryer Street. A marble

foundation stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over time ...

is located adjacent to the main entrance. Both side elevations are similar, and each consists of a pointed arch arcade with parapet concealing a skillion roof to the side aisle. The pointed arches are separated by

pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...

which extend above the parapet giving a

castellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

effect. Each arcade has a concrete floor, and a vestry is located at the rear. The windows to the side aisles are separated by buttresses, and consist of triple

leadlight Leadlights, leaded lights or leaded windows are decorative windows made of small sections of glass supported in lead cames. The technique of creating windows using glass and lead came to be known as came glasswork. The term 'leadlight' could be ...

lancets with lower casements sections set in a pointed arch composition. Paired timber doors housed in a pointed arch open from the side aisle to the arcade. Each vestry projects from the arcade, and the side wall has six narrow pointed lancet windows, and a pointed arch timber door opens to the rear. The

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

to the nave has paired leadlight lancets set in a pointed arch recess. The southwestern side has a concrete ramp with metal

handrail A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are usually used to provide support for body or to hold clothings in a bathroom or ...

accessing the arcade. The rear of the building has less decorative mouldings with buttresses separating two leadlight windows, each of which consists of tall paired lancets either side of the central

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

. A circular leadlight window with central quatrefoil is located at the top of the gable. The location of original doors is evidenced by pointed arch recesses at the rear of the side aisles. Internally, the building has a timber gallery above the entrance accessed by a corner timber stair with turned

balusters A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...

. The side aisles are separated from the nave by concrete

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

surmounted by pointed arches with expressed mouldings. The building has a concrete floor, and the nave has a scissor braced

King-post A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above fro ...

roof with curved side braces and lined with diagonal boarding. The church has a highly decorative carved timber altar, set against the rear wall on a raised platform, comprising a tiered arrangement of pointed arch niches housing statues and surmounted by a crucifix. The rear wall has timber panelling to the height of the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

, and the northeastern side aisle has a carved timber altar and timber altar rail. A memorial plaque to Monsignor Bourke is located on the wall of the northeastern side aisle. Church furniture includes timber

pews A pew () is a long bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom. Overview The first backless stone benches began to appear in English churches in the thirt ...

and decorative

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

. The Fryer Street boundary is fenced with concrete pillars with pointed arch recesses and metal palisade panels.

Heritage listing

St Joseph's Church was listed on the

on 26 November 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. St Joseph's Church, erected in 1920-21 with additions carried out in the 1950s, is important in demonstrating the establishment and growth of the Catholic Church in North Queensland. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. St Joseph's Church exhibits the principal characteristics of a Roman basilica, is of aesthetic significance and makes an important contribution to the Fryer Street streetscape. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The church has a particularly fine interior, including a finely crafted altar, scissor truss roof, choir gallery and leadlight windows. The Church, constructed of reinforced concrete, is an early example of the adoption of this building material for the cyclone enforced renewal of churches in North Queensland. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. St Joseph's Church is significant for its special association with the Townsville parish, the first Catholic parish established in North Queensland after settlement. St Joseph's Church is the second church erected at the site and is significant for its strong and special association as a centre of Catholic worship and community life since the 1920s. the altar has a special association with Joseph Rooney. The altar, which was designed by parish priest Monsignor Bourke, was crafted by Joseph Rooney in memory of Matthew Rooney and his wife and daughter, who lost their lives when the ship ''Yongala'' sank off Cape Cleveland in 1911. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. The church is an important example of the work of Townsville architectural firm of CD Lynch and Walter Hunt, and north Queensland building firm Rooney Ltd.

References

Attribution

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Josephs Church North Ward Queensland Heritage Register North Ward, Queensland Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Roman Catholic churches in Townsville 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Australia Roman Catholic churches completed in 1921 1921 establishments in Australia Gothic Revival architecture in Queensland Gothic Revival church buildings in Australia Roman Catholic Diocese of Townsville