Baptist City Tabernacle is a heritage-listed

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 * C ...

at 163

Wickham Terrace Wickham Terrace is one of the historic streets of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known as the street of private medical specialists. Geography Wickham Terrace commences at the western corner of the intersection of Ann Street and Whar ...

, Spring Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by

Richard Gailey Richard Gailey, Sr. (22 April 1834 – 24 April 1924) was an Irish-born Australian architect. Gailey was born in Donegal, Ireland and emigrated to Australia in 1864, becoming an influential and prolific architect in colonial-era Brisbane. He ...

and built from to 1890. 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. A ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

The Baptist City Tabernacle is a large cement rendered church on a corner site overlooking the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. Baptists first arrived in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

about 1851, with the first Baptist church, the Wharf Street Baptist Church, being built in 1859 on the corner of Wharf and Adelaide Street. By 1887, with a congregation of over 400, a new church was needed. Prominent Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, a member of the congregation, designed both the Tabernacle and the former manse which still survives on an adjacent site. The dedication took place on 9 October 1890 and the total cost was over . It was described at the time as being a Classic Venetian style building. StateLibQld 1 115344 Reverend William Whale

StateLibQld 1 115344 Reverend William Whale

The first pastor was Rev. William Whale, a notable Brisbane churchman, leader and preacher of the time. In the early 1900s, Miss Fewing's Private School for Girls, which later became

Somerville House Somerville House is an independent, boarding and day school for girls, located in South Brisbane, an inner-city suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Established in 1899 as the Brisbane High School for Girls, the School was eventually nam ...

, occupied the basement. The Baptist Theological College was formed in the tower and occupied it for many years, along with the minister's fraternal for use as a meeting place. The basement rooms provided space for the Sunday School, and related church activities. The Tabernacle is the major centre for the Baptist Church in Queensland and site for the annual Assembly and other Union functions. Until recently it was the administrative headquarters for the Baptist Union.

Description

This centrally planned church is a cement rendered brick building with parapet walls that conceal a galvanised corrugated iron roof. It is situated on a sloping site on the corner of Upper Edward Street and Wickham Terrace, overlooking the central business district, with the main entrance on the higher Wickham Terrace side. The front facade is distinguished by centrally positioned entry

stairs Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...

and an attached tower, surmounted by a

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

, that is prominently located on the southwest corner, the highest part of the site. With the exception of the four-storeyed tower, the building is two storeys tall and sits on a base that forms a third storey, visible at the rear and sides. All four facades are composed of variations of the same classically derived elements and motifs and are symmetrical except for the location of the tower. Each facade is divided into three bays, the central bay being larger than the two peripheral bays. The central bay sits proud on the front and rear elevations and recedes slightly on the east and west elevations. Each central bay is further divided into three parts and has a

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

in the centre of the upper level. All other openings are arched. On the south, east and west facades the central bay is surmounted by a triangular

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

. Corners and compositional divisions in the facade are marked by banded rustication and rusticated

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s. The longer east and west elevations have two additional bays recessed between the two main bays. In these recesses are arched entry doors that open onto the lower-ground floor. On this level are the Sunday school rooms, lecture hall, kitchen and meeting rooms. On the ground level above, the entry vestibule opens onto the double height space of the church; a wide space which is spanned by timber

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...

es that are concealed by a flat plaster ceiling. In the corners of the building are two-storeyed rooms that look into this space, as does the gallery located over the vestibule. Internal walls are plastered and contain built-in circular cast iron ventilation grates. Decoration is restrained with the windows containing geometric patterned leadlight. Cedar pews are arranged in a semicircular pattern facing the pulpit, baptistery, organ and choir gallery that are located at the northern end of the space and feature timber panelling. A screen has been built behind the choir. This screen blocks the original view from the auditorium of the north wall with its rose and arched windows and the spiralling timber stairs.

Heritage listing

Baptist City Tabernacle was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The Baptist City Tabernacle, as the home of Brisbane's oldest Baptist congregation, is important in demonstrating the evolution of the Baptist Church in Queensland. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The Baptist City Tabernacle is important in exhibiting a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular: The Baptist City Tabernacle is significant for its contribution to the Brisbane townscape, Wickham Terrace and Upper Edward Street Streetscapes and as a city landmark. The composition of the building's architectural elements and the quality and craftsmanship of the timber joinery and leadlight contribute the Baptist City Tabernacle's aesthetic significance. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Baptist City Tabernacle has a strong association with the Baptist Church, in Queensland, and has a special association with notable Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, as a major example of his ecclesiastical work. 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 Baptist City Tabernacle has a strong association with the Baptist Church, in Queensland, and has a special association with notable Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, as a major example of his ecclesiastical work.

References

Attribution

External links

* * {{cite news , url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19408744 , title=BRISBANE HISTORIC CHURCHES.---XV. , newspaper=

The Brisbane Courier ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...

, date=9 September 1905 , page=12 , publisher=National Library of Australia — 1905 newspaper article about the Baptist City Tabernacle Queensland Heritage Register History of Brisbane Spring Hill, Queensland Baptist churches in Queensland Churches in Brisbane Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Churches completed in 1890 Richard Gailey buildings