The Holy Triad Temple is a heritage-listed

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

at 32 Higgs Street,

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

City of Brisbane The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainl ...

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 built from 1885 to 1886. It is also known as Breakfast Creek Joss House and Sarm Sung Goon. 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 21 October 1992.

History

Joss House, Breakfast Creek, 1886 (7848517294)

The Temple of the Holy Triad was constructed in 1885-1886 for the

Cantonese Chinese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

community of

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 ...

. In the 1880s sizeable numbers of Cantonese settled in Brisbane. They were most conspicuous in small businesses (particularly in

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestr ...

and along Albert Street), and in market gardening (especially on the flats around

Breakfast Creek The Breakfast Creek ( Aboriginal: ''Barrambin'') is a small urban stream that is a tributary of the Brisbane River, located in suburban Brisbane in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Course and features Rising as the Enoggera Cre ...

and

Eagle Farm Eagle Farm is an eastern industrial suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Eagle Farm had a population of 0 people. The neighbourhood of Whinstanes is located in Eagle Farm (). Geography Eagle Farm is situated no ...

). By 1888 Brisbane depended almost entirely on the Chinese for its supply of fresh vegetables. Construction of the temple was an attempt by the leaders of Brisbane's five Cantonese clans to provide their people with a community focus. The elaborate triple roof was imported from China by Quong Nam Tai & Co, Brisbane's most prominent Chinese trading firm, and the building was erected by Chinese artisans. The temple was opened on 21 January 1886, and remained the focus of Chinese community activity in Brisbane for nearly sixty years. This was followed by a period of declining interest and neglect until the formation in 1965 of the Chinese Temple Society. The society undertook work on the temple and it was re-opened in June 1966. It today offers a focus for various Chinese communities. In the second half of the nineteenth century Chinese immigrants erected temples on most of the principal Queensland goldfields and ports. Only three temples survive in Queensland from this period: the Breakfast Creek temple, the small Chun Lo Goon temple at

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 ...

, and the

Hou Wang Temple The Hou Wang Temple is a heritage-listed former temple and now museum at Herberton Road, Atherton, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. Built in 1903, it is one of the oldest original Chinese temples in Australasia. It is also known as H ...

at Atherton. The latter is smaller than the Breakfast Creek temple and is constructed of local materials.

Description

The temple is a rectangular, rendered brick structure with a complex triple roof of Chinese

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

tiles. A feature of this roof is the elaborate

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

ornamentation, incorporating Chinese historical and mythological characters, on the

ridges A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

and

bargeboards Bargeboard (probably from Medieval Latin ''bargus'', or ''barcus'', a scaffold, and not from the now obsolete synonym "vergeboard") or rake fascia is a board fastened to each projecting gable of a roof to give it strength and protection, and to ...

The interior comprises three sections: an entrance, a sky-lit middle section, and the

proper with its carved altar and figures of the gods of wealth, medicine and knowledge. Internal decoration is elaborate, and includes exposed carved and

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

timber supports, and furnishings such as silks, embroideries, lanterns and lamps. In the 1965-1966 restoration, the middle roof section, which had been removed, was repositioned. Much of the original interior decoration, which had been either salvaged or vandalised, was replaced. The temple survives in a back street sandwiched between the Breakfast Creek Hotel,

Albion Park Racecourse Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

and light industrial development, with the former vista across

lost. A plain concrete block building has been constructed adjacent to the temple, and the grounds have been concreted and enclosed with a brick fence and gateway.

Heritage listing

The Holy Triad Temple 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 Temple of the Holy Triad is significant as evidence of the development of Chinese settlement in nineteenth century Brisbane. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. The Temple of the Holy Triad is significant as a rare example of a nineteenth century Chinese temple in Queensland. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The Temple of the Holy Triad is significant as a rare example of a nineteenth century Chinese temple in Queensland.

References

Attribution

External links

* {{cite news, url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4486994, title=OPENING OF THE JOSS HOUSE., date=22 January 1886, 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 ...

, issue=8,743, location=Queensland, Australia, volume=XLI, page=6, via=National Library of Australia, accessdate=3 January 2017 Queensland Heritage Register Albion, Queensland Religious buildings and structures in Brisbane Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Buildings and structures completed in 1886 1886 establishments in Australia Temples in Queensland Chinese-Australian culture Chinese-Australian history