St Paul's Anglican Cathedral is an Australian heritage-listed

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

at 89 William Street,

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

Rockhampton Region The Rockhampton Region is a local government area (LGA) in Central Queensland, Australia, located on the Tropic of Capricorn about north of Brisbane. Rockhampton is the region's major city; the region also includes the Fitzroy River, Mount ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. It was designed principally by Annersley Voysey and built from 1883 to 1953. It is also known as St Paul's Church of England and St Paul's Church of England Cathedral. 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 ...

on 21 October 1992. The associated hall and offices were listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 June 2000.

History

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral was constructed as the Rockhampton Church of England and completed by 1883 when it was dedicated. The building was designed principally by

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

architect Annersley Voysey. The building became the Church of England cathedral in 1892. Anglican services were held in Rockhampton from the late 1850s by lay ministers. In 1859 a small timber church and school building was constructed, however this was destroyed in a storm in 1860. The pioneer rector,

the Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

Thomas Jones, arrived in Rockhampton in about 1860 and held services at Grant's Timber Yard Hall and at the local Court House. By 1862 he had raised sufficient funds to build a timber church on the site later occupied by the parish hall. This building, designed by Thomas Dixon Chater, was built on a dedicated church reserve adjoining the National School. By 1872 about £3000 had been collected for the construction of a third Rockhampton church. Plans and specifications were prepared for the new church, later the cathedral, in Brisbane by architect, Annersley Voysey. The stonemason employed on the first part of the project was Paul Sanderson who completed external walls to the height of one metre. By 1877 the walls were no higher and the money was spent, fresh tenders were called. Amid a flurry of concerns about the strength of the foundations as well the introduction of a new plan by

Queensland Colonial Architect The Queensland Government Architect is a position within the public service of Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and t ...

FDG Stanley Francis Drummond Greville Stanley (1839–1897) was an architect in Queensland, Australia. He was the Queensland Colonial Architect. Many of his designs are now heritage-listed buildings. Early life Stanley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1 ...

, the construction at the church was recommenced in September 1879 to revised plans by A. W. Voysey and Frank Scarr. The masonry was continued by George Sanderson, carpentry was completed by David Wiley, plumbing by J. Wakefield and painting by W. Aspinall. Funding shortages again caused a work stoppage, this time in April 1881 just as the roof was to be started. Committee members pledged to raise £200 each and the work was recommenced. The building was completed and furnished by 18 October 1883 when it was dedicated by Bishop Matthew Hale assisted by Bishop George Stanton. The building was not consecrated until 20 June 1911 when the building fund was repaid. In 1892 the Rockhampton Church of England diocese was formed and the church was upgraded to a cathedral. The foundation bishop was the Right Reverend Nathaniel Dawes who was enthroned on 30 November 1892. Entrance gates, designed by Louis Spier Robertson, were constructed at the cathedral in 1899. Other changes to the building include the removal in 1968 of the

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

from the eastern wall of the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

to a more central position on the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

. This work involved the removal of a

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

, which was installed in the 1920s. The

crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin 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 (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

which was part of this screen is now affixed to a wall near the

lectern A lectern is a standing reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of ...

. The Warriors' Chapel was added to the eastern end of one of the

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

s in 1916. The Lady Chapel was created in the other aisle in about 1953. A temporary bell tower with a peal of eight bells was erected in 1946 as a thanksgiving offering for victory in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Description

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral is a simple substantial masonry building with steeply pitched

gabled 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. The building is constructed from rock faced evenly coursed

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

and has smooth faced sandstone detailing including windows surrounds, base course, string coursing and

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 (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

caps. The building has a rectangular plan, with

apsidal In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In Byzant ...

and rectangular gabled

porch A porch (; , ) is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance to a building. A porch is placed in front of the façade of a building it commands, and forms a low front. Alternatively, it may be a vestibule (architecture), vestibule (a s ...

ed entrance. Flanking the chancel is a

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

to the south and a warriors' chapel to the north. The building is divided internally into

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 side

s by a pointed arched

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...

of smooth faced

Stanwell Stanwell is a village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Spelthorne district, in Surrey, England. It is west of central London. A small corner of its land is used as industrial land for nearby Heathrow Airport. The rest of the village is made up o ...

sandstone. The

is constructed with a Tasmanian black bean base and bronze and resin lining. The central figure on the altar is the Lamb from the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

surrounded by four evangelists. The

sedilia In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar—often within the chancel—intended for use by the officiating priest, deacon, an ...

or stalls surrounding the altar are of timber. The bishop's cathedra or throne is made from red cedar and canopied in

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

. Four

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

s set into the floor in front of the throne are thought to date from the eighteenth century and depict mythical beasts from Ezekial and the Book of Revelation. The pulpit is carved from Stanwell sandstone and features a cross carved in

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

. The font, also of Stanwell sandstone, is situated in the south western corner of the building. The

of the church houses a dean's stall, precentor's stall and canons' stalls. A brass

with eagle head is housed near the altar. The Lady Chapel houses a small coloured statue of the

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

known as

Our Lady of Walsingham Our Lady of Walsingham is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by Catholics and high-church Anglicans. According to tradition, the title is linked to a Marian vision experienced in 1061 by Lady Richeldis de Faverches, an Angl ...

. The piece dates from 1963 and depicts the patron saint of the church. Also housed in the Lady Chapel is an icon of St Paul. The Warrior's Chapel houses a 1919 honour board bearing the names of the fallen from the diocese. A ceramic

bas relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of the Madonna and Child (after

Della Robbia Della Robbia is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Luca della Robbia (1400–1481), Italian sculptor * Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525), Italian sculptor, nephew of Luca * Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529), son of Andrea * Gir ...

) is attached to the wall of the southern side aisle. On the sills of some of the windows in the side aisles are small brass medallions which are modern interpretations of the fourteen

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

. The stained and coloured glass windows throughout the building are of high quality. The first window in the eastern end of the north aisle, of unknown origin, was placed in 1903 depicting Christ in Glory and dedicated to John Peddle. Windows in the southern aisle, with the exception of the one depicting St Paul on the Road to Damascus, were designed by

William Bustard William Bustard (18 April 1894 – 24 August 1973) was an artist in Queensland, Australia. His stained glass work features in many heritage-listed buildings. Early life William Bustard was born in 1894 in Terrington, Malton, North Yorkshire, Ma ...

of Brisbane. The three central sanctuary lights (Messrs Lawndes and Dowry, London, after the design of Caroline Townshead) were placed in the memory of the first bishop, Nathaniel Dawes, in 1914, depicting the

Agony Agony may refer to: Concepts * Agony, a terminal state of the body before death *Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering *Agony in the Garden, Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane Comics * ''Agony'' (book), ...

and

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

, the

Risen Christ The resurrection of Jesus () is Christian belief that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, starting—or restoring—his exalted life as Christ and Lord. According to the New Testament writing, Jesus wa ...

and the Day of

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

. The two windows flanking these were placed in 1921 and also made by Messrs Lawndes and Dowry in memory of Marion Dawson, depicting the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

and Visitation and the

eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

ic worship of the church.

Heritage listing

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral 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 cathedral demonstrates the growth of Rockhampton during the late nineteenth century. The substantial sandstone building constructed by 1883 became a cathedral in 1892 when the Diocese of Rockhampton was formed. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The building is characteristic of substantial Gothic revival cathedrals, with sandstone construction, cruciform plan, Gothic detailing and steeply pitched roof. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The building has aesthetic merit as a well composed building and a Rockhampton landmark. Features of the building have individual significance as well crafted items, including internal furnishings and stained glass panels. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The building has special associations for the Anglican Community of central and north Queensland as their cathedral. 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 building is associated with the architect, Annersley Voysey and with many influential archbishops of the Rockhampton Diocese.

Rectors and Deans of Rockhampton

The following individuals have served as rectors or deans of St Paul's Cathedral, Rockhampton:

References

Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Pauls Cathedral Rockhampton Queensland Heritage Register Buildings and structures in Rockhampton

Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register

1883 establishments in Australia Gothic Revival architecture in Queensland Gothic Revival church buildings in Australia Churches completed in 1953