St Paul's Cathedral, Rockhampton

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral
St Paul's Church of England Cathedral
St Paul's Church of England
St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, 2020
23°22′55″S 150°30′45″E
Address	89 William Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland
Country	Australia
Denomination	Anglican Church of Australia
Website	www.rockhamptoncathedral.org.au
History
Status	Church (1883 – 1892) Cathedral (since 1892)
Dedication	Saint Paul
Dedicated	18 October 1883 by Bishop Matthew Hale
Consecrated	20 June 1911
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Annersley Voysey
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1883 – 1953
Administration
Diocese	Rockhampton
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Peter Grice
Rector	Melusi Sibanda
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name	St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, St Paul's Church of England, St Paul's Church of England Cathedral
Type	State heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600821
Significant period	1880s–1890s (historical) 1880s–1910s, 1950s (fabric) ongoing (social)
Significant components	Furniture/fittings, views to, cathedral, stained glass window/s, memorial – honour board/ roll of honour, chapel, gate – entrance

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral is an Australian heritage-listed cathedral at 89 William Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland. 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 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, 1930

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 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 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, FDG Stanley, 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 from the eastern wall of the chancel to a more central position on the sanctuary. This work involved the removal of a rood screen, which was installed in the 1920s. The crucifix which was part of this screen is now affixed to a wall near the lectern. The Warriors' Chapel was added to the eastern end of one of the aisles 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.

Description

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral is a simple substantial masonry building with steeply pitched gabled roof. The building is constructed from rock faced evenly coursed sandstone and has smooth faced sandstone detailing including windows surrounds, base course, string coursing and buttress caps. The building has a rectangular plan, with apsidal chancel and rectangular gabled porched entrance. Flanking the chancel is a vestry to the south and a warriors' chapel to the north. The building is divided internally into nave and side aisles by a pointed arched arcade of smooth faced Stanwell sandstone.

The high altar 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 surrounded by four evangelists. The sedilia or stalls surrounding the altar are of timber. The bishop's cathedra or throne is made from red cedar and canopied in Gothic style. Four mosaics 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. The font, also of Stanwell sandstone, is situated in the south western corner of the building. The sanctuary of the church houses a dean's stall, precentor's stall and canons' stalls. A brass lectern with eagle head is housed near the altar. The Lady Chapel houses a small coloured statue of the Madonna and Child known as Our Lady of Walsingham. 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 of the Madonna and Child (after Della Robbia) 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 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 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 and Crucifixion, the Risen Christ and the Day of Pentecost. 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 and Visitation and the eucharistic worship of the church.

Heritage listing

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register 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:

Order	Name	Office	Date installed	Term ended	Term of office	Reason for term end	Notes
1	Thomas Jones	Dean	1861	1864	2–3 years
2	W. Wright		1865	1867	1–2 years
3	John T. Botting		1868	1870	1–2 years
4	James Gilbertson		1870	1872	1–2 years
5	M. Leigh		1872	1876	3–4 years
6	W. Lock		1876	1879	2–3 years
7	William Alfred Diggens		1879	1891	11–12 years
8	A. Richards		1891	1898	6–7 years
9	Thomas B. J. Parker		1898	1901	2–3 years
10	P. Howes		1902	1902	0 years
11	George Dowglas Halford		1902	1907	4–5 years	Bishop of Rockhampton, 1909–20
12	George Herbert Rodgers		1907	1917	9–10 years
13	Arthur Harold Barlee		1917	1919	1–2 years
14	J. A. Coe		1919	1925	5–6 years
15	Arthur T. Robinson OGS		1926	1930	3–4 years
(11)	George Dowglas Halford		1930	1931	0–1 years	(locum tenens)
16	Stewart Wemyss Gibson Frost		1931	1933	1–2 years
17	Rowland Borrowman Davison		1934	1939	4–5 years
18	Edward Herbert Strong		1940	1940	0 years
19	John Edwin Dale		1940	1954	13–14 years
20	Seering John Matthews	Rector	1954	1960	5–6 years	Bishop of Carpentaria, 1960–68
21	John Hazlewood		1960	1968	7–8 years	Bishop of Ballarat, 1975–83
22	John Bayton		1968	1979	10–11 years	Diocese of Melbourne, 1989–95
23	Francis George Knight		1980	1983	2–3 years
24	Brian George Farran		1983	1989	5–6 years	Bishop of Newcastle, 2005–12
25	Christopher Gordon Whittall		1990	2009	18–19 years
26			c. 2005	2010	4–5 years
27	Lindsay David Howie		2010	2018	7–8 years
28	Melusi Sibanda		2019	incumbent	4–5 years

References

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

External links

Media related to St Paul's Cathedral, Rockhampton at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website