anglicanchurch

The All Saints Anglican Church on Erub dates from 1919. It was constructed below the site of the original London Missionary Society Mission, house and school using local materials, including lime produced from burnt coral as well as basalt. Sited as it is, close to the location of these early mission buildings, ensures that it has a close link to the island’s history. The church building itself has changed and evolved over the years but has long been an important landmark on the island. The church was originally built under the guidance and direction of a local island man, Manai, assisted by a South Sea Islander man named Albert Ware. It underwent significant remodeling in 1963, the roofline was raised and internal walls were extended. Similar to when it was first built, local limestone from the surrounding reefs was used in this work. Erosion has been an ongoing problem for the building, necessitating the construction of a protective stone sea wall, in the mid-1970s, as a means of protecting the church from the effects of strong tides. All Saints is an important reminder of missionary activity in the Torres Strait and has always had a central role in the annual July 1 “Coming of the Light” celebrations, when islanders and others commemorate the arrival of the London Missionary Society in 1871. Acknowledging its importance to Queensland’s history, the All Saints Anglican Church is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and survives as an important and prominent landmark in Erub’s built environment. Brian Randall - Senior Librarian, State Library of Queensland Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-places-all-saints-angl...

The Bundaberg district was explored by Europeans searching for timber in the 1850s and 1860s and developed from the 1870s onwards as one of Australia's major sugar-producing areas. The Bunda Aborigines gave the city the first part of its name, while the second part "Berg" (German for 'mountain') points to the preponderance of early German settlers. The first Anglican Church in Bundaberg was built in Quay Street in 1876. The building was moved to Woongarra Street, near the present site, in 1899. The present brick church, in English gothic style with a prominent bell tower and spire, was built in 1926 and dedicated in February 1927.1 Plans for the building had been drawn up in the 1890s by the architect, J. H. Buckeridge (1857-1934), a pupil of J. L. Pearson, who was the Diocesan Architect of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane between 1887 and 1902. Source: www.ohta.org.au/organs/organs/BundabergAng.html

Mention the possibility of a cyclone to any old Gladstone local and it won’t be long before the conversation shifts to stories of the great cyclone of 1949 which devastated Gladstone and Rockhampton and affected many other smaller towns along the coast on Wednesday 2 March 1949. Their stories tell of the force of the cyclone and the damage to property and also tell of lucky escapes from injury. In 1949 there was little education about preparation for the cyclone season. The full force of the cyclone hit at about 1 pm and took the townspeople unawares. There had been little warning that a cyclone was approaching. Men rushed home from work at lunchtime and children were sent home from school early. The wind, which was accompanied by torrential rain, blew furiously for about 16 hours and was estimated to have a velocity of 85 knots (100 mph/160kph). It left a trail of devastation in its wake. St Saviour’s Church of England, a wooden building, lost its roof and suffered some other structural damage, but St Matthew’s Church of England in the Valley area was a total loss. Source: gladstonehistoryinc.wordpress.com/1949-cyclone/