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The present Albert Street Church building was opened in 1889, but the history of its people goes back to when the first Methodist congregation met in Brisbane in 1847. This church was regarded as the mother of Queensland Methodism and has been the scene of many historic events. Among these were state and national conferences of the Methodist church, and the ordination of its Ministers. The first Methodist church in Brisbane was built by John Petrie, the first Mayor of Brisbane town, and was opened on March 10, 1849, on the corner of Albert Street and Burnett Lane, where the Commonwealth Bank now stands. This was a plain rectangular brick building, quite small, and the congregation soon outgrew it. The second Methodist church was built in 1856 on the same site as the first by Mr. Jeays. Frederick Richard (Dick) Smith in his book, “The Church on the Square: A History of the Albert Street Church”, notes that Mr. Jeays was also the builder of Parliament House in George Street. The second church cost £2667 and was 80 feet long, 40 feet wide, and could accommodate 500 people seated. It was approximate twice the size of the original. The building style was Gothic Revival with a wooden shingle roof and its stained glass windows were created by Mr. Murray. The original wooden pews from the first church were reused in this building, along with additional pews made specifically for the new building. The opening service was held on 6 December 1856. In 1877, the second church was extensively renovated and additions such as a new schoolroom facing Adelaide Street were built. It was reopened in 1878 with a gallery added to increase the seating capacity and the wooden shingles changed to slate to reduce the fire hazard. Smith notes that a decorative iron railing was used to separate the sanctuary and in front of the new gallery. A pipe organ, made by Mr. James Cole of Manchester, England, was installed and had 17 stops and 622 pipes costing £350. Since 1847, the mission to the wider community has always been at the heart of the Albert Street Church and was formalised in 1907 with the creation of the Central Methodist Mission. “The Central Methodist Mission [was] constituted by the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church of Queensland for the purpose of Divine Worship according to the ordinances of the Methodist Church, establishing charitable institutions and engaging in a ministry of social service irrespective of ages, class or creed.” – extract from F.R Smith’s The Church on the Square. Source: www.wmq.org.au/albert-street-uniting-church/our-history

1880 - St James' Church enlargement Having become the Cathedral of the new diocese, St James’ Church was enlarged, extending the nave and north and south aisles 1883 Plans for a new and larger cathedral began when members of the church formed a committee to raise the funds 1884 The proposal to build a cathedral was approved by a church synod and the Cathedral Building Committee was appointed. An organ, donated by Miss S.E. Holland (an English friend of Bishop Stanton), was added to the church. 1885 Arthur Blackett of Sydney, son of Edmund Blackett (the New South Wales colonial architect) was commissioned to design a new cathedral. The initial designs called for a cathedral constructed of sandstone with granite columns which would hold 1000 parishioners. Source: www.stjamescathedral.com.au/the-cathedral/history/ The nave would be 37 feet (11 m) wide, transepts would be 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and the total interior length from chancel to bell tower would be 115 feet (35 m). 1887 Many features of these designs were rejected upon review by the diocese and three revisions were necessary before a final plan was approved. The final design was for a church built in stone, with a low wide central tower that would act as a ventilation shaft, and a single tower at the northern door. It was to cost £24,000 but was built in sections. The diocese called tenders for the construction of the Cathedral. The first sod was turned on the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria on June 22nd. 1892 The building was erected by Townsville contractors MacMahon & Cliffe. Subsequent financial constraints forced changes to the design, and the Cathedral was constructed in brick, with concrete facings, a temporary roof, and no towers. This first stage of the Cathedral was consecrated on October 27th by the second Bishop of North Queensland, Christopher Barlow. 1896 On 26 January, Cyclone Sigma struck Townsville; however, the Cathedral was relatively unaffected by this 1903 On March 9th, Cyclone Leonta struck Townsville, destroying the 1871 St James’ Church and the temporary roof of the Cathedral. The Cathedral was promptly rebuilt with higher walls and a more permanent roof at a cost of £2,500. The gas lights, seen here, remained until 1922. They were replaced by electrical lights when it became available until 1959 The second stage of the Cathedral was designed in 1955 by Melbourne architect Louis Williams, with Townsville architects Black and Paulsen responsible for the building between 1959-1960. 1959-60 Although Blackett’s design had a strong Byzantine flavour, with its magnificent pointed arches and the apsidal east end, at one stage of the design he envisaged having a dome above the nave. Williams favoured a Gothic design, which was popular for churches up to the end of the 1960s. The nave and the Western façade with the bell tower and stature of St James were all added Evidence of the extension can be seen as although the brick makers, Scott Brothers, reopened the original clay pit to make new bricks for the extension, a slight difference of colour can be seen due to the aging of the bricks. Evidence can also be seen in the ceiling where the original rough sawn, lapped timber was replaced with machine sawn, tongue-in-groove. The final foundation stone was laid in 1960 marking the completion of the Cathedral.

Looking a bit run down in this 2014 streetview as Seamus Coyle Auctioneers, hoardings up for renovations in 2015, and ready for action again in 2017.

Historic St Matthew's Church facing closure THE imminent closure of historic St. Matthew's Church and Hall will be a tragic loss, not only to Howard, but the whole Fraser Coast community. By Rosiejay THE imminent closure of historic St. Matthew's Church and Hall will be a tragic loss, not only to Howard, but the whole Fraser Coast community. Located in William Street next to Brooklyn House, it is set on land donated by William Rankin. The Rankin family is well-known for their past political contributions, through Col. Colin Rankin and Dame Annabelle Rankin DBE. Whilst the present congregation of St. Matthew's is small, their dedication and love for their church and its rich history is evident. The peeling paint on this little timber church belies its well-kept interior. Its stained glass windows depicting the Church's namesake, St. Matthew, overlook the altar draped in crisp, white linen, neat rows of wooden pews and gleaming polished plaques bearing the names of long-past parishioners. An aura of warmth pervades, no doubt from the love of many generations who have been a part of this welcoming church. The original church was built in 1883. This church became a hall when it was replaced in 1913 by the current church. During World War 2 the hall was utilised as a field hospital. Today it still serves the community as a meeting place for local group activities. The Parish of Howard was formed in 1891, with St. Matthew's being the only Church of England in the area. In the following years, St. Matthew's curate would make the then long, difficult journey to Pialba to minister to the people there. Nowadays, the situation is reversed, though the journey is much easier. Whilst financial circumstances should be considered, other factors must also be taken into account. As St. Matthew's is an active part of the Howard community, its closure will affect many more than the congregation. The fellowship of the congregation, many of whom come from other communities, will be torn apart and scattered. Irreplaceable history will be lost forever. Can it be saved? St. Matthew's Church and Hall will be taking part in Coalfest this Saturday with free tours of the church, sausage sizzle, floral displays, an art exhibition in the hall, and much more. Source: www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/fraser-coast/histo...