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St Stephen's Church, Ipswich

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493:, and the contractor John Whitehead. The foundations still had problems, and in 1958 the church underpinnings were shored up by planting six metre pyramids of concrete under the building. The transepts were included at that time. However, the sessions house was not underpinned in 1958. In 1978 the sessions house was dismantled brick by brick and a new sessions house, incorporating a kitchen and new offices, was erected in the same place adjacent to, but not structurally adjoining, the existing building. A number of the stained glass windows depict the development of the Presbyterian Church and one came from the original St Andrew's Church in Wickham Terrace, 41: 558: 529: 388: 603:. The hall has a corrugated iron roof with large decorative ventilators, and tall bargeboards. Fine timber-work is used within the upper panel of each tall, narrow window to suggest the tracery of a pointed head arch. Although the hall is built of timber, its detailing is consistent with the Gothic references made in the adjacent church most evident on the gabled front entrance and the timber valances which encircle the building. 898: 570:
brick. The building has a Latin cross plan, and a corrugated iron roof, with ventilation to its ridges. Its detailing, in keeping with the tall spire, is derived from the Gothic Revival style. Its windows and door openings have pointed heads. Detailing to the spire includes: recessed pointed head arches, accented by tracery;
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St Stephen's Presbyterian Church and Hall are important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history as the buildings are a manifestation of the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Queensland and the substantial and striking design of the buildings are a reflection of the importance
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Internally the hall still displays its original design clearly with a platform stage at the eastern end of the building looking out over a simple rectangular hall with a curved timber ceiling. An extension has been added at the rear of the building which include the church offices on the northern
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makes it a landmark within the city's townscape and the most dominant element of its immediate streetscape. The spire's presence is further accented by it being painted cream, while the remainder of the structure, including the sympathetic addition of a sessions house at the eastern end, is dark
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as minister for Ipswich on 30 August 1853, the congregation began to work towards a permanent worship place for the "Scots Church of Ipswich". By early November 1855 a church, 40 by 26 feet (12.2 by 7.9 m) and with a square tower, had been completed according to the plans and specifications
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The Church has high aesthetic significance as a city landmark which has an important townscape contribution. The hall is also aesthetically significant for its fine timber detailing and together the church and hall create a cohesive composition of religious buildings dominating the corner of
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Internally the church still contains most of its original fittings and furnishings including timber bench pews and decorative timber entrance screen. An original gallery overlooks the main floor of the church at the western end of the building and has access to the bell tower in the steeple.
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In 1911–12 the church was virtually rebuilt owing to foundation problems which meant that the walls had to be replaced. The steeple and sessions house were retained in original condition, the roof raised, and two porticos were added at that time. The architect was
481:. It has been suggested that Joseph Backhouse only supervised the construction of the church under designs made by his brother Benjamin, however this not substantiated. Joseph Backhouse was an architect in Ipswich in 1864–65, and was the town surveyor for the 524:
Tenders for the erection of a Sabbath School, or Hall, were called for in 1888 on an allotment of land south of the church granted by James Ivory. The Sabbath School was constructed by builders Robert Wilson & Co for £751 10s 6d and was opened in 1889.
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was erected on the north-eastern alignment in 1958 as a war memorial. In 1977, when several Protestant churches united, St. Stephen's was one of the congregations which continued as a Presbyterian Church, and its present parish, which extends from
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A false rear wall has been constructed dividing the main church from the sessions house by a narrow hallway. The church and the sessions display several large cracks in the brick work due to shifting
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St Stephen's Church is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a nineteenth century gothic style brick church including the steeple and the pointed arched window and door frames.
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St Stephen's Church and Hall have a strong and special association with its congregation, one of the oldest congregations in Ipswich, as a place of worship and gathering since the 1860s.
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The grounds of St Stephen's Presbyterian Church contain a lych gate on the north-eastern corner constructed in 1958 as a war memorial, an uncommon type of war memorial in Queensland.
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was laid on 12 August 1879, and the building opened in January 1880. The manse was located to the east of the church and it was recently relocated to an acreage property at
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The foundation stone for the new church was laid by the Hon Arthur Macalister in August 1865. The architect for the new building was Joseph Backhouse, brother of
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An operational pipe organ sits in a pit on the southern side of the altar platform with the pipes and other mechanisms stored in the upper level of the southern
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The plantings include two tall thin pines, mimicking the spire. The squat cypress tree plantings appropriately allow the built structure to dominate the site.
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until 30 December 1858. On 22 February 1859 there were two further grants of adjacent land, for a school house and manse, bringing the total to one acre. (The
1351: 1021: 991: 1016: 574:, alternately projecting; and elaborate moulding. A lighter coloured brick articulates the pointed heads of the church's other window and door openings. 1108: 1371: 1240: 1006: 926: 868: 1283: 1260: 454:(later Sir Hugh). The church took on the name of St Stephen's in 1862. This early church proved to have faulty foundations, and had to be replaced. 399:
style brick church was designed by architect Joseph Backhouse and continues to be the place of worship for one the oldest congregations in Ipswich.
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The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.
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The Women's Guild planted cypress trees at the front entry to the church in May 1941 in memory of their late president, Alice Kirke. A
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In 2008, the name of the church was changed to Central Presbyterian Church, Ipswich, and is commonly known as Central Church, Ipswich.
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The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
557: 467: 254: 466:, who arrived in 1863, also the year that the twelve independent Presbyterian Church of Scotland congregations united into the one 528: 1235: 1001: 950: 679:
The church has special association with architect Joseph Backhouse (brother of Benjamin Backhouse) as his major work in Ipswich.
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Pipe organ, trees/plantings, tower – bell / belfry, furniture/fittings, lychgate, stained glass window/s, hall, gallery, church
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The lych gate, included in this precinct is at the corner of Gordon and Limestone Streets. It has a brick base and a tiled,
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St Stephen's Presbyterian Church stands as the second church constructed on the current site in 1864 - 1865. This striking
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The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
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in December 1844. On 19 October 1851 the Reverend Walter Ross McLeod, of the United Presbyterian Church of
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The timber hall, separated from the church by a carpark, has a cross- shaped plan, and a gabled
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The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.
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on which the church stood, at the corner of Limestone and Gordon Streets, was not made by the
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The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
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and the floor in the sessions house is a "floating floor" which is sinking.
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The present St Stephen's church was erected during the time of the Reverend
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on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the
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Prominent members of the Established Church of Scotland at that time were
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The first Presbyterian church service held in Ipswich was by Dr.
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The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
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as an independent colony did not occur until December 1859.)
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Jubilee memorial, St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Ipswich
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on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.
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19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in Australia
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in 1865–67. Contractors were Farley, Renny and McHugh.
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Queensland Heritage Council 663:Limestone and Thorn Streets. 1342:Queensland Heritage Register 753:Queensland Heritage Register 627:Queensland Heritage Register 377:Queensland Heritage Register 342:St Stephen's Church and Hall 277:Queensland Heritage Register 1398: 1377:Churches completed in 1978 1357:Church halls in Queensland 433:New South Wales Government 1316: 1216: 1196: 1136: 1125: 992:Hunter Baillie, Annandale 970: 959: 881:Robertson, Peter (1903), 599:entry with double access 483:Ipswich Municipal Council 335: 331: 270: 54: 50: 45:St Stephen's Church, 2021 38: 33: 28: 1012:St Stephen's, Queanbeyan 437:separation of Queensland 363:at 22 Limestone Street, 1241:St Andrew's, Deniliquin 1093:St Andrew's, Launceston 352:, is a heritage-listed 1284:St John's, Neutral Bay 1274:St Andrew's, Innisfail 1261:St Margaret's, Hackett 1256:St David's, Haberfield 1236:St Andrew's, Bundaberg 1063:St Paul's, Spring Hill 808:Central Church Ipswich 562: 533: 479:Ipswich Grammar School 458:Second church building 392: 348:parish and officially 324:Significant components 295:State heritage (built) 1231:St Andrew's, Brisbane 1073:St Stephen's, Ipswich 905:at Wikimedia Commons 871:on 15 October 2014). 565:The church's western 560: 531: 491:George Brockwell Gill 448:Premier of Queensland 417:William Lambie Nelson 403:First church building 390: 169:Hon. Arthur Macaliste 92:22 Limestone Street, 1304:St John's, Wahroonga 1299:St Andrew's, Warwick 1294:St Stephen's, Sydney 1022:St Andrew's, Wingham 987:Chinese, Surry Hills 781:The Brisbane Courier 561:Front entrance, 2016 379:on 21 October 1992. 73:27.6164°S 152.7629°E 1347:Ipswich, Queensland 1264:(co-denominational) 1109:St Columba's, Perth 861:State of Queensland 843:State of Queensland 69: /  24:St Stephen's Church 18:Church in Australia 1007:St Andrew's, Manly 563: 534: 475:Benjamin Backhouse 393: 316:Significant period 308:Reference no. 218:Architectural type 78:-27.6164; 152.7629 1329: 1328: 1312: 1311: 1279:St Paul's, Mackay 1192: 1191: 1121: 1120: 1117: 1116: 1102:Western Australia 1042:Scots', Melbourne 901:Media related to 859:published by the 841:published by the 444:Arthur Macalister 429:grant of the land 409:John Dunmore Lang 339: 338: 199:Joseph Backhouse 1389: 1322: 1321:Calvinism portal 1265: 1211: 1206: 1198: 1131:Defunct churches 1127: 1085: 1034: 972: 965:Current 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Index


27°36′59″S 152°45′46″E / 27.6164°S 152.7629°E / -27.6164; 152.7629
Ipswich
City of Ipswich
Queensland
Denomination
Presbyterian
www.centralchurch.net.au
Dedication
Saint Stephen
Architect(s)
George Gill
Style
Gothic Revival
Queensland
Parish
Queensland Heritage Register
Presbyterian
church
churchyard
Ipswich
City of Ipswich
Queensland
Queensland Heritage Register

Gothic Revival
John Dunmore Lang
South Brisbane
William Lambie Nelson
John Petrie

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