Coorparoo, QLD - St James' Catholic

History and Architecture:

On 6 February 1913, Duhig purchased three acres of land for the sum of £1250. A timber church-school was erected on the corner of Wecker Street (later Kirkland Avenue) and Old Cleveland Road in 1913 at a cost of £2650. The church, designed by Joseph Warren and built by E. Duhig of Wooloowin, was dedicated by Archbishop Duhig on 10 August 1913.

The present church of St James at Coorparoo is one of the three almost identical churches designed by Toowoomba architect, H.J. Marks. At the request of the parish priest, Fr J. O'Leary, it was identical in design to the church of his friend Fr Foughy, parish priest of Laidley. This was the second church to be built on the site.

The two tier front facade of the building features a central indented porch divided into three bays by two large columns. These three bays continue into the upper tier brick wall past a rendered entablature.

A plaque on the church wall reads, On the 25th of January 1925  on the feast of St Paul the Apostle this first stone of the church erected to the glory of God under the title and patronage of St James the Apostle was blessed and placed by the most Reverend J Duhig D.D. Archbishop of Brisbane in the reign of Pope Pius Eleventh with the Reverend J. O'Leary being the Parish Priest.