Spring Hill, QLD - All Saints' Anglican

History and Architecture:

First founded in 1862, the current building designed by Benjamin Backhouse was completed in 1869, making it the oldest Anglican church in Brisbane. was completed in 1869, making it the oldest Anglican church in Brisbane.

This single-storeyed stone church sits on a raised triangular site at the junction of Ann Street and Wickham Terrace, Brisbane. Its style is nineteenth century Gothic Revival, with buttressed walls of rough faced rubble, porphyry and sandstone, and a metal clad roof. The interior has a fine example of a hammer-beam ceiling, which is rare in Australia.

All Saints' is the oldest surviving church in use in the the inner city area. In 1856 a portion of land on Windmill Hill was granted for the purpose of establishing a church to serve the infant colony of Brisbane. A stone church familiarly called 'Brisbane Tabernacle' was erected on the site and welcomed its first worshippers in 1862. The church was constructed of pink porphyry from the local Windsor quarries, and seated 400 parishioners. By 1869 the church was too small, and a new church was designed by architect R.G. Suter.

The new church, to be known as 'All Saints' Church'. was built over the floor of the old, and the original Tabernacle stone blocks were reused in the new structure. The soundness of the old stone was tested by the shocks of blasting when the railway tunnel linking Brisbane City to Fortitude Valley was driven below the church foundations in 1887. The interior contains a fine example of hammer-beam roof construction which is very rare in Australia. The east end windows were installed in 1870 and are the oldest stained glass church windows in Brisbane. These windows were made in Melbourne by Ferguson, Uril and Lyons, who also made most of the windows for St. Paul's Cathedral.

The interior contains a fine example of hammer-beam roof construction which is very rare in Australia. The east end windows were installed in 1870 and are the oldest stained glass church windows in Brisbane. These windows were made in Melbourne by Ferguson, Uril and Lyons, who also made most of the windows for St. Paul's Cathedral. Features of the church include the needlework Parish banner; a set of 18th century French vestments; a sculpture `Christ Accepting the Cross' by Andor Meszaros marking the church centenary; and the old European trees in the courtyard dating from the early days of the church. Church architecture is Early English Gothic Revival style.