Toowoomba, QLD - St Luke's Anglican
Denomination: Anglican
Saint: Luke
Address: Corner Ruthven & Herries Streets, Toowoomba, Queensland, 4350
Architect: John Hingeston Buckeridge
Traditional Owners: Jagera /Giabal/Jarowair people
Last Updated: 26/06/2023
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History and Architecture:
A small school room was first erected on the site in 1857. In the 1860s, a fund was begun to finance a new and more substantial Church. Land situated near the new railway station was offered by the Honourable James Taylor and it was decided to use this land to erect the new Church, which was dedicated to St James in 1869.
In 1894 plans were made for a new Church of St Luke. Plans were prepared by J H Buckeridge, the Diocesan Architect, for a Church to be built in two stages. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Norman on 13 March 1895 and the first stage of the Church was dedicated on 14 February, 1897.
A substantial bluestone building it was constructed in stages between 1897 and 1959 to the original design of Church of England diocesan architect, John Hingeston Buckeridge. The present church replaced an earlier timber slab building constructed in the mid 1850s.**
The foundations of the building and base courses are of sandstone and a projecting course of sandstone forms the junction between the sandstone and bluestone of the walls. The roof of St Luke's is gabled over the eastern altar end of the church, western entrance end and the completed northern transept and the incomplete southern transept. The roof is clad with corrugated iron sheeting. The western faade of the building has a centrally located 5-sided projection which is only mid height of the faade and houses internally a baptismal font.**
In 1945 plans were made to construct a second stage of the Church as a war memorial. St Luke's war memorial combines the practical and spiritual with an extension of the fabric and the construction of a Warrior's Chapel.
Clergy:
These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 - 1869 | Rev Thomas Verrier Alkin | Asst | 1838 | 1921 |
| 1939 - 1944 | Rev Fraser Charles Ham | Asst C | 1917 | |
| 1949 - 1952 | Rev Leslie William Turner | Asst C | 1920 | |
| 1955 - 1956 | Rev F. G. Knight | Asst | ||
| 1958 - | Rev K A. Jackson | Asst | ||
| 1962 - 1964 | Rev Alan Bertram Gate | Asst | ||
| 1965 - 1967 | Rev L. H Narin | Asst | ||
| 1968 - 1969 | Rev Roy Malcolm Grant | Asst C | 1930 | |
| 1968 - 1970 | Rev William Charles Stegemann | Asst C | ||
| 1969 - 1972 | Rev I N Hunter | Asst | ||
| 1970 - | Rev Geoffrey Oswald | Asst C | 1931 | |
| 1972 - 1975 | Rev Richard Newton Gowty | Asst C | 1943 | |
| 1972 - 1984 | Rev Charles Elliott Thomas | RD/R | 1920 | |
| 1974 - 1976 | Rev Benjamin Albert Clarke | Asst | 1923 | |
| 1976 - 1986 | Rev B. B. Lynes | |||
| 1977 - 1981 | Rev James Arthur Prosser | Asst C | ||
| 1980 - 1982 | Rev D P Claughton | Asst | 1944 | |
| 1980 - | Rev Chevalier Frederick Young | 1921 | ||
| 1981 - 1982 | Rev A. C Balwin | |||
| 1981 - 1983 | Rev J. D McNamee | Asst | ||
| 1981 - 1983 | Rev Douglas William Frith | Asst C | 1944 | |
| 1983 - 1984 | Rev K. Masters | Asst | ||
| 1984 - 1991 | Rev H C.S. Booth | 1930 | ||
| - | Rev Leonard Ecott | Asst | ||
| 1985 - 1986 | Rev Philip Charles Crook | Asst | 1946 | |
| 1985 - 1986 | Rev Geoffrey Gerard Sampson | Asst C | ||
| 1985 - 1986 | Rev Edwin McKellar Thornton | Asst C | 1946 | |
| 1986 - 1988 | Rev Robert Hay | Asst C | 1953 | |
| 1986 - 1987 | Rev David Glynne Thomas | 1941 | ||
| 1987 - 1993 | Rev Geoffrey Oswald Thomas | 1931 | ||
| 1987 - 1990 | Rev Geoffrey Wallace Gray | Asst P | 1950 | |
| 1987 - 1992 | Rev Stuart Matthew Weatherley | Asst C | 1936 | |
| 1989 - 1994 | Rev P E Hutchison | Asst | ||
| 1989 - 1990 | Rev Graham Mitford Oates | Asst | ||
| 1989 - | Rev Eileen Grace Thomas | Asst C | 1924 | |
| 1990 - 1991 | Rev R. H. Clifton | Asst | ||
| 1990 - 1993 | Rev G. W. McGrory | |||
| 1992 - 1993 | Rev Iain Furby | Asst P | ||
| 1993 - 1997 | Rev Allan George Shephard | AD | ||
| 1994 - 1996 | Rev Ian Frederick Harris | Asst C | 1941 | |
| 1994 - 1998 | Rev Ian James Trainor | Asst | 1946 | |
| 1999 - | Rev Christopher George Wilsin | Asst C | 1954 |
Organ:
The Organ was built by Norman & Beard of London & Norwich in 1907. Installed in 1907 by B.B. Whitehouse & Co of Brisbane, in the nave of present church. It had 2 manuals, 19 speaking stops, tubular pneumatic action. Electrified, enlarged & installed in new chancel in 1960 by H.W. Jarrott of Brisbane. Rebuilt in 1995 by W.J. Simon Pierce of Brisbane. It has 2 manuals, 22 speaking stops, electro-pneumatic action.
For a full description and photos click here.
Contributions:
** Courtesy of the Queensland Govt Environment & Resource Management Dept.
Source:
1. The Australian Anglican Directory 2000.
2. Organ Historical Trust of Australia with permission.