Townsville, QLD - St Joseph's Catholic

History and Architecture:

The Church was designed by Townsville architectural firm Charles Dalton Lynch and Walter Hunt, and was constructed by Townsville building firm Rooney Ltd in 1920-1921. The church, which faces Fryer Street, was located close to the site of the original church which had faced the Strand. The altar, which was designed by parish priest Monsignor Bourke, was crafted by Joseph Rooney.

The Church was built in a reinforced concrete structure with a corrugated iron gable roof to the nave and lower skillion roofs to the side aisles, is located on a level site fronting Fryer Street to the southeast. The church consists of the original central section which has had arcades added to both sides with vestries at the rear.

Internally, the building has a timber gallery above the entrance accessed by a corner timber stair with turned balusters. The side aisles are separated from the nave by concrete columns surmounted by pointed arches with expressed mouldings. The building has a concrete floor, and the nave has a scissor braced King-post roof with curved side braces and lined with diagonal boarding.

A Foundation stone in Latin partly reads, D. O. M. Day 26 Jan A.D.M CM XI X BENEDICT X V. PONT. MAX. The Reign of the Church CALL ON ION. St. Joseph STONE AUSPICALEM REMUS AC. ILLMUS Owner J. SHIEL EPUS Rockhampton.