JourneyOnline
The uniquely designated Anzac Memorial Church at Indooroopilly, Brisbane celebrates its centenary on 2 September, 2017. Architect and historian Jim Gibson explains why this building holds a special place in Australian history.
For 100 years the Anzac Memorial Church has been a feature of the streetscape at Station Road, Indooroopilly. Sitting prominently at the corner of Musgrave Road, directly opposite Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, it has defied the changes of a century. Built by the Indooroopilly Methodist congregation, the building remains little changed from the time of its opening on 1 September 1917.
Designated the “Anzac Memorial Church” by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams when he laid the foundation stone on 29 April 1916, it bears a unique Anzac heritage.
The legitimacy of the name came under threat when legislation was passed in 1917 prohibiting the use of the name “Anzac” on buildings, but an appeal to government at the highest level was upheld when the Prime Minister, Hon W.M. (Billy) Hughes, sanctioned the use of the name, giving the church building a unique status as a memorial to Anzac and one of the earliest memorials to WWI.
For 100 years the building has been in continuous use; as the Indooroopilly Methodist Church until 1976, and since then as a component part of the Indooroopilly Uniting Church, utilised for worship and a variety of allied purposes.
On Saturday, 2 September the congregation will commemorate the centenary of the building, gathering for a celebration in the Indooroopilly Uniting Church led by the moderator Rev David Baker from 2 pm to 4 pm including an opportunity to see the church building as it is and as it is planned to be.
Any queries can be addressed to Jim Gibson at jwnjgibson@bigpond.com or (07) 3354 2056.
