St Mary’s Restoration
The restoration of St Mary’s at Beaudesert is a work in progress which requires significant resources and ongoing help.
History:
St Mary’s Catholic Church was completed in 1907. The Foundation Stone was laid on February 2nd and the Church was opened on September 15th.
Over time, there has been a variety of minor changes and repairs to allow the Church to weather the years and remain comfortable in the modern era.
- Painting inside and out.
- Re-stumping in the 1920s and again in the 1950s with the brick perimeter wall and steps added in the 1950s.
- Changes to the altar in the mid-1960s – from the old “High Altar” style to the modern altar with the priest facing the congregation.
- Removal of the pulpit in the 1970s.
- Addition of two (temporary)
stabilising beams to hold the Church square in the 1980s. - Addition of more stumps and packing originals to level the floor during the 1990s.
- Moving the confessional in the 1970s and 1990s.
- Polishing the floors and adding new carpets in the 1990s.
Now is the time for more work
The Church requires work to make it structurally secure and allow it to live for another hundred years and beyond. Although none is so critical as to make the building dangerous, each remains quite urgent and necessary to ensure the structural integrity of the building.
Why we need your help
Drainage work:
In heavy rain, water flows under the Church, allowing the stumps to gradually sink and move. This must be addressed by increasing gutter size, keeping trees away from the Church and creating drains to get the water away.
Stumps:
The current stumps will need to be replaced. Adjustable stumps will be installed into deep concrete foundations. This will make them far more secure, by having a larger bearing area and being less prone to soil dampness variation (the deeper the stump, the less the soil moisture changes).
Frame and Internal structure:
Over the years, the open design of the Church has allowed it to bulge in the middle. The top of the walls above the support pillars has moved out by as much as 100mm. This can be seen by the line of the pillars. Bracing was added to reduce the movement of the building, but this can only be classed as temporary, and the aim is to remove it. To straighten and stabilise the structure will require the addition of tie rods to pull the building straight, with the addition of bracing across the ceiling and in various walls to prevent movement afterwards. Obviously, this is a significant job that will require scaffolding and much labour.
Painting, wiring and other work:
After interior work is completed, the interior will be painted – taking advantage of the scaffold that is used for the building job. The Church should also be re-wired and lights updated during the re-fit.
St Mary’s Church Facts
- The second largest timber church in Queensland
- Listed as a significant building by the National Heritage Trust
- One of the oldest buildings in Beaudesert.
- Architecturally significant – a prime example of the use of timber in Australian attempts to emulate classic European Stone Churches.
- Created with timber of a size and quality that cannot be reproduced economically.
- Place of worship and prayer from a century of Catholics.
- The site of baptisms, weddings, ordinations and funerals.
- A great tourist attraction for Beaudesert.
Your chance to help
Obviously this is a significant cost. However, we believe it to be a good investment, based on a few simple principles:
An investment in our History: St Mary’s has spiritual significance to many people. Maybe you were baptised or married there, or have some other connection with the Church.
A Cost Saving: To delay structural work would only create greater costs as movement causes further deterioration of the building. Regardless of what might seem a large cost, it is still much less than the cost of a new church.
An Irreplaceable Landmark: The building materials and building techniques could never be reproduced economically in the 21st Century. Our challenge is to preserve this historical and significant building for future generations.
With your support, St Mary’s can continue as a historical living example of architecture of the early 1900s, as well as place of great religious and cultural significance.
These words encourage us to present St Mary’s Church to future generations as a house for God and for God’s people. God has seen fit to dwell among us. In response, we provide fitting places for worship such as St Mary’s Church. We are rightly proud of our church. May we be thankful for it and generous in supporting its renewal.