St John's Cathedral, Brisbane
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St John's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Brisbane, situated on the outskirts of the city centre, and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland. It is the successor to an earlier pro-cathedral in the heart of the central business district. St Johns Cathedral is unique as completion of the building design was achieved through collaboration between clergy, stonemasons and architects over a period of almost one hundred years. It is also the only Victorian Gothic Cathedral under construction in Australia. (Cleary Tania 2001, p1)
The Cathedral was designed in the Gothic revival style by John Loughborough Pearson and is a near-replica of Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, also designed by Pearson. The external walls are of randomly arranged brown, pink, and mauve porphyry stone from the O’Connelltown Quarry in suburban Brisbane (Cleary Tania 2001, p4), whilst the interior is comprised primarily of dressed sandstone (Helidon freestone) from Helidon near Toowoomba (Hogan Janet 1978, p37). The granite and basalt used in the foundations and at the base of the columns came from Harcourt and Footscray in Victoria and the sandstone for the window dressings, doorways and arcading came from Pyrmont, N.S.W(Cleary Tania 2001, p4).
The inertia architectural impact is achieved via its lofty ceilings, tall, delicately proportioned columns and low level lighting. The architects achieve a laying effect through the masking of external walls via colonnades (a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature which is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above the columns) often free-standing (Hogan Janet 1978, p37).
The interior (by Frank Pearson) reflects liturgical arrangements favoured by the Oxford movement from the 1840’s (Cleary Tania 2001, p1).
The design of the Central nave toward the east end was reworked by Frank Pearson (1898 – 1904). He lengthened the nave, exchanged the lancet windows in the north transept for a wheel window, simplified the details of the east end and omitted much of the Cathedral’s internal decoration to meet financial constraints (Cleary Tania 2001, p3).
The north and south aisles, representing a bird’s folded wings, are separated from the nave, or body, by Pearson’s slender piers. The nave terminates at the crossing. The central tower rests on four massive piers and is directly above. The north and south transepts (the transverse part of a cruciform church, crossing the nave at right angles) representing outstretched arms are to the left and right and the most sacred part of the Cathedral is ahead (Cleary Tania 2001, p3).
“Pearson’s elevated choir symbolically marks the passage from the secular nave into the higher and more holy choir.” Here the clergy are also accommodated in their “elaborately carved” stalls and the Archbishop’s throne cathedra (symbolising his authority and pastoral responsibilities) – designed by Pearson resides. Beyond the choir is the Presbytery and then the most sacred high alter and its surrounding sanctuary. The high alter is a free standing structure with a great Byzantine style stone baldachino (a permanent ornamental canopy, as above a freestanding altar or throne), rather than a reredos, (a screen or a decorated part of the wall behind an altar in a church) supported on columns rising high above it. Beneath the high alter lies the remains of Bishop Webber (Sayer et. al. 1994, p13).
In front of the altar in the sanctuary floor are two pieces of mosaic from Ancient Churches in Palestine, brought back after being found during WW1. One of these is part of a larger mosaic now housed in the Australian War memorial in Canberra (Sayer et. al. 1994, p13). Beyond the high alter the Cathedral ends in a semi-circular apse and ambulatory (processional aisle), a link to the architectures French Norman past (Cleary Tania 2001, p3).
Everything beyond the crossing including the altar, cross, candle sticks, pulpit, canopy, clergy stalls, pendent lights and litany desk was designed by Frank Pearson. He also designed the carved organ case and the wheel window in the north transept (Cleary Tania 2001, p3).
Many Brisbane architects were commissioned to design liturgical furniture for the Cathedral’s three chapels, the Lady Chapel, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (Cleary Tania 2001, p3).
The original Cathedral’s bells were a pearl of eight Warner bells which have since had an additional two newer, treble bells added to create a diatonic run of ten bells (Cleary Tania 2001, p5)
The initial design called for a galvanised iron roof which was change to terracotta roof tiles in 1907 (Cleary Tania 2001, p4). The resolution of unfinished design elements continue to posed challenges (Cleary Tania 2001, p1).
William Webber – former vicar in London and 3rd bishop of Brisbane – was instrumental in initiating the Brisbane Cathedral project (Cleary Tania 2001, p1). In 1885-86, he commissioned John Loughborough Pearson to make sketch plans for Brisbane cathedral (Cleary Tania 2001, p2)
Brisbane cathedral movement began in earnest in 1887 as a celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee – St John’s was to be paid for by public subscription (Cleary Tania 2001, p2) but the construction of the Cathedral in one campaign was found to be financially impossible. As a result, the building has been executed in three stages over two centuries (Cleary Tania 2001, p1) and it is anticipated that the building (excluding the three towers) will be completed in 2007.
In April 1889, Pearson’s plans for the Cathedral were approved for the original site bounded by George, Elizabeth and William streets. “It was a cruciform church with a wide nave, double aisles, apse and ambulatory, short transepts about halfway along the length of the building and an apsidal side chapel on the north. The west front hade towers close to the end of the nave. The upper part of the west wall was supported by a relieving arch, which continued the line of the interior cross arches. The towers had massive buttresses. Their strong vertical lines carried on into corner turrets set before pyramidal spires” (Cleary Tania 2001, p2).
John Pearson died in November 1887, two weeks before Webber presented fresh plans to the Cathedral Chapter. In 1898, Frank Loughborough Pearson (John’s son and partner) was entrusted to carryout his fathers design (Cleary Tania 2001, p2).
In 1899 the cathedral chapter approved Pearson’s revised plans only to be forced to reconsider the entire cathedral when the government bought the original intended site. The Ann St site was purchased in late 1899 because it was “…central commodious and had the natural advantage of being able to make the building erected on it a landmark for miles around” (Cleary Tania 2001, p2).
Frank Loughborough Pearson spent a year reworking his father’s design and on the 22nd of May 1901, HRH the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) laid the foundation stone of the cathedral (Sayer et. al. 1994, p12).
In 1903 bishop William Webber died and in 1904 Frank Pearson submitted his final plans to Cathedral Chapter (Cleary Tania 2001, p2).
The first stage began construction in 1906 and took four years to complete. This included the Chancel, sanctuary and ambulatory, the choir and its aisles, the transepts and crossing, the north chapel, the double aisles and the first bay of the nave (Cleary Tania 2001, p1). This stage was consecrated in October 1910, but consecration (like construction) has been achieved in stages (Hogan Janet 1978, p37).
After WWII money was raised in the hope of completing the Cathedral as a war memorial. In 1947, Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery laid a foundation stone for a further two bays of the nave (Cleary Tania 2001, p5), but construction cessed after the laying of the foundations until 1965 when the second stage was commenced (Sayer et. al. 1994, p13).
Work on the second stage proceeded for a further four years and comprised the laying of foundations for the extensions, a two bay extension to the nave and demolition and removal of the temporary west wall (Cleary Tania 2001, p1).
The third stage of construction commenced in 1989 and has continued to present. This stage comprises of the construction of the south west porch, the final bay of the nave and completion of the west front (Cleary Tania 2001, p1). More contributions are necessary to complete the Central Tower, the North and South towers, the north and south aisles, the triforium’s (idiosicratic of this style of architecture, these are used as a passage from one end of the building to the other) and the vaulting (Cleary Tania 2001, p1). There is a traditional choir of men and boys. The buildings associated with St John’s include Webber House, Church House, The Deanery (formerly Adelaide house) and St Martin’s House (formally St Martins Hospital). These surrounding buildings artificially provide the traditional experience of only getting the full view of the Cathedral when quite close (after having wound one’s way through narrow medieval city streets) thus adding to the impact and feeling of grandeur (Hogan Janet 1978, p39).
Webber House and Church House were built in 1904 and 1909 respectively. These buildings were designed by Robin Dods and were designed to conform to Pearson’s concept of Cathedral and the traditional cathedral setting. Both are gothic in overall form and design having details mainly in the style of Art Nouveau. They have been placed to conceal a view of the cathedral from a northerly approach (Hogan Janet 1978, p38). The stone used in the Webber house came from the old St John’s Pro-Cathedral in William Street. Webber house was known as school house and housed St Johns Primary school until 1941(Sayer et. al. 1994, p13).
The heart design found in many of Dods’ buildings can be seen on the iron gates. (Sayer et. al. 1994, p13)
The oldest building in the precinct is the Deanery – formerly called Adelaide house, built in 1853. From the veranda of this house the first governor Sir George Bowen read the proclamation which made Queensland a separate colony on the 10th of December, 1859. The house then became Queensland’s first government house (Sayer et. al. 1994, p13).
The other more eclectic building with gothic touches found in the precinct is St Martin’s House, formally St Martin’s Hospital. It was built as a war memorial after WWI (architect Lange Powell) and is dedicated to St Martin, as 11 November (Armistice Day) is his feast day (Sayer et. al. 1994. p14).
The final, more eclectic structure making up the St John’s Precinct is St Martin’s House (former St Martin’s hospital). Designed by Lang Powell and erected as a war memorial following WW1, the design was strongly influenced by the Cathedral and adjacent buildings. This is evident through the choice of building materials, roof forms and architectural motifs. St Martin’s is sited to protect St John’s from noise and visual intrusion from the city forming a quiet courtyard beside the Cathedral. St Martins shows similarities to the “Red Brick House” designed by Philip Webb for William Morris (Hogan Janet 1978, p39).
Reference List
Cleary Tania (2001) Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist. Cleary Kennedy Pty Ltd and The Cathedral Chapter; Brisbane Queensland.
Hogan Janet (1978) Building Queensland’s Heritage. Richmond Hill Press; Richmond Victoria.
Sayer P, Jenner M, Cory P (1994) Brisbane City Churches: Heritage Tour. Brisbane History Group Incorporated; Kelvin Grove Australia
There is a traditional choir of men and boys.
