This single-storeyed stone church, the oldest Anglican church in
Brisbane, was erected in 1861 and rebuilt in 1869 for the Wickham Terrace District Anglican congregation. It is one of the few remaining parish churches in Queensland owned under the colonial provision of private trustees of church property. As the congregation grew in number, the initial Wickham Terrace church became too small and it was decided to extend the building and raise the roof by increasing the height of the existing walls. Architect
Richard George Suter, churchwarden, Cambridge graduate and proponent of the Gothic style which dominated Anglican church architecture in Australia, designed the alterations which were carried out in 1869. The dedication took place on 5 April 1869. The
Governor of Queensland,
Samuel Blackall, laid the
foundation stone, a
time capsule was deposited and Bishop Tufnell named the church "All Saints". The church was increased in length by , wall height was increased by and the roof by . A
chancel and
vestry were added, and
Brisbane tuff was used for the walls. Provision was made for a
baptistery or large western porch to be added, but this was not carried out. The church was constructed by George Ely, stonemason of Spring Hill, and was completed at a cost of , excluding architect's fees. The present church, the oldest existing Anglican church in Brisbane, was opened for worship on the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 September 1869, by Bishop Tufnell, although some alterations were still taking place into the early 1870s. In 1873, the parish was divided, with the parish of Milton being established. An adjacent rectory was built in 1880, and a hall/school building in 1884. The east end of the church contains the oldest stained glass windows in Brisbane, installed in 1870. The altar lights, presented in 1884, were the first in Brisbane. Artwork includes plaster
Stations of the Cross sculpted by Brisbane artist
Daphne Mayo in 1935, and a bronze and wood sculpture entitled Christ Accepting The Cross, by
Andor Mészáros, erected in the forecourt to celebrate the centenary of All Saints in 1962. The organ, made in London by TC Lewis and originally installed in St Johns Pro-Cathedral in the Queen's Gardens in 1873, was transferred to
St Luke's Church of England in
Charlotte Street, and later refurbished and moved to All Saints in 1957. The organ loft with circular cast-iron stair, are later additions and are located at the western end of the church. The original
shingle roof has been replaced a number of times, currently with ribbed metal sheeting. The church floor was replaced and walls repointed in 1933, and in 1934 the stone fence facing Wickham Terrace replaced a timber fence constructed in 1871. In 1988, both hall and rectory were sold and demolished for the construction of an adjacent highrise tower. In 1993, a new church hall and office complex fronting
Ann Street were constructed and a substantial section of the stone wall along Wickham Terrace was demolished. == Description ==