St Brigid's Church, Red Hill

The original St Brigid's Red Hill church was blessed and opened on 30 December 1882. It replaced an earlier stone structure built in 1877. As the parish grew to be one of the largest in Brisbane, a larger church was needed to accommodate 1000 people. The current Church's foundation stone was laid on 5 May 1912 and it was built from 1912 to 1914. The construction of St Brigid's was regarded as the coming of age of Catholicism in Brisbane. For Duhig, who was to become renowned as a prolific builder of churches and schools, St Brigid's was an auspicious beginning. == Current use ==

St Brigid's Church is part of the Jubilee Catholic Parish including seven churches and three schools in the inner western suburbs of Brisbane. Parish newsletter Newsletters for the Jubilee Parish provide contact details and further information on the Parish. == Description ==

Position St Brigid's Church is significant as it is an icon on the inner Brisbane skyline, visible from all directions. The church is prominently situated high on Red Hill, unconventionally oriented north-south, to terminate the vista along George Street (the view had been lost with the construction of the Brisbane Transit Centre but has been restored with the 2020 demolition of the Transit Centre). Its hilltop position, close to the city centre, makes it a Brisbane landmark. == Heritage listing ==

St Brigid's Church was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. '''The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.''' St Brigid's Church is significant as an example of Duhig's efforts to place churches in prominent positions throughout Brisbane and as a symbol of the emerging confidence of Catholicism in Queensland which was dominated by Irish immigrants at the time. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. St Brigid's Church is significant as a characteristic part of the inner Brisbane skyline, visible from all directions. It is an outstanding example, both internally and externally, of the architecture of Robin Dods, a recognised member of the contemporary Arts and Crafts movement in Europe and the United States of America. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. St Brigid's Church is significant as a self-conscious townscape composition designed to place an acropolis-like skyline on the axis of George Street and for the impressive quality of the interior which is derived from the carefully considered combination of materials, light and scale. == See also ==