By Jeremy Sollars
UNLIKE St Mary’s Catholic Church in Warwick no historic graves have recently been unearthed at St Mark’s Anglican Church as yet but there’s plenty of work happening as internal renovations progress.
The sandstone church on the corner of Albion and Grafton streets, which dates from 1868, is the scene of the first stage of a major refurbishment, thanks partly to termites who’ve been chewing away at the timber flooring.
Pews have been moved aside as the carpeting in the historic church is gradually pulled up to allow the damaged flooring and electric wiring to be replaced.
As with most projects of its kind, the more the investigations proceed the more the need for additional work becomes evident.
Rector of St Mark’s Anglican Parish Father Rod Winterton said that it was “a bit like opening Pandora’s Box”.
“The more carpet we pull up, the more termite damage we find,” he told said.
“In the area just behind the pulpit the only thing saving me from going through the floor was the carpet itself.
“Eventually we plan to replace the entire floor, but at the moment we’re concentrating on the worst-affected areas.
“As well as re-wiring, the electrical work has also involved installing LED lighting through the church, which far better illuminates our stained glass windows.”
Fr Winterton said the current work was “basically the soft stuff”, with major works required on the stonework of the church and its stained glass windows, with those in the nave regarded as the finest collection of work by renowned stained glass worker William Bustard.
While Fr Winterton said St Mark’s was “in no danger of falling down” the black soil beneath the building foundations had caused some sections of the stonework walls to shift over the decades.
As well as that, natural expansion of the lead oxides used in stained glass windows has caused some of them to “bow”, particularly those in the nave. But repairing them is a project for another time.
Fr Winterton said the parish had planned to hold a fundraising restoration dinner inside the church on Friday 18 November after the current stage of renovations were due to be completed, but the event has been postponed indefinitely.
He’s also becoming increasingly concerned that the church may not be ready in time for Christmas but with services being held in the Parish Hall next door while the work continues the life of the parish will march on.
The 150th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of St Mark’s rolls around in 2018.
To donate to the restoration projects and for information on church service times and other activities visit www.warwickanglican.org.au.
Five things about St Mark’s Church
1. The second Anglican Church in Warwick on this site, St Mark’s was constructed to designs of prominent Brisbane architect Richard Suter.
2. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Tufnell on 19 March 1868. In 1938-1939 substantial alterations were undertaken, including the construction of the base of the tower.
3. An extension, faced with concrete scoured to resemble the stonework of the body of the church, was added to the tower in 1962.
4. The William Bustard-designed stained glass panels depict various Biblical stories, including Jesus welcoming the children, the birth of Jesus, and the visitation of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary.
5. The first Anglican service in Warwick was held in about 1848. Services were held in the old Court House in Alice Street until 1858 when a timber church was constructed on the site of the present stone building.
