First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane is a heritage-listed site at 273 North Quay, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Lucas and Cummings, Architects. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 March 2016.
History The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane (1940) is a two-storey masonry building located on the western end of North Quay in the Brisbane central business district (CBD). Erected as the result of the growth of the church in the first half of the 20th century, it continues to serve the needs of its congregation. Designed by noted Brisbane firm Lucas and Cummings, Architects, the building is an excellent, intact example of their work and of modernist design. In 1950, the church was awarded the "Medal for Meritorious Architecture for Institutional Buildings erected in Brisbane between 1940 and 1949" by the Queensland Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA).
During the 19th century, North Quay, running along a ridge beside the Brisbane River from Victoria Bridge (Queen Street) to the River Road (known as Coronation Drive from 1937), was a mixed commercial and residential area including a number of elite houses. Along its course were the Supreme Court Building (between Adelaide and Ann Streets); commercial buildings (Smith's Building – later Longreach Hotel – on the corner of Queen Street and North Quay, 1877–78; Helidon Spa Co building, between Skew Street and Eagle Terrace, removed 1897; Rankin & Morrow Biscuit Factory, 1896); and villas, houses and "cottages", primarily on its western extent.Benjamin Backhouse built his Orwell Cottage and an unnamed one (1861), Riversleigh (1862-3, dem./removed >1931), and Rosalie Villa, 259 North Quay on the corner of Makerston Street (later called Aubigny1865, dem/removed <1920s)William Ellerker built a villa for Frank T Gregory (later called Crossen-an-Oder1864, dem./removed ). Other houses on North Quay from the 1860s were Davidson's house (dem/rem >1931) and William Douglas Grimes' house at 269 North Quay (dem/rem >1939) and St James' Park (1880). John James Clark designed Netherway (193 North Quay on the corner of Herschell St) and Tardoona boarding houses (1899). Source: Donald Watson and Judith McKay, Queensland Architects of the 19th Century, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, 1994, pp. 11, 13, 36, 62, 113'Brisbane Historic Homes. The Old Home of the Davidsons on North Quay', The Queenslander, 30 April 1931, pp. 37, 46.
The area transitioned from predominantly residential use to government, commercial and institutional uses commencing around the turn of the century. Aubigny (originally Rosalie Villa, 259 North Quay) and William Douglas Grimes' house (269 North Quay) were leased by the Queensland Government 1900–1904, then were occupied by the first Mater Hospital 1906–10, and subsequently became Loretto Hostel for Catholic girls.Nominator, application, n.p.'Mater Hospital, history', http://www.mater.org.au/Home/About/History, accessed 25 November 2015. Large residences such as Riversleigh and Davidson's House were converted into boarding houses; and new boarding houses were constructed.Watson and McKay, Queensland Architects of the 19th Century, p. 36. Designed by architect, John James Clark, the boarding houses Netherway and Tardoona were constructed in 1889 on the corner of North Quay and Herschel Street'Brisbane's Historic Homes. Riversleigh', The Queenslander, 23 April 1931, p. 46Queensland Post Office Directory (QPOD), 1876, 1887. Later, houses were converted into flats.QPOD 1876, 1887'Brisbane Historic Homes Davidsons House', The Queenslander, 30 April 1931, p. 46, JOL photograph, 1920s demolition, Image 203452. In the 1920s the construction of the Grey Street Bridge, a major river crossing into the CBD from West End, brought land resumptions and road changes to the western end of North Quay, to facilitate traffic flow on and off the bridge.
The interwar period was a time of enormous transformation of Brisbane's CBD despite economic downturn in the immediate post-World War I years and the Great Depression from 1929 into the 1930s. A building boom between 1922 and 1928 and a wave of building activity from the mid- to late 1930s created new landmark buildings, extended and remodelled existing premises and spread business houses and warehouses into residential areas.Helen Bennett, 'The Business of Building: remodelling Brisbane's central business district 1900-1940' in Brisbane's Commercial Heritage 1900-1940: Three walking tours of the CBD, BHG Inc, Brisbane, 2002, pp. 1-5. Frog's Hollow, bounded by George, Elizabeth, Edward and Alice streetsand George Street between Parliament House and Queen Street, experienced similar changes of usage in this timeframe. QHR 600119 The MansionsHeritage Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, LHIS database, O'Reilly's Building ref 602836.
The development of the North Quay site of the First Church of Christ, Scientist reflected this transformative trend, when, in 1939, two allotments on North Quay, both with substantial residences, were purchased for the site of its future church.Allotments 16 and 17 of Section 18, County of Stanley, Parish of North Brisbane. Nominator, Application, n.p.Watson and McKay, Queensland Architects of the 19th Century, pp. 11, 12, 13, 36, 57.
Christian Science is a Christian denomination which places a strong emphasis on the Bible's teachings for healing purposes. The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America in 1879 by influential American author, teacher and religious leader, Mary Baker Eddy, who is noted for her groundbreaking ideas about spirituality and health, which she named Christian Science.
The church has no clergy and each branch is self-governing and elects its own officers, but complies with the Church Manual of "The Mother Church" in Boston. An informal group of Christian Scientists can form into a Christian Science society or Church of Christ, Scientist, both of which are known as branches of The Mother Church. The society or church must comprise "at least 16 loyal Christian Scientists, four of whom are members of The Mother Church, and at least one member is a Christian Science practitioner" (listed in The Christian Science Journal).Norman C Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard: Christian Science in Australia. Norman C Hutchinson, Box Hill South, Vic, 2008, pp. 7-8. A Christian Science Practitioner listed in The Christian Science Journal has completed a course of Primary class instruction from an authorised teacher of Christian Science, is a member of The Mother Church, and has provided documentary evidence of successful healing by prayer alone.
Every Church of Christ, Scientist conducts Sunday services, testimony meetings, a Sunday School for pupils up to age 20, operates a reading room where information about Christian Science is available to the public, and organises lectures by Christian Science lecturers.Brisbane Open House (BOH) Committee, BOH 2010, Brisbane Open House Committee, Brisbane, 2010, p. 44Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, pp. 7-10. A Christian Science lecturer is a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, which is organised by The Mother Church. Church services are conducted by two readers. These functions of the Church of Christ, Scientist determine the form of its church buildings.
Interest in Christian Science teachings started in several Australian colonies during the 1890s.Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, pp. 15-8. The earliest recorded meetings began in Melbourne in June 1898 while several people met in the Brisbane home of Mrs Eliza Caroline Dutton before September 1899.Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 19'Church History' (an unpublished typed history of the First Church, Brisbane), p. 1, Hutchinson Collection cited by Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 21.
In February 1901, meetings were held in Mrs Helen Scott Byrne's home, Richmond Villa in Upper Roma Street, Brisbane; initially as a Christian Science organisation but soon afterwards as the Christian Science Society.Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 36'Centennial Hall', The Telegraph, 2 October 1930, p. 8'Christian Science Church at Clayfield is Pioneer of its Kind, The Telegraph, 1 July 1938, p.11. Mrs Byrne's home became too small for services when attendees reached about 20, so the fledgling Society moved to the first floor of the Edwards Building in Adelaide Street at Petrie Bight, which could accommodate up to 100 people for services in its large room and had a smaller room for a reading room.Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, pp. 36-7. In December 1901 the Christian Science Society formed itself into the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane with Mrs Byrne as the First Reader and Mr J H Granger as the Second Reader. Within less than a year, there were about 60 people attending services.
By 1909 the Petrie Bight location was inadequate, so the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane took over a floor in the Brisbane Permanent Building and Banking Co Ltd's premises at 139 Adelaide Street, between Edward and Albert Streets.'Christian Science New Church, The Telegraph, 3 August 1940, p. 16no title, Brisbane Courier, 25 October 1909, p. 5First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane archives, "Brief History of First church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane", typescript, dated 24 April 2006. In 1915, the Church of Christ, Scientist was incorporated under the Religious, Education and Charitable Institutions Act, 1861 in Queensland.Christian Science New Church, The Telegraph, 3 August 1940, p. 16.
In 1917, the church purchased a block of land at the corner of North Quay and Tank Street for a church building designed by Thomas Wightman.n.a., 'Historical Record of Christian Science Activities in Queensland, , p. 1 cited by Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 75Christian Science New Church, The Telegraph, 3 August 1940, p. 16. The cornerstone of the First Church of Christ Scientist, Brisbane building was laid and stage one of the 300-seat building erected later that year.n.a., 'Historical Record of Christian Science Activities in Queensland, , p.1 cited by Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 75. The building had been demolished by 1946, as shown by the
Throughout the 1920s the Christian Science movement expanded, with new branches and bigger churches opening, especially in suburban Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as new groups meeting outside capital cities.Hutchinson, A Distant Vineyard, p. 91. Church of Christ, Scientist societies were also established at Wynnum, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Townsville during the 1930s. "Christian Science New Church", The Telegraph', 3 August 1940, p. 16'New Christian Science Church', The Courier-Mail, 3 August 1940, p. 13.
By 1930 the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brisbane had outgrown its North Quay building, so Centennial Hall at 104 Adelaide Street was purchased for £16,500 and converted to accommodate 1000 people for services, while the Sunday School was held in a nearby cafe.Nominator, Application, n.p. A caféexisted downstairs in this building in 1942, which may have been the one used for the Sunday School. ('Dance hall & CaféDamaged by Fire', The Courier-Mail, 13 April 1942, p. 5.)