Photo: S. Jackson
When the Church moved from Creek Street the Sunday School had 29 teachers. The Sabbath Hall sits on the former site of the first Children’s Hospital in Brisbane established in March 1878 by Mrs Mary McConnel.
For more information regarding the Sick Children's Hospital go to the following links:
Royal Children's Hospital - A rich history
Mary McConnel
25 July 1877, The Northern Miner, Children's Hospital
5 August 1878, The Brisbane Courier, The Children's Hospital
26 October 1878, The Queenslander, The Children's Hospital
19 July 1888, The Brisbane Courier, Hospital for Sick Children
To enable the Congregation to move to the new site as quickly as possible, the Sabbath School Hall was built as a first priority. As the hall was not completed at the time the demolition of the Creek Street Church began, the Congregation hired the Protestant Hall in Ann Street for the six week interim.
5 August 1878, The Brisbane Courier, The Children's Hospital
26 October 1878, The Queenslander, The Children's Hospital
19 July 1888, The Brisbane Courier, Hospital for Sick Children
To enable the Congregation to move to the new site as quickly as possible, the Sabbath School Hall was built as a first priority. As the hall was not completed at the time the demolition of the Creek Street Church began, the Congregation hired the Protestant Hall in Ann Street for the six week interim.
Photo: W. Townsend
The Hall was completed and occupied
as a temporary Church in May 1886 and was used for worship during the
construction of the Church building.
It is a brick building, in Gothic
style, with the side walls and corners articulated with buttresses. A
distinctive feature of the building is that the timber panelled ceiling carries
five mirror-lined conical light fittings originally designed to throw gas-mantle
generated light down to the floor area.
In addition to the building’s
service as a Sunday School that spans beyond 100 years, it’s most memorable
historical episode was the use of it as the venue for the final campaign
address by Robert Gordon Menzies on behalf of the Liberal Party for the 1949
election.
The house adjoining the Hall had to be
demolished as it stood on the site of the proposed Church building. The house
on the next allotment named ‘Cora Lynn’ was then acquired as a manse.
In 1982 work began with the
renovations of the brickwork of the buttresses and walls of the Sunday School
hall. In 1983 an honorary architect, Mr John N Blake was appointed and on the
basis of his advice further work was commenced on both the Church and the Hall.
For the restoration of the hall in early 1984 a
new floor was laid, new wiring and power points were installed, plumbing
repairs were applied to ensure weather proofing and the interior was painted.
With the addition of a set of new easily moveable seats the hall was
refurbished as the centre of the Congregation’s social activities.
