St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Esk

About

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church is a heritage-listed former Presbyterian church at Ipswich Street, Esk, Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. The former church was built from 1876 to 1929, and it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 June 2003. Following the 1977 Basis of Union that formed the Uniting Church, the congregation remained affiliated with the Continuing Presbyterian Church who closed the Esk church in c. 2001 and sold the former church building in May 2023.

The former St Andrew's Presbyterian Church is a simple timber building located on the south bank of Sandy Creek and was built in 1876 on the first site of the new settlement at Esk. The former church site also contains a timber church hall and a manse.

The town of Esk stands on the former Mount Esk pastoral run which was taken up in 1842 by Gideon Scot and purchased by the Bigge family of Mount Brisbane run in 1849. European settlement began with a teamsters' camp at the crossing of Sandy (or Esk) Creek and the coach road north. This road became the main North Road from Ipswich to the Burnett. A township site was surveyed in 1872 on land excised from Mount Esk run and the first building known to have been constructed there was a hotel.

In 1873, stimulated by a copper mining boom at nearby Biarra, plans for a township were lodged and a postal receiving office opened. The township was officially named "Gallanani", though more commonly called Sandy Creek or Mount Esk, and quickly developed to include a range of government and commercial buildings and houses. David and Mary McConnel of Cressbrook, two of the first European settlers in the Brisbane Valley, donated 8.1 hectares (20 acres) of land for the construction of a Presbyterian Church to mark their silver wedding anniversary. They purchased, cleared and fenced the land. Mary McConnel, in particular, was a staunch Presbyterian and she and her family encouraged the establishment and support of other churches in the Valley. Alexander Raff, Bigge's financial manager, and other local graziers donated money towards the building of St Andrew's. The gift of land and capital for the establishment of a church by local pastoralists reflects the relationship between early pastoral stations and the local settlements that served and traded with them reflecting a landowner and village pattern inherited from Europe.

The land for the new church was in a choice position, being at the corner of Ipswich and Middle Streets in the commercial centre of the new township and close to the Sandy Creek crossing. A church was built to hold a congregation of 120 and a timber manse was also constructed. The former church was built in 1875 and on 12 February 1876 the Reverend David Watt, who had travelled from Scotland to serve as minister, conducted the first recorded service at St Andrew's. As it was the first church to be built in the area, it served at first as a Union Church accommodating all denominations. The area developed quickly and within five years had five separate preaching areas and was 40 miles (64 km) long. [ clarification needed ]

In 1884, two sawmills were opened and in 1886 the Brisbane Valley railway reached Esk, though it was located away from the established settlement. In time the commercial centre of town shifted to be closer to the railway station and yards. Most buildings moved to the northern bank of Sandy Creek or were built there, including the Roman Catholic (1884/1905) and Anglican (1889) churches. The Methodist church built on the south side was moved to Toogoolawah in 1906 and the current church is on the northern side of the creek. Now only the church, school and some houses survive marking the first settlement on the southern bank of Sandy Creek. Later churches were built on the opposite bank, nearer to the later settlement.

Although the 1890s were a hard time for Esk due to flooding and the general financial recession of that decade, the 1900s were a period of growth. Dairying in the area expanded and a butter factory was built. In 1900 the church and manse were renovated and by 1908 the Sunday school had an enrolment of 91 pupils and a Women's Guild was formed. Around this time the population passed 600. In 1913, the town was officially renamed Esk.

The date of construction of the timber church hall is unknown, but by 1929 there was a hall in existence on the site that was used as a Sunday school and for a variety of social activities. It is locally believed that the building was formerly the billiard room of the Commercial Hotel in Esk. It has been extended at the eastern end. The manse was sold for removal in 1947 and a replacement building was constructed in 1948. In 1951 the land to Main Street was sold.

The former church was considerably extended at the eastern end, almost doubling its capacity and suggesting a marked increase in the congregation. The extension can clearly be traced in joints to the walls and in the floorboards.

The former church is now privately owned and the altar has been removed.

On 17 March 2020 the owners of the property applied to remove the former church from the Queensland Heritage Register.

The town of Esk stands on the former Mount Esk pastoral run which was taken up in 1842 by Gideon Scot and purchased by the Bigge family of Mount Brisbane run in 1849. European settlement began with a teamsters' camp at the crossing of Sandy (or Esk) Creek and the coach road north. This road became the main North Road from Ipswich to the Burnett. A township site was surveyed in 1872 on land excised from Mount Esk run and the first building known to have been constructed there was a hotel.

In 1873, stimulated by a copper mining boom at nearby Biarra, plans for a township were lodged and a postal receiving office opened. The township was officially named "Gallanani", though more commonly called Sandy Creek or Mount Esk, and quickly developed to include a range of government and commercial buildings and houses. David and Mary McConnel of Cressbrook, two of the first European settlers in the Brisbane Valley, donated 8.1 hectares (20 acres) of land for the construction of a Presbyterian Church to mark their silver wedding anniversary. They purchased, cleared and fenced the land. Mary McConnel, in particular, was a staunch Presbyterian and she and her family encouraged the establishment and support of other churches in the Valley. Alexander Raff, Bigge's financial manager, and other local graziers donated money towards the building of St Andrew's. The gift of land and capital for the establishment of a church by local pastoralists reflects the relationship between early pastoral stations and the local settlements that served and traded with them reflecting a landowner and village pattern inherited from Europe.

The land for the new church was in a choice position, being at the corner of Ipswich and Middle Streets in the commercial centre of the new township and close to the Sandy Creek crossing. A church was built to hold a congregation of 120 and a timber manse was also constructed. The former church was built in 1875 and on 12 February 1876 the Reverend David Watt, who had travelled from Scotland to serve as minister, conducted the first recorded service at St Andrew's. As it was the first church to be built in the area, it served at first as a Union Church accommodating all denominations. The area developed quickly and within five years had five separate preaching areas and was 40 miles (64 km) long. [ clarification needed ]

In 1884, two sawmills were opened and in 1886 the Brisbane Valley railway reached Esk, though it was located away from the established settlement. In time the commercial centre of town shifted to be closer to the railway station and yards. Most buildings moved to the northern bank of Sandy Creek or were built there, including the Roman Catholic (1884/1905) and Anglican (1889) churches. The Methodist church built on the south side was moved to Toogoolawah in 1906 and the current church is on the northern side of the creek. Now only the church, school and some houses survive marking the first settlement on the southern bank of Sandy Creek. Later churches were built on the opposite bank, nearer to the later settlement.

Although the 1890s were a hard time for Esk due to flooding and the general financial recession of that decade, the 1900s were a period of growth. Dairying in the area expanded and a butter factory was built. In 1900 the church and manse were renovated and by 1908 the Sunday school had an enrolment of 91 pupils and a Women's Guild was formed. Around this time the population passed 600. In 1913, the town was officially renamed Esk.

The date of construction of the timber church hall is unknown, but by 1929 there was a hall in existence on the site that was used as a Sunday school and for a variety of social activities. It is locally believed that the building was formerly the billiard room of the Commercial Hotel in Esk. It has been extended at the eastern end. The manse was sold for removal in 1947 and a replacement building was constructed in 1948. In 1951 the land to Main Street was sold.

The former church was considerably extended at the eastern end, almost doubling its capacity and suggesting a marked increase in the congregation. The extension can clearly be traced in joints to the walls and in the floorboards.

The former church is now privately owned and the altar has been removed.

On 17 March 2020 the owners of the property applied to remove the former church from the Queensland Heritage Register.