Catholic Leader Building (former)

It was in the late 1920s that Duhig embarked on his most ambitious building project, a Catholic Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Holy Name. Importantly, the site for the project was on Ann Street on the other side of the road to All Hallows. In 1928 the ceremony for the Laying of the Foundation Stone took place with over 35, 000 Brisbane residents attending. Unfortunately, as the Great Depression took hold of the Queensland economy the project failed. Significantly, it was as the cathedral project was in its early stages that the site for the Catholic Leader Building was purchased by Duhig. If the cathedral had been built the entrance to Fortitude Valley out of the city would have been dominated by a conspicuous display of Roman Catholic wealth and influence, with All Hallows on the top of Duncans Hill, the Catholic Leader Building at the base and the Cathedral of the Holy Name on the opposite side of Ann Street.  

Prior to the 1920s Ann Street, originally named High Road, had a history of being cut down, from what was a road running over a gentle hill to a straight road from the City to Fortitude Valley. Initially in 1865 it was lowered fifteen feet, with three more cuts occurring in 1876, 1886 and finally in 1927.   

The land on which 545 Ann Street now sits was vacant prior to 1927. From 1908 to 1927 the Council of the City of Brisbane held the land (from 1925 to 1927 it was held by the Brisbane City Council). In 1927 Archbishop Duhig on behalf of the Archdiocese of Brisbane purchased sixteen perches of land on lot 11 and 12 of allotment 5A. By June of 1927 a tender was accepted by architects Cavanagh and Cavanagh for the construction of a brick premises, the successful contractor was F. J. Corbett. By December of 1927 the Register of New Buildings listed the building as ‘Printery Office Hall’ in Ann Street. The printery is first listed in the Post Office Directories in 1929 as “The Age” Hall. 

The architectural firm, Cavanagh and Cavanagh, established themselves as successful architects initially in Perth. From 1919 they were commissioned primarily by the Catholic Church to design several churches, convents, schools and presbyteries. The two brothers, Michael and James Charles were also responsible for the design of many important buildings in and around Perth including the Perth No.1 Fire Station. In 1920 the firm established an office in Queen Street, Brisbane. From this office they designed many commercial, residential and ecclesiastic structures for Brisbane and Queensland. Amongst their achievements were the Hibernian Hall in Roma, and the renovations to St. Mary’s Church, South Brisbane. Their residential designs utilised the popular ‘Bungalow’ and ‘Mediterranean’ styles.    

The printery produced two Catholic newspapers in this period, The Age and Our Australian Sunday Visitor. The Age had been established in 1892 as a Catholic newspaper but was in financial difficulty by 1926. Our Australian Sunday Visitor was also in financial trouble in 1926. Duhig recognised the advantage of owning and running his own media and so in 1926 took over the two newspapers. He wished to have some control over forming public opinion from a Catholic perspective. By 1928 both weekly papers were being published from the newly built Ann Street printery with The Age being declared the official diocesan organ. In 1929 The Age was renamed The Catholic Leader.

1. Boland, T.P. James Duhig. St Lucia: U of Q Press, 1986

2. Lyneham, Megan, “Who was James Duhig?” The University of Queensland, University Archives, October, 2002

3. Historic Titles, Department of Natural Resources and Water

4. Queensland Post Office Directories

5. Watson, Donald and Judith McKay. A Directory of Queensland Architects to 1940. (St. Lucia: U of Q Press, 1984)

6. Detail Fire Survey: City of Brisbane, 1951, Mahlstedt’s: Consulting Fire Engineers and Surveyors, Melbourne

7. Metropolitan Water and Sewage Survey Maps, 1914

8. Tender Notices, The A & B Journal of Queensland, June 10, 1927