Church of the Transfiguration (former)

White settlement in the area was sparse until the extension of the tramway from Brisbane to Norman Creek in 1904 made the area more accessible. Housing estates began to be offered for sale from 1912 but it was not until after World War One that the area became more densely populated. The Norman Park church had its beginnings in the early 1920s when Mrs Keys, a local resident, suggested to Rev Steel of Balmoral, that a church might be built on a commanding hill site at Norman Park to the memory of those who served in the World War One. The proposal from one who had four sons and a daughter overseas was not allowed to drop and Rev R.O.S. Free was appointed to assist an active organisation for the erection of a church. The site for the church was acquired in 1921 by pioneer members of the Norman Park parish, which at that time was attached as a parochial district to the Bulimba parish. On 28 May 1924 a contract was signed for the construction of a church to the designs of Mr R.C. Nowland, with Atkinson and Conrad as administrators of the contract and supervisors of construction.

The foundation stone of the new brick church was laid on the afternoon of Sunday 13 July 1924. A list of subscribers to the building, together with a list embossed on parchment of the 45 men from the parish who fought in the war, was laid beneath the foundation stone in a leaden casket. The naming of the Church of the Transfiguration was considered "not unfitting" for a church "built on a hill in view of a great number of people".

At a meeting of the parish council on 2 April 1925, Mr Steer produced the plan of a building suitable for a church hall. It was decided to proceed with the erection of the hall as soon as possible and in May £200 was spent on furniture and insurance for the hall. Further land was purchased in 1926, thus giving the necessary space for a generally improved layout of the grounds. In 1930, Norman Park, along with Morningside and Cannon Hill, was founded as the Parish of Balmoral under the direction of Rev A.T. Craswell. Nine years later, the parish was formed into a separate parochial district, and in 1950 Norman Park became a Parish in its own right.

A number of plans were made from the 1950s onwards to complete the vestries at the rear of the church. The existing addition was completed in 1982 but not to the design originally formulated by R.C. Nowland.

The building is rectangular in plan form and has been extended by the addition of a vestry wing which is slightly wider than that of the church. This extension appears as an unsympathetic addition to the original building.

The external walls are constructed of brickwork laid in Flemish Bond. The tall brick walls are strengthened by stepped buttresses which are capped with steeply weathered and rendered cappings. The western wall extends up beyond the roof line to form a parapeted gable to which a concrete cross finial is fixed to the apex. Buttresses to this end are terminated in the shape of a triangle and rendered. The 150mm wide plinth around the building between buttresses is finished with a rendered capping. Brick piers underneath the building support the timber framed floor.

The steeply pitched roof is sheeted with a metal decking. It would appear that this decking is a replacement for an earlier roofing material (such as slate). The roof overhang on both sides shows exposed rafters which are lined on the top with tongue and groove boarding. Roof ventilation is provided by means of openings between rafters which are birdproofed with gauze netting. Additional roof ventilation is provided by means of a fixed timber louvre opening high in the apex of the parapeted gable.

Light and ventilation to the nave is provided by timber framed hopper windows positioned between buttresses along each side of the building. The windows at the entry end are plain double hopper four pane opaque glass windows with a two pane fanlight over. The windows at the altar end are stained glass windows consisting of a large upper and a smaller lower hopper panel with a fanlight over. All windows are framed in timber.

The three stained glass lancet windows in the western parapeted gable wall are also timber framed. A rendered band of brickwork below the window forms a continuous sill line between buttresses. This sill band is weathered under the window frames. A similar band is provided at head height and continues around the equilateral arches which surround the fanlights.

The window jambs and arch linings are framed with splayed edge bricks.

Entry into the nave is through a pair of framed vertical joint boarded entrance doors shaped at the top to the form of an equilateral arch. Doors are fitted with large hinge brackets. Access to these entry doors is by means of a small set of timber framed steps and landing supported on concrete stumps. No provision is made for access by the disabled.

The vestry extension to the rear is constructed externally to the underside of roof line in face brickwork laid in stretcher bond. The steeply pitched roof is sheeted with metal decking similar to that roofing to the main building. No roof overhang is provided to this extension. The gable at the eastern end is lined with Hardiplank sheeting in which a pair of fixed glass windows have been installed. Windows in the north and south walls are aluminium framed sliding glass. Access to the vestry extension is by means of small flights of steps to plain doors.

A bell is hung from the small vestry landing on the northern side.

1. Brisbane Courier, 14 July 1924

2. Bulimba Electorate Centenary Committee, History of the Bulimba Electorate 1859-1959, 1959

3. Norman Park. Parish Minutes 1924-1970, and plans. Anglican Archives