Uniting Church

In 1913 a decision was made to build a new church due to the growth of the congregation and the need for a better location. A 60-perch site on Sherwood Road was selected and the foundation stone of the Sherwood Methodist church was laid by the Queensland Premier, D.F. Denham on 13 June 1914. A bottle containing historical Church documents was placed beneath the foundation stone.

In a departure from normal building techniques, the new church was built with reinforced concrete. A contract for its construction was let to engineer Walter Taylor for £1109. It was built to a design prepared by a Mr. A. Merry. Walter Taylor had studied reinforced concrete construction in England between 1902-12. When he returned to Australia he began contract work, initially specialising in this type of construction. Taylor was also a stalwart member of the Methodist Church and for over fifty years was involved in its hierarchy. 

The Brisbane Courier of 14 September 1914, described the church as “a handsome structure of reinforced concrete, [it] is 60ft by 35ft, and has an open red tiled porch of 20ft by 10ft. The roof is red tiled, and there are three coloured glass windows on each side of the building. The interior of the walls is shaded light green, and there is a handsome raised pulpit.” The church was designed to seat 350 people but a part of it was initially partitioned, forming two vestries. According to the Daily Mail, the church was surrounded by an ornate and substantial fence erected by members of the Circuit at no cost.

A hall was added in 1918, and subsequently extended in 1933.

In 1977, when the Uniting Church was formed by the amalgamation of Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, the church became known as the Sherwood Uniting Church. It continues to serve the local Uniting Church community.

Originally comprising a nave and entry vestibule, the church has been extended to the rear and eastern side in recent years. This extension includes a vestry, toilets and hall. Entry to the church can be gained through this extension; via a front entry vestibule, or through a side door to the nave. A ramp to this door provides disabled access.

Exterior

The bellcast roof of the nave has two dormer vents to each roof face and terminates with a front parapet wall. The skillion roof of the entry vestibule projects forward from this wall to a lower horizontal parapet.

The rendered walls of the building are divided into bays by stepped buttresses and have a mock stone finish. Each side wall bay of the nave features a single coloured glass leadlight lancet window. Framed in timber, each window comprises a lower casement and upper arched, fixed fanlight. One wall bay contains the side entry door located below a smaller fixed window and awning. This shoulder arched doorway comprises two timber doors. 

 

The front facade of the nave is divided into three bays. Within its central bay, three narrow apex vents sit above three round arched windows with hoodmoulds (the central window taller than the outer two). Projecting from the central bay below these windows, the entry vestibule has an arched entrance located within a gable wall which projects slightly from the main wall of the vestibule. The entrance comprises two timber doors incorporating diagonally laid boards and leadlight windows. It is crowned by a large hoodmold with the words: "Enter into his courts with praise", written underneath. The buttresses which define the three front bays of the nave and sit to each front corner of the vestibule, rise above both parapets. They are crowned with triangular capping pieces. To each side of the entry vestibule, single leadlight lancet windows sit within the nave's front wall. The stairs that rise to the front doors have decorative cast iron rails to each side set on a brick base.

Interior

Reached by a short flight of tiled steps, the main entry doors of the building lead into a tiled entry vestibule. The nave has a polished timber floor, carpeted to traffic areas and raised over the sanctuary area. The rendered walls of the interior have a dado moulding. They rise to a ceiling, lined with straight and diagonally laid timber boards. Four large hammer beam trusses support the roof. Lights and fans are suspended from them. Ornate vents sit within the central three bays of the ceiling at collar tie level.

The church is very intact. The new additions are in keeping with the old, whilst being easily identified as new.

MANSE

Located adjacent to the church on Thallon Street, this large, highset Federation Style dwelling is very intact and well maintained. Clad in chamfer boards, the dwelling has a hipped iron roof with verandahs to the front and one side. A gable to the front of the dwelling extends out past the verandahs and has a battened gable end. An identical gable to the side is contained within the verandah. A brick chimney rises from the rear of the dwelling. The building's undercroft has been sympathetically enclosed.

HALL

Located to the rear of the manse, this attractive timber framed hall is lowset, clad in weatherboards and has a steeply pitched bellcast gable roof clad in corrugated iron. T-shaped in plan a narrow wing to the rear of the building also has a steeply pitched bellcast gable roof which extends from the rear wall of the main roof, perpendicular to it. A small entry porch extends from the front of the building. This front wall features several groups of paired timber framed lancet windows containing clear glass. A ramp provides access to a rear door. The building appears to be very intact.

1. Brisbane Courier, 15 June 1914

2. Brisbane Courier, 14 September 1914

3. Daily Mail, 14 September 1914

4. Denny, Rev A.H., 'Methodist Progress in a Brisbane Suburb. Sherwood Church Golden Jubilee', Queensland Methodist Times, 3 September 1936

5. Methodist Leader, 19 June 1914

6. Methodist Leader, 18 September 1914

7. Sherwood District Centenary Celebrations, 1967

8. Sunday Mail, 29 July 1979