History

Our church has a long history.  This is an extract from the booklet "100 Years in Coorparoo" that was produced as part of our church's centenary celebrations in 1986.

The Coorparoo Uniting Church, formerly the Coorparoo Methodist Church situated at the corner of Cavendish Road and York Street is by far the oldest Church in the suburb. It was opened in June 1886.

The Roman Catholic Church was established in August 1913, and the Anglican in October 1922.

The meeting at which the project for establishing the Methodist Church was first discussed was held in the office of Mr. John Potts in Queen Street on September 24, 1885.

Present were Rev. Henry Wiles who presided and Messrs F.T. Brentnall, J. Potts, N. Lade and J.S. Bennett. These four laymen and Mr. E. Campbell were appointed trustees of the proposed Church.

A building fund was started with three subscriptions of £20 each.

At a meeting one month later, Mr. A.B. Wilson was appointed architect and Mr. Brentnall treasurer.

The four allotments on which the Church buildings now stand were purchased for £263/5/-. The Church building cost £570. With painting, furniture, fencing and the organ (costing £60) the total cost of the completed project was £1138/11/5. At the opening there was a mortgage of £500 on the property.

The Methodists built what was then a beautiful and imposing Church, in the English tradition with a shingled roof and a bell tower.

Amidst great rejoicing the Church was officially opened on June 13, 1886. Rev. W. Halse Rogers was the minister.

In those days the little Church was surrounded by large, heavily-timbered paddocks.

The first Sunday School was opened soon after the Church in July 1886 - with Nathaniel Lade as Superintendent and Albert E. Wills as Secretary.

In 1889 there were 139 scholars and 14 teachers.

A library was established costing £19 - £4 for the cupboard and £l5 for books. The first librarian was Willie Nicklin.

It is true to say that our fathers gave us the former Coorparoo Church building at the cost of hard work and great sacrifice, coupled with faith and prayer. Throughout the years a great company of godly men and women have served and worshipped in this place and we have entered into their labours.

The first parsonage was built in 1906 at a cost of £360 and extended the following year at a further cost of £60. In 1954, £1300 was spent on renovations and improvements. Then in 1972 the splendid new brick parsonage was erected on the site of the old house and part of the adjoining tennis court.

The old spire which added beauty to the original building fell into a state of decay and became dangerous. It was taken down by Mr. Herbert Hughes, a Trustee and builder. The original shingle roof was replaced by iron in 1926 at a cost of £77.

A Church hall was erected in 1914 to serve the Sunday School and social purposes. A rear basement was added later together with a long room at the end of the hall which served both as a kindergarten and as a stage for the main hall. This addition was built as a memorial to the men who lost their lives in World War I. Subsequently a splendid kitchen and servery were added.

At the time of the 50th. Anniversary celebrations in 1936, the total debt on the property had been reduced to under £50.

Coorparoo has been the centre from which other Churches in the area have sprung.

Camp Hill and Holland Park were the first to be established and are now comparable in strength and membership with the parent Church.

Churches at Mt. Gravatt, Upper Mt. Gravatt, Woodridge and Belmont have followed in more recent years. Thompson Estate Church, which had been established in 1887, survived only till 1972. Population moves caused by industrialisation in its area and the advent of the freeway made its separate existence no longer viable.

First step towards a new Church at Coorparoo was taken with the establishment of a building fund in 1936. All the money raised in that period and more was spent in putting a brick foundation under the old Church, incorporating a large kindergarten hall. This project was completed in 1953, in the ministry of Rev. T.N. Deller at a cost of £5300.

At first the cost of the new brick Church was thought to be in the order of £12,000, but the ultimate cost rose to £17,760 with the furnishings £5030. Much of the furniture was donated by individuals and families.

The new Church was opened in 1959 during the ministry of Rev. J. Tainton.

It was the culmination of effort and prayer over many years and is one of the fine suburban Churches of Brisbane. The architect was Mr. Alex. Trewern, a member of the Church and the builder was Mr. G. Heuston.

Helped by the introduction of a series of Planned-Giving Programmes, the new Church was debt-free within five years.

The timbers of the old Church were given to build a new Church at Carina.

However, with the advent of the Uniting Church, which brought the former Belmont Congregational Church into the parish, the Church property at Carina was no longer needed and has been sold.

Inauguration of the Uniting Church was marked by a ceremony on June 26, 1977 held in assembly hall of the Camp Hill High School, followed the same night by a larger function at the Milton Tennis Courts.

So the Coorparoo Methodist Church became the Coorparoo Uniting Church.

There was, however, little uniting in this part of Brisbane as both the Coorparoo and the Camp Hill Presbyterian Churches opted to become part of the continuing Presbyterian Church.

Now further change is in the air with the possibility that the Coorparoo parish may be augmented by the addition of the Norman Park Church.

So in the life of the Church, as in other areas of human life, the one thing constant is change:

"The old order changeth, yielding place to new And God fulfils Himself in many ways ..."