We went into town to go for a guided tour of St John's Anglican Cathedral with our camera club. It is terrible to admit that we have lived in Brisbane for 46 years and we have never been inside this beautiful building. However, it wasn't completed until 2009.The third Bishop of Brisbane, Bishop Webber had a vision to build a Cathedral in Brisbane. He engaged the architect John Loughborough Pearson, who had already designed the Turo Cathedral in Cornwall.The foundation stone was laid in 1901 and the building developed in three stages. 1906-1910, 1964-1968 and the final stage in 1989-2009. Most of the cathedral is built from local sandstone. The pink and lavender toned stone is called "Brisbane Tuff". After the guided tour we were let loose with our cameras. It was a magnificent cathedral with lots of interesting history, chapels and artefacts inside.
Some of the windows had been removed for restoration work.
There were no pews but sophisticated chairs, apparently the same as in Westminster Abbey.
Reflection in the font made from fossil rich stone.
A beautiful golden eagle reflects the colour of red carpet. I can't remember the significance of this eagle.
Beautiful It looks a bit like a castle on the outside I love the stained glass as well
ReplyDeleteIt took quite a long time to complete
I often feature churches and was drawn in by your photo and opening words. And what amazing photos - what an amazing place. It is a real privilege to see a cathedral like this, with a Gothic design, yet so beautifully new. Most of our Anglican cathedrals, however wonderful they are and however many ancient and fascinating tales they have to tell, are, to be fair, crumbling round the edges a bit! To see those lines in your Brisbane cathedral, so crisp and clear, is astonishing - and,of course, building like that is a very expensive business. One obvious difference is that the early cathedrals in the UK, pre-Reformation, would have been richly painted and decorated - something you only really see in Catholic churches these days - and all the Catholic churches in the UK are relatively new. Early churches would not have had pews either. You can tell I really enjoyed your tour! Someone can correct me, but I believe the eagle is a symbol of John the Evangelist - something to do with a bird, soaring high to heaven and able to spread the Word. Very nice post - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your in depth comment and I think you are right about the eagle. I vaguely remember the guide telling us something like that.
DeleteIt took some time but finally it is there. The sandstone makes it special from the outside.
ReplyDeleteThese are stunning photographs, and I really enjoyed looking at your blog
ReplyDeleteI have not managed to get out with my camera lately because of chest infections, but I am looking forward to starting again soon all being well
I understand not taking a tour for decades, we do that also....beauty in our backyard! What gorgeous architecture! The stone is beautiful
ReplyDeleteThis is really an amazing cathedral. Love that domed ceiling and all of the beautiful stained glass. Amazing how long these great buildings must take to build! Lovely shots
ReplyDeleteit may sound odd but my favorite photo is the one above the words restoration, the gray door in the arch.. it appeals to me. the cathedral is awe-inspiring. I would love a photo shoot in it to.
ReplyDeleteFor a relatively modern church, (compared with some of ours) it is stunning and built to perfection by the look of it. The outside, as well as the inside and the windows look amazing and I do like that reflection shot. Hope all is well t'other Diane
ReplyDeleteI love your cathedral is really impressive but simple
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely breath-taking! I love the reflection in the font. The cathedral is so stunning!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and history. Especially love the arches photo -- it just goes on and on..
ReplyDeleteLove the colour of the stone and the reflection of the stained glass.
ReplyDeleteChurch photography can be difficult as they are usually dimly lit but either this one isn't or you really knew what to do with your camera. Perhaps it was both.
ReplyDeleteIt was fairly well lit but good cameras can cope with it and if not post processing can fix it.
DeleteI have attended Christmas Eve services there a few times and a regular Sunday service as well. It is a lovely space. There is always a wonderful feeling of awesomeness Cathedrals that I enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHello, Diane! Gorgeous cathedral. Both inside and outside are beautiful. Gorgeous collection of images. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteI am not a church fan, but I must admit that some are really very beautiful ! It's only a shame that so much money was spent on a church instead of feeding the poors, but that is religion !
ReplyDeleteGosh it's a magnificent piece of architecture Diane, I'm not a churchy sort of person either but I do love to see inside both small and big churches. It always amazes me now they managed to build these enormous structures so long ago without the help of modern day equipment like cranes etc.yet they did and brilliantly!
ReplyDeleteGosh it's a magnificent piece of architecture Diane, I'm not a churchy sort of person either but I do love to see inside both small and big churches. It always amazes me now they managed to build these enormous structures so long ago without the help of modern day equipment like cranes etc.yet they did and brilliantly!
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful eye for photography, Diane. The way you have caught the light in some of these is lovely. And what a beautiful place. The colors in the exterior stone are amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhen ever I see these modern buildings, I can't help but think about how on Earth the build the old ones!!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
I love visiting old cathedrals and old churches...so beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Diane.
ReplyDeleteYour photography has done justice to such beautiful architecture. I particularly love how you caught the stain glass window reflections on the pillars... must have evoked a feeling of serenity being there :D)
ReplyDeleteHi Diana,
ReplyDeleteHope you are well!
My name is Florencia and I am putting together the 90th Anniversary celebration for the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland.
I want to check if we can use these pictures adding the credit/references to your website. We love them!
We are creating a new section in our website related to our 90th anniversary, in which we are going to add information about different engineers, projects and companies.
Looking forward to your comments.
Many thanks,
Florencia
florencia.caccamo@bpeq.qld.gov.au