St Stephen's Church, Ipswich, Presbyterian church in Ipswich, Australia
St Stephen's Church is a Gothic Revival building in Ipswich, Queensland, built with brick and defined by its tall steeple and pointed arch windows. The structure sits on Limestone Street and displays the architectural style common to Presbyterian churches of that era.
The foundation stone was laid in 1865 by Arthur Macalister, beginning work on this church structure. The building was completed during Ipswich's period of industrial growth in the late 1800s.
The congregation descends from Ipswich's oldest Presbyterian gathering, whose first service was preached by John Dunmore Lang in December 1844. The name St Stephen's was adopted in 1862, and in 2008 the church became Central Presbyterian Church, Ipswich, known as Central Church. Stained glass windows depict the development of the Presbyterian Church, and one pane came from the original St Andrew's Church on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane.
The cream-painted western spire is the easiest landmark to spot along Limestone Street, standing out against the dark brick of the rest of the building. The 1889 Sabbath School hall, built by Robert Wilson & Co for £751 10s 6d, stands on land south of the church granted by James Ivory. A lych gate erected in 1958 marks the north-eastern alignment as a war memorial.
The lych gate at the north-eastern alignment was erected in 1958 as a war memorial. Cypress trees at the front entry were planted in May 1941 by the Women's Guild in memory of their late president, Alice Kirke.
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