St John's Anglican Church, South Townsville, Anglican church from 1907 in South Townsville, Australia.
St John's Anglican Church is a small timber church built in 1907 at 30–34 Macrossan Street, South Townsville, the third church on the site. The precinct also holds a timber rectory of about 1907 and a small timber and fibrous-cement sheeted church hall.
The current building was constructed in 1907 following two devastating cyclones in 1896 and 1903 that destroyed previous churches at this location. The new structure reflected lessons learned about resilience in one of Australia's most cyclone-prone regions.
The first St John's Church was dedicated in August 1884 on land Bishop George Henry Stanton bought at the May 1883 sale of Ross Island subdivisions, two allotments opposite the school reserve. The parish began as part of the Townsville parish, administered from St James' pro-Cathedral, and became a separate parochial district in 1889 with the Rev. L Ketchlee as priest-in-charge. The Townsville Herald of 24 December 1887 called the church "a pretty little church" that was "well patronised".
Entry is usually free, though it's worth checking ahead to see if services or private events are scheduled. Visit during cooler parts of the day to better experience the natural ventilation that keeps the interior comfortable.
The site was bought at the first sale of Ross Island subdivisions in May 1883, when Bishop Stanton acquired two adjacent Macrossan Street allotments opposite the school reserve. Title passed to the Corporation of the Diocesan Synod of North Queensland in June 1884, and the first St John's Church was dedicated that August.
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