St Stephen's Presbyterian Church and Manse, Queanbeyan, Presbyterian church in Queanbeyan, Australia.
St Stephen's Presbyterian Church stands at 2 Morisset Street in Queanbeyan, built from 1872 to 1883 with Thomas Priest as stonemason and Thomas Jordan and John Kealman as carpenters. The church was designed by Alberto Dias Soares, the Anglican rector of Christ Church, while the manse was designed by James Barnet. The property is owned by the Presbyterian Church of NSW Property Trust.
Presbyterian services in the Queanbeyan district began with a visiting minister in mid-1838. In 1852 the community obtained a land grant at Morisset and Lowe Streets, formally gazetted in 1859. The Reverend William Mackenzie arrived from Scotland in 1870 and reinvigorated the building project; the church was built from 1872 to 1883 by stonemason Thomas Priest and carpenters Thomas Jordan and John Kealman.
The Presbyterian congregation held services in the old Kent Hotel four times a year in the early 1850s, led by the Reverend William Ritchie of Yass. The church and manse on Morisset Street became the permanent base after 1870, when the Reverend William Mackenzie arrived from Scotland and reinvigorated the building project.
The church and manse are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, ensuring both structures are protected and maintained. Plan time to view both buildings and appreciate the architectural features that define each one.
The architect Alberto Dias Soares, who was himself an Anglican minister, provided his architectural plans and specifications for the church at no cost. This generous donation from a clergyman of another faith demonstrates the cooperative spirit that existed among Queanbeyan's early settler communities.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,862 contributors worldwide.