Ipswich Central Mission - Wesleyan Chapel

By 15th March 1845, fortnightly Wesleyan services were being held in Ipswich, led by the Reverend William Moore, who was based in Brisbane.  The first services were held in a school room, owned by George Thorn.  With the school room always crowded, subscriptions were soon collected for the building of a chapel.

At the beginning of 1849, the Sydney based Wesleyan Methodist Church authorities applied to the New South Wales government for land grants to build churches, including one in Ipswich.  

Volunteers, led by Rev. Moore, begun the work of clearing the land and by the 30th July, the first Wesleyan Chapel in Ipswich was opened.  Celebrations included a tea party and addresses provided by Rev. Moore, William Thomas Deacon, P.S. Welsby, and Baily.  The chairman was Dr Henry Challinor. 

It appears that the congregation were eager to commence work on the first chapel.  The land grant (when the church legally possessed the land) was not complete until 30th January 1850, some six months after the first service took place.

The temporary chapel was a timber building, measuring 28 feet / 8.5 meters by 14 feet / 4.3 meters and accommodating 80 people.  The building, including furniture, cost £52/14/6.   The land grant comprised of four allotments over a total of 109.5 perches, or 2,769.5 square meters.   The two allotments on the corner of Ellenborough and Limestone Streets were designated for a church.  The next allotment, in Limestone Street, was for a school house, and the third was reserved for a manse. 

Once the timber chapel opened, services were held every Sunday and by August of 1850 a Sunday School, with 14 children enrolled, had commenced.  The Sunday School building was rented out by P.S. Welsby on weekdays for use as a secular school.  The church was part of the Moreton Bay Circuit, overseen by Rev. William Lightbody. 

By the end of 1851, Rev. John G. Millard was appointed the first Ipswich based Wesleyan minister.

After nine years service, the temporary chapel no longer provided sufficient space for the congregation.  In 1858 the present brick church, which could seat 500 worshippers, was erected.  The first service was conducted by Rev. S. Wilkinson and Rev. N. Turner on the 28th July 1858.  To meet the growing needs of the congregation, an additional 20 feet / 6 meters was added to the Ellenborough Street end of the building c.1863.  The extension included a clerestory, or gallery, over the main entrance.  In 1892 transepts were added.

Ipswich Central Mission was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register 21st October 1992.  According to its citation in the Register, the site meets the following criteria:

• Criterion A - The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history
  • The place demonstrates the development of churches in Queensland and the desire of residents to build substantial structures to replace their original rudimentary places of worship.
• Criterion B - The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage
  • Completed in June 1858, the Ipswich Central Mission is the oldest surviving church in continuous use in Queensland and the oldest Uniting Church in Queensland; it is a rare example of a church built prior to Separation.
• Criterion D - The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places
  • Its form, structure, furnishings, memorial tablets and windows demonstrate the principal characteristics of a Protestant church building
• Criterion E - The place is important because of its aesthetic significance
  • The place is a fine example of a simple Revival Gothic church building and demonstrates aesthetic characteristics valued by the community.  Its prominent corner position at a bend in a major road make it a local landmark and it is one of a group of important historic buildings in central Ipswich
• Criterion G - The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons
  • The place has a strong association with the Ipswich community through its social welfare programs, and with important organisations initiated by it such as Ipswich Blue Nurses and Ipswich Lifeline
• Criterion H - The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organistion of importance in Queensland's history
  • It has a special association with the life and work of important early architects Benjamin Backhouse and Henry Wyman, and with builder/architect Samuel Shenton

Alternative names: 

• Wesleyan Chapel
• Ipswich Central Mission
• Ipswich City Uniting Church
• Ellenborough Street Church