The story begins here in 1886. This was the Fortitude Valley Wesleyan Church (after is was sold). The congregation had grown significantly since it was built in 1870, so it was decided to expand in two ways: build a more substantial church building (still on Brookes St), as well as send out a group to Swan Hill to establish a church there. It was to be known as Swan Hill Mission Band. The first confirmed service was held on 18 September 1887.
Interestingly, the preacher at that service, Mr Stewart Byron, seems to have been a Presbyterian minister, known as the “singing evangelist” (http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article287570532), who held number of evangelical mission services with Wesleyan and Baptist churches (http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article174764164). It might have been part of a wider evangelical movement, formed as part of the 1886 Presbyterian conference, which included speakers from Methodist, Congregation and Baptist churches, as well as principal support from the Anglican church in Australia (https://listeningtothebasisofunion.com/2019/12/27/a-century-of-uniting-churches-in-australia-part-1/)
A prominent member of that congregation, Matthew Rigby was noted as the person encouraging the move to Swan Hill.
Matthew Rigby, born in Lancashire and moved to Brisbane aged 32, was the first Shire President of Windsor, Justice of the Peace and was appointed a “Licensing Judge” for Brisbane. He owned a successful seed business on Queen St (By Appointment to the Queensland Governor).
He and his family were active leaders of the church for long time. (Image held by the church). The front porch of the church was named in his honour in 1935.
Barely a year after the first meeting “under a gum tree on Nicholas Street”, and after a few months renting “a small cottage” on Nicholas St, in late 1888 a piece of land was purchased on lot 426, at the corner of Nicholas Street and Swan Terrace and a church was build. The land was (at least in part) donated by, Matthew Rigby.
The new church opened on Sunday 11th August 1889, with 3 services. The building cost was 358 Pounds (1889 ‘Queensland South District Meeting.’, Queensland Christian Witness and Methodist Journal Methodist Leader (Brisbane, Qld. : 1889 – 1897), 1 November, p. 8.) . The building is still used as our current church building. The image is from around 1890 and you can recognise the dark big roof shape in the top left as the main church building (Windsor Historical Society, Swan Hill). The Sunday school also started in 1889, with the first Superintendent being, Matthew Rigby.
This image shows Swan Hill during the major 1893 flood. It is taken from the hill that is now home to the RBWH, with Downey Street City Farm in the front, Bowen Bridge Rd on the right and Newmarket Road across the top. The church was not inundated and was used as a refuge center for the community. It served, again, as a refuge during the 2022 floods, as it did in 1974 and 1937.
In 1902 the building was moved, as a whole, up the road to its current position and was known as Newmarket Rd Methodist Church. Some sources say the move was completed to get further away from future floods, some say, it was moved to gain a more prominent position. Arnold Rigby notes, that the move caused quite a traffic jam, when a steam traction engine pulled the building up Green Tce. I have not found any newpaper article or photo of that move. The first notice is a newspaper article, advising that the first service on Newmarket Rd was to be held on Sunday, November 23 in 1902. To this day, the building is 9 inches out of plumb, possibly as a result of the move. (First image held by the church)
World War I saw a number of members in the congregation serve (30 mentioned on the honour board). And with Newmarket Road the main thorougfare from the tram on Lutwyche Road to the Enoggera Army Barracks, the church saw quite a few Army Chaplains preaching at this time.
In 1922 Windsor separated from the Valley Circuit and together with Wilston Methodist Memorial Church (later known as Trinity-Wilston and Trinity Grove Memorial Church), as well as Grange Methodist Church formed the Windsor Circuit. This meant the churches were administered together and shared ministers and activities. This continued after the union of churches in 1977. Grange Uniting Church closed around 2005. Windsor and Wilston separated in 2008, when Windsor briefly joined with Merthyr Rd Uniting Church in New Farm. This union ended one year later. Wilston Uniting Church closed in 2019.
Post war Windsor saw a continued rise in population and economic development. This image is meant to be from 1925.
This period also saw significant building work. 1918: The church was extended in the back and the rooms underneath the church were build. They housed the kindergarten classes, until they were converted to toilets and storerooms. 1925 saw the roof being converted from shingles to roofing tin. The photo seems to show the building (top right corner) with shingles. (Image held by Windsor Historical Society)
In 1956 the new hall was built and in 1958 the inside of the church remodeled and clad hard board. In 1969 the old timber stumps were replaced with concrete and the whole building was clad with “James Hardie’s Handiplank” (asbestos), as “painting was no longer an economic proposition” (Arnold Rigby), which completed the building as we know it, with the exception of the toilets, which were build in the early 2000, replacing the toilets underneath the building. (Image of stump-capping for the building of the church hall is held by the church)
1977 saw Windsor Methodist Church Circuit (Grange, Wilston, Windsor) and Windsor Congregational Church form Windsor Uniting Church as part of the wider, newly formed, Uniting Church of Australia. The Presbyterian Church (cnr Maygar St and Whish St), chose not to join Windsor Uniting Church. Prior to the Union, there were joined evening services of the Congregational and Methodist churches, usually held in the Congregational Church building (217 Lutwyche Rd, now demolished). After Union, services in the Congregational Church building ceased. The inaugural service on 26 June 1977 in Wilston was attended by 171 named parishioners.
(1: Held by the church
Windsor Uniting Church was one of the first churches in Australia to publish their service online. At its height, the church had around 75.000 downloads. (Courier Mail 1/1/2004) While we have stopped the full recording of services, we currently offer our weekly reading and message as a podcast through most popular podcasting apps.
2015 saw the sale of the old Congregational Church on Lutwyche Rd. The building was removed (upper image) and transported to North Lakes, where it is now used as the church building for North Lakes Uniting Church since 2017 (bottom image).
Like most “traditional” churches, our church has seen significant decline in membership.
But, in the last couple of years, Windsor Uniting Church has seen a significant renewal, both demographically and physical within our congregation, renewing the spirit in the church and its congregation.
