page_title: St Paul's Anglican Church, Proserpine
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: St Paul's Anglican Church, Proserpine / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior, St Paul's Anglican Church, Proserpine, 2007
context_page_description: St Paul's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 8 Main Street, Proserpine, Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Eddie Oribin and built from 1958 to 1959 by Les Tinsley & Co. It is also known as St Paul's Anglican Memorial Church and Proserpine Church of England. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 October 2013.
context_section_description: St Paul's Anglican Church, a striking parabolic arched structure of concrete, brick, timber and glass, is located in Proserpine in the Whitsunday Region of northern Queensland. Orientated with its longitudinal axis north-south, the church is positioned at the front of a long rectangular block on the southern side of Main Street. The church is largely intact, retaining its original furniture and fittings. The most notable alterations have been to the roof, where original translucent sections have been replaced with opaque sheeting.
  The dominant element of the church's design is the parabolic arched roof over the nave and sanctuary. Clad in metal roof sheeting, the parabolic form is created by a reinforced concrete arch at the front, regularly spaced laminated timber arches throughout the interior and a brick end wall at the rear. A raised strip of roofing along the apex is clad in opaque sheeting.
  Single-storey brick side wings run along either side of the nave, featuring large windows and flat roofs clad in metal sheeting. Straddling the walls are reinforced concrete dished slabs, curving up and away from the top of the walls and overhanging by approximately one metre, acting as both guttering and eaves. The height of this slab indicates a datum level that extends within the church in the form of a flat ceiling over the aisles.
  The church is rectangular in plan with an entrance foyer in the north-west corner, linked to a brick and concrete bell tower by a covered walkway. The main elevation of the church is asymmetrical, with the end walls of the wings flanking the central arch being constructed of different materials. The concrete parabolic arch is in-filled with a timber framed glazed wall, with a reinforced concrete cross forming the central spine and a raised brick garden bed running along the base. A series of horizontal ridges on the outer edge of the parabolic arch are remnants of the original roof cladding system. To the side of the arch is the end wall of the eastern aisle, which features small, cross-shaped openings in the brickwork, in-filled with glass. A plaque commemorating the laying of the foundation stone is located here. The entrance foyer on the western side is fully glazed with timber framing and a low brick garden bed along the north side.
  The eastern elevation is straight, while along the western elevation the vestry and entry foyer project out beyond the aisle wall. Both elevations are divided into bays by regularly spaced brick piers, with brick infill up to waist height and windows above. The timber framed windows are made up of four awning casements separated by strips of frosted glass in the shape of a cross.
  The solid brick wall of the rear elevation is pierced by a high window in the form of a narrow cross. It has two layers of glazing, consisting of an inner layer of coloured glass segments and an outer layer of clear glass. Glazed doors provide access to the vestries. Adjacent to the western vestry door is a toilet block built up against the rear wall (this structure is not considered to be of cultural heritage significance).
  The bell tower is approximately 11 metres (36 ft) high, surmounted by an aluminium cross. The tower is constructed from two parallel reinforced concrete walls with decorative brickwork on the outer faces. The two walls are linked by horizontal concrete beams and a bell is hung near the top. A rough render has been applied to the concrete surfaces, with a raised cross ornamenting to the top of each side. A low, rectangular, brick garden bed, originally a reflection pool, projects from the front of the tower.
  Entrance to the church is through the foyer at the north-west corner, through glazed doors on the western side. Aisles run along the eastern and western sides and through the centre of the nave. The sanctuary at the southern end is raised one step above the nave with vestries on either side. The timber pews, like most furniture in the church, have chambered corners painted an off-white colour. The collection plates are made from seven interlocking triangular pieces 
caption: Interior, St Paul's Anglican Church, Proserpine, 2007
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