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1886 - Following
the cyclone that flattened Christ Church, the hardy pioneers
gathered up undamaged timbers and rebuilt it, a little smaller, and
on a cement base as it stands today. Over the years the wooden roof
shingles have been replaced with iron, and a Jarrah timber floor
laid over the cement. The termite damaged
belfry was replaced, and electric lighting installed
By 1996 Christ
church needed repairs, and had become redundant, so it was
decommissioned by the Anglican Church and stripped for demolition.
The community
objected, and the chapel was saved when heritage listed. Kept
locked, a tempting target for termites and vandals, it looked
doomed, until 2002 when the descendants of the pioneers, with
others, formed The Friends of Tingalpa Cemetery Heritage Group Inc
to raise funds and restore the chapel so it could be used for
weddings and heritage studies for students and others.
 With the
assistance of generous grants, and much voluntary work, the Pioneers
chapel is now ready for weddings and other celebrations. This is a
unique historic building, no longer an Anglican Church, so both
civil and religious ceremonies may be held. Weddings may be
organized through the Friends group, for a modest charge to assist
with future maintenance.
Each year a
Pioneers’ Memorial Celebration or Decoration Day is held in October,
when graves are decorated with long-lasting flowers as tributes to
the pioneers. A different pioneer family is featured each year, and
descendants come from all over Australia to pay their respects. Just
as the sacrifices of the ANZACs are now
appreciated, we aim to engender the same respect for the sacrifices
of our pioneers.
The Coxen,
Jefferies, Gode, Weedon, Stanton and Arnold families have been
featured, and the Longland family will be
honoured in 2008, and the White family in 2009.
Membership is
open to anyone keen to preserve the chapel and cemetery for future
generations. Regular events are held, where descendants of the
pioneers and others meet, and enjoy sharing family stories and
learning what life was like in the new colony of Queensland. |
