St Brigids Catholic Church, Matthews Street, Rosewood

Rosewood (including Walloon)
Small township between Brisbane and Toowoomba with a number of interesting wooden buildings.
Rosewood is a small straggling little centre located 60 km south-west of Brisbane, 85 km east of Toowoomba, 30 km south-west of Ipswich and 61 m above sea level.

Like so many of the small towns which lie between Brisbane and Toowoomba it is easy to pass through and yet a brief stay yields interesting treasures.

The town came into existence when the railway from Ipswich to Grandchester was built during the 1860s. Being at neither terminus Rosewood became something of a stopover point until the area surrounding the town yielded coal (in 1881 the Walloon-Rosewood coalfield started operation) and agriculture developed the rich soils for dairying and mixed farming.

Things to see:  

St Brigid's Catholic Church
The town's greatest claim to fame (and definitely something worth visiting Rosewood for) is the truly remarkable St Brigid's Catholic Church in Matthews Street. It claims to be the largest wooden Catholic Church in Australia (a rather dubious distinction) but its real appeal is that, regardless of any claim, it is a truly magnificent wooden building. The woodwork inside and the sense of care and craftsmanship which has gone into the building evokes the kind of religious commitment which is such a characteristic of the great churches of Europe. This is a building constructed out of faith.

The church was designed by Father Andrew Horan and opened on 13 February 1910. It is claimed that it was made entirely of timber with even the foundations being timber stumps set on timber bedlogs. The church is divided into three parts - the nave and two side aisles - each of which is characterised by a separate cross and gabled window. Inside are a number of unusual frescos - one has the symbols of grain (bread) and grapes (wine) with the inscription 'O memoriala mortis domini' (In memory of the death of our Lord) while the other depicts angels and was probably painted as recently as the 1940s.

Other features of particular interest are the pressed metal ceiling, the altar which although made of wood has been painted to look like marble and the statues of the three saints - St Brigid, St Agnes and the now discredited St Philomena. The result is a truly beautiful and remarkable building. The presbytery can be contacted on (07) 5464 1419.

Rising Sun Hotel
Nearby, across the railway at 27 School St, is the interesting Rising Sun Hotel, which was built in 1908 and still retains its unusual corner roof turret and its delightful verandah and awnings, tel: (07) 5464 1413.

Glendalough
At the other end of the town (adjacent to the main roundabout on the corner of Langfield Road and John Street) is 'Glendalough', a large timber house built in 1910, which, like so many of the houses in nearby Ipswich, is a superb example of the opulence which was possible when timber and craftsmanship were combined with large amounts of money.

	Hotels
	Rising Sun Hotel School St Rosewood QLD 4340 Telephone: (07) 5464 1413
	Rosewood Hotel 6 John St Rosewood QLD 4340 Telephone: (07) 5464 1402
	Royal George Hotel 24 John St Rosewood QLD 4340 Telephone: (07) 5464 1105
	Restaurants
	Rising Sun Chinese Restaurant 21 School St Rosewood QLD 4340 Telephone: (07) 5464 1385