Official Opening of The Churches Exhibition

Maranoa Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Wendy Taylor and Councillors; Museum staff and volunteers; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Surat, the Mandandanji and Gunggari people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people with us this morning.

Graeme and I were delighted to receive the invitation to join you for the opening of this unique exhibition, and it’s wonderful to see the Cobb & Co Changing Station used to honour the history of Surat’s churches and of the Bush Brotherhood.

At the outset, I congratulate everyone involved in curating and installing the exhibition. I also take this opportunity to commend and thank those who contributed items and material for display – every contribution is important in ensuring the preservation of this aspect of Surat’s history.

Churches have always played a vital role in small communities in Australia, serving not just as places of worship, but as central hubs for social and cultural life. Here in Surat, the first churches and the Bush Brotherhood helped bring together the scattered and isolated population of the Maranoa and fostered a sense of belonging and community spirit.

The importance of that sense of community is evident in the fact that the people of Surat in the nineteenth century built and opened not one but two churches within just five years – the All Saints Anglican Church in 1879 and St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic Church in 1884.

And the impetus didn’t stop there – by the middle of the twentieth century, the community had raised sufficient funds to replace each of those two original buildings with architect-designed churches.

Moreover, the Anglican church in Cordelia Street and the Catholic church in Robert street had been joined by St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in William Street – Surat had become a town of churches.

Such exceptional growth in a small community is only possible with the support of its residents – and the extent of that support is clear in newspaper reports of the time.

The Anglican church was lauded as “a credit to Surat”, and such was the support for the Catholic church that a former resident not only donated a bell but paid for it to be freighted to Surat. This generosity continued when the Presbyterian church was established, with the community donating the pulpit, the font, the communion table and much more, including the land on which St Stephen’s was built.

Such support is a clear demonstration of how much churches are valued by a community.

They are much more than religious institutions; they are a lifeline, supporting mental health and well-being, offering pastoral care, and providing a listening ear to those in need. And they are integral to creating and sustaining the strong, resilient connections that are the basis of every thriving community.

It gives me great pleasure to preside over today’s official opening of The Churches Exhibition.

Thank you.