St Mark's War Memorial Church, Clayfield History

Located on the corner of Bonney Avenue and Bellevue Terrace, Clayfield in Brisbane, St Mark’s Anglican Church is a part of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane and has served the people of Clayfield, Albion and Wooloowin since 1887, including in times of conflict.

The sacrifice and service of the 111 soldiers from Clayfield, Albion and Wooloowin whose names are listed on the Parish's Roll of Honour 1914-1918 is commemorated in the form of a stained glass window, which features a fallen Australian soldier beneath the figures of Christ Crucified, St John and St Mary. 

The triptych is the work of Charles Tute, a renowned English stained glass artist who migrated to Australia before the First World War.  It was made by R.S. Exton & Co. of Ann Street, Brisbane and installed in the old St Mark’s Church in 1919.

At the end of the Second World War, a decision was made to replace the old St Mark’s Church with a new church building on the same site. This was brought to fruition on 31 May 1964 when Rt Rev. R. J. Hudson, Coadjutor Bishop of Brisbane dedicated the present church as the War Memorial Church of St Mark the Evangelist.

As a part of this endeavour, the war memorial window featuring the triptych was installed in the new Church as the central focus of a larger window.  This window included large stained glass Army, Navy, RAAF and Red Cross crests as well as a red, white and blue flags, set in leadlight glass.  This work was undertaken by Oliver Cowley of Brisbane in the early 1960’s.

The following text appears at the base of the window:

This group of windows is dedicated to the Glory of God and in loving memory of the men and women of this parish who made the supreme sacrifice in world conflicts since 1914 and is a thanks offering from those who cherish the freedom thus ensured by their sacrifice.

In commemoration of the ANZAC Centenary including the Centenary of the Armistice, the parish undertook a series of projects to restore and conserve these memorials.  This work was made possible with the proud support of the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments and the Brisbane City Council.

Accompanying these memorials is a memorial to the memory of John Barge, a priest associated with St Mark's Clayfield, who became a missionary to the New Guinea Islands.  Fr Barge was murdered by the Imperial Japanese Army by 'sword and shot' in New Britain in 1942.  Fr Barge is one of the New Guinea Martyrs.

Please note that the information published here does not represent the views of the Diocese of Brisbane.