{"id":46322,"date":"2013-10-03T18:00:05","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T08:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=46322"},"modified":"2020-12-11T15:30:13","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T05:30:13","slug":"end-of-an-era-at-kilkivan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2013\/10\/03\/end-of-an-era-at-kilkivan\/","title":{"rendered":"End Of An Era At Kilkivan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Kilkivan … to close in November (Photo: Marcia McIntosh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 3, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Leo Geraghty<\/strong>
\nMurgon Moments<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

An era will come to an end at Kilkivan in November with the de-consecration of St Matthew’s Anglican Church after 125 years serving the local community.<\/p>\n

The service will be led by the Right Reverend Rob Nolan from 3:00pm on Tuesday, November 26, and will be followed by afternoon tea.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/center>\u201cThe new Church of England will soon be completed and will be a great acquisition to our village\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In the years after the Gold Rush of 1868, Anglican services in the Kilkivan area had been possible only when a member of the clergy travelled through from some other area, such as Gayndah or Maryborough.<\/p>\n

When the township of Kilkivan moved from \u201cWest Coast Creek\u201d to the more permanent site of \u201cRise and Shine\u201d there was a growing desire among the Church of England worshippers for their own church and services.<\/p>\n

St Matthew\u2019s Anglican church in Kilkivan was built in 1888.<\/p>\n

But there were ups and downs through the years … in 1897, the Church Chronicle noted that the Kilkivan church, which “had been neglected for some time”, had been reopened and services would in future be held on alternate Sundays.<\/p>\n

Mrs Jones of Kilkivan Station organised “a very successful bazaar, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the erection of a fence around the church property, a shed for horses and buggies and some other much-needed improvement”.<\/p>\n

In 1908, St Matthew\u2019s was dismantled and shifted from the old Kilkivan town site near the cemetery on Rossmore Road to its present site in Bligh Street.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The church was shifted board by board, window by window, along with all the interior fittings.<\/p>\n

Curates who served at the church used to travel by horse. About 1913, things “improved” … they were given a pushbike to negotiate the road from Nanango.<\/p>\n

In 1919 a motorcycle was purchased for \u00a327\/10\/- \u00a0and a sulky and harness for \u00a318.<\/p>\n

The age of the motor car came to St Matthews with a “Tin Lizzie” (Model T Ford) purchased for \u00a3215 for\u00a0Rev R.W. Shand.<\/p>\n

Great difficulties were experienced by these gentlemen in travelling the roads between Murgon and Kilkivan. Mr Eglington had a Baby Austin and was often late.<\/p>\n

On one occasion the service register shows that he spent two hours bogged in Wide Bay Creek before being snigged out by horses.<\/p>\n

Electricity was connected about 1954, the church had major extensions in 1960 and the interior was painted by church volunteers.<\/p>\n

Over the past 125 years, the church \u00a0has had many rectors, church wardens, lay people, the ladies guild and numerous volunteers and parishioners.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There have been fetes, dances, flower shows, cookery demonstrations, fancy dress balls and street stalls by the hundreds.<\/p>\n

Many of the facilities over the years – the reredos (screen), eagle lectern, altar, chalice and paten, sanctuary chair, sanctuary windows,\u00a0altar cross, stained glass windows, servers’ kneelers, pulpit, organ, lights and large Bible – were gifted to the church by many families in memory of their loved ones.<\/p>\n