Holy Family Catholic Church, Indooroopilly, Queensland (1961–1963)

The Holy Family Catholic Church in Indooroopilly was designed by the Brisbane-based architectural firm Douglas and Barnes in 1961, and constructed between 1961 and 1963. Noticeably influenced by Pier Luigi Nervi’s unrealized scheme for a cathedral at New Norcia, Western Australia (1957–61) as well as other, international modern concrete church designs – most notably Marcel Breuer’s St John’s Abbey Church in Minnesota, USA (1953–61) and Oscar Niemeyer’s chapel at the Palácio da Alvorada in Brasilia, Brazil (1958) – it combined expressive forms with novel materials and relied on innovative construction methods that had never before been tested in Queensland.

Holy Family was built at the height of church construction in the state. Between 1955 and 1965, more churches Its vertical structure and elongated basilica were firmly rooted in pre-conciliar attitudes. Nonetheless, Holy Family is arguably one of the most expressive and memorable modern churches in Australia. It should enjoy greater national recognition, and certainly deserves better protection and care.