Old Bishopsbourne (St Francis Theological College and Chapel)

Old Bishopsbourne, housing St Francis Theological College and Chapel, holds active intellectual significance as the historical headquarters of the Anglo-Catholic tradition in Brisbane. Relocated from Nundah to its Milton site in 1936 under Archbishop William Wand, the institution functioned as an “Anglo-Catholic fortress” designed to consolidate Anglican theological identity against evangelical and Roman Catholic intrusions. Its complex of buildings—including the 1865 residence, the 1912 chapel, and the 1959 library—embodies the principle of “thinking religion in place,” where spiritual meaning is realized “in rebus” (in the thing itself) through physical and social architecture. Within the “New MBH Program,” this site represents a critical node for the “craftsmanship of the reflexive insider,” resisting “historical forgetfulness” by anchoring deep theological inquiry within the practical and historical realities of the local community.