St. Matthew’s church was built on land donated by John and Mary Nicholson. It was designed by Charles Tiffin the Colonial architect based on the design of Barford St. Martin’s in Wiltshire. The foundation stone was laid by Sir George Ferguson Bowen Governor of the fledgling State of Queensland on
23 September 1867. The building was constructed from locally made bricks. It is thought the clay came from a site near the present Elsworthy St. and Grovely Terrace intersection.
