Sharing stories of Queensland’s faith communities, past and present, to explore aspects of religious practice in Australia. Distinctive and diverse, these vital stories of belief and belonging are snapshots of communities in action.


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The Bains family

Gian Singh Bains, his son Rajinder, and daughter-in-law Rasvinder discuss their family’s history in Queensland. Gian helped establish Queensland’s first Sikh gurdwara, at Edmonton south of Cairns, in 1983.

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Dorita Murgha Wilson

Dorita Murgha Wilson explains how she has reconciled Christianity with her culture and identity as an Aboriginal woman.

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Pauline Ah Wang and Willie Wigness

Two pillars of the Waiben (Thursday Island) Anglican community share their thoughts, including about the Quetta Memorial Church.

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The Bains family

Gian Singh Bains, his son Rajinder, and daughter-in-law Rasvinder discuss their family’s history in Queensland. Gian helped establish Queensland’s first Sikh gurdwara, at Edmonton south of Cairns, in 1983.

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The Bains family
Dorita Murgha Wilson

Dorita Murgha Wilson explains how she has reconciled Christianity with her culture and identity as an Aboriginal woman.

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Dorita Murgha Wilson
Bill Le Page

An ardent follower of the Indian spiritual figure Meher Baba, Bill Le Page reflects on his life and relationship with Baba, the ‘God-Man’.

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Bill Le Page
Nicholai von Tonslamann
Nicholai von Tonslamann

Artist and traveler Nicholai von Tonslamann has transformed the surrounds of his Mount Morgan home, building shrines and temples to Hindu gods and goddesses.

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Nicholai von Tonslamann
Venerable Rinchen

An ordained Buddhist nun, founder of the Khacho Yulo Ling Buddhist Centre in Cairns, and provider of care to the dying.

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Venerable Rinchen
Janeth Deen

A prominent member of the Queensland Muslim community discusses family, education, working life, and community activities.

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Janeth Deen
Duncan Harrison

An important figure in the formation of the Uniting Church of Queensland and its Moderator in 1980.

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Duncan Harrison
Figure 1: Josh Gorringe (left) and Rodney McKellar, Mithaka Country, June 2021 (QAR).
Welcome to Mithaka Country

Mithaka representative Josh Gorringe explains his sense of connection to Mithaka Country, and the work being done there to understand and care for cultural sites of significance.

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Welcome to Mithaka Country
Tropical Cathedrals

Impressive new cathedrals were a feature of post-war development in the 1960s in Cairns, Townsville, and Thursday Island.

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Tropical Cathedrals
Figure 1: Quetta Memorial church, Thursday Island, c. 1930 (J. Flynn, National Library of Australia).
Quetta Memorial Church

Since Christianity was introduced to the Torres Strait Islands, the receptivity of Islander culture has ensured that Christian traditions have been adapted to local tastes.

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Quetta Memorial Church
Figure 5: Choir boys practising at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, 1958 (State Library of Queensland).
Music at St John’s Cathedral

The musical culture of Queensland’s Anglicans has been a vibrant wellspring for musicians, including the only female master of cathedral music in the British Empire.

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Music at St John’s Cathedral
Ken Ham at the ‘Ark Encounter’ theme park, Kentucky, opened 2016 (Ark Encounter)
Creationism with an Australian Accent

Modern creationism has a strong Queensland flavour, both in the career of former schoolteacher Ken Ham, and the political and education controversies of the 1970s and 1980s.

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Creationism with an Australian Accent