In 1926, St Andrews Presbyterian Church was the first church built on Tamborine Mountain as the United Protestant Church located on Eagle Heights Road.
It was consecrated on May 30, 1926.
By 1972, the church congregation needed a larger space and was sold to Mr E Tannock for $10,000.
The bell and tower were removed and built into the new Presbyterian Church in Main Street.
It was consecrated on May 3, 1975.
In 1982, the first church was sold to May and Henry Bishopp who donated it to the Tamborine Mountain Heritage Society Museum at 53 Wongawallen Road.
Henry remembered the removal of the church to its present-day site as one of the worst days of his life.
His memories are as follows:
Darkness was beginning to set in. We reached the Fig Tree Corner. A little further on, we cut some limbs off trees growing on the road, and this nearly caused a riot with some of the residents.
The worst happened along the road. For some unknown reason, the main high voltage light decided to suddenly go across the road … nearly 30 feet. The building could not clear them. After a long debate, they were cut, putting those beyond in darkness for hours.
It was now dark. We had arrived at the entrance of the property. The ground in front of the site had not long been built up. I warned the driver not to tack in too sharply, which he did not heed. Down went the trailer with the church at a 45-degree angle, ready to slide off the wet steel girder. Now we were in trouble.
The truck was bogged. Even with the help of the end loader, it would not move. Dark and raining, I had to dash off and get a very large tractor which I was fortunate to procure, belonging to Mr Marstella. My small tractor supplied the lights to see what we were doing, and with the extra power, we got it moving again.
I remember the site was not cleared and level like it is now. The church was backed down onto the site. We were about to pull it forward to get it in the right position when the heavy steel grinder broke where it was welded. The church had to stay at an angle to the road and not over the prepared trenches. As a result, it now stands on stumps.
The biggest blow to establishing the Society was that permission to move the building there was held up by an objector. It was only that Dr Youngman got them to waive the objection that we were able to proceed with the removal of the church. We had thought of putting it on the side of the road at the entrance of McDonald Park until things were sorted. Fortunately, this was not necessary.
Today the church still stands at the Tamborine Mountain Heritage Society Museum as The Pioneer Hall, and celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
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