Building Salvation

Abstract

The architectural history of religious buildings in Australia has mainly concentrated on prominent churches from the major Christian denominations: non-conformist denominations, as well as the buildings of non-Christian religions, have received relatively little attention to date. This paper seeks to partly address that elision, by examining the architecture of the Salvation Army, in particular its spaces of worship, in the first forty years of its existence in Australia. The paper establishes connections between the structure and ethos of the Salvation Army with the stylistic choices they made for their buildings, examining the development of a distinct architectural hall type that became as synonymous with the Salvation Army as its uniform. The paper unveils the architects behind the Army buildings and demonstrates the persistence of the architectural type, despite regional variations in materials. It also discusses the significance of the hall sites and co-location of multiple halls on a single site to both serve their religious beliefs and support their welfare and social works.