David Alexander Court

  General Notes:

ST MARY'S CHURCH - KANGAROO POINT
St Mary's was one of the early parishes in Brisbane, with the little wooden church built about 1847 standing on the banks of the river.
In 1871 the Rector D. A. Court, persuaded his congregation to build a new church on the cliffs overlooking the river. It proved a wise move, as the church was above the level of the 1893 flood. The architect was G. R. Suter and the builder Alfred Grant. The church was built of porphyry stone obtained from the local area. The Marquis of Normanby laid the foundation stone on 29 April 1872, and Bishop Tufnell, the first Bishop of Brisbane, consecrated the building on 5 November 1873.
The Reverend David Alexander Court, rector of St Mary's from 1870 to 1887, was the youngest son of Major Henry Court of Castlemaine, Berkshire, and was born in England 25 September 1832. He was educated at Harrow and Oxford, and married Hannah Mary Bolt of Bath in 1865. Two sons and four daughters (of a family of twelve) grew to adulthood.
During his time in office, the Rev. Court travelled extensively in his parish which extended from Toowoomba to Southport.
Ill health forced him to resign, and the family moved to Southport where Rev. Court died on his 56th birthday in 1888. His wife died at Wynnum in 1937.
.....[The Sunday Mail Magazine dated 4th November, 1973]

David married Hannah Mary Bolt on 6 May 1865 in St John's Church, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. (Hannah Mary Bolt was born on 12 Jul 1847 in Bath, Somerset, England and died on 10 Jul 1937 in Cedar Street, Wynnum, Brisbane, Australia.)