St Bart’s Anglican Church located in Stenner Street, Toowoomba was bursting at the seams!

With significant growth over a number of years, their regular Church services were nearing capacity.

In 2016, St Bart’s Anglican Church launched their building program to realise a new, larger worship space, Stage 2 of their infrastructure development.

Stage 2 was designed to adjoin the existing building and connect aesthetically with the surrounding gardens and lawns. The new design features a 400-450 seating capacity auditorium with adjacent flexible spaces suitable for children and youth programs, a prayer room, training and office areas.

In scoping their range of audio-visual equipment, Visual Focus provided design specifications for stage lighting, large projection screens and an audio system suitable for both the spoken word and musicians performing at Church services.

Visual Focus worked closely with the St Bart’s Facilities Task Group to understand their use and functionality requirements, selecting the range of equipment that fitted within the budget and best suited their team of volunteer technical operators. Our team were in regular liaison with the building architects, the acoustic consultant, the on-site project manager and builder to ensure a smooth and timely installation process.

The audio system was designed to consider the acoustics and best placement for selected speakers and subwoofers with rack mounted amplifiers and a rear room digital sound desk. Visual Focus liaised with clergy, technicians, operators and musicians to ensure appropriate stage patching facilities. Video systems included large scale screens mounted at the front of the auditorium, Epson projectors, a HD Video switching system and confidence monitor projection with a screen at the rear of the room.

The key components installed are the Allen and Heath QU32 audio desk, two Epson G-Series projectors paired with large Grandview projection screens and a short throw Epson projector mounted to work to a back wall screen. Lighting equipment installed is a Jands 24 Channel Lighting Console with fixtures from Show Technology’s Showpro LED fresnel and par range positioned across four lighting bars.

Four FBT Archon 112 auditorium speakers were sourced from Italy as a new generation speaker granting excellent speech intelligibility with wide and precise coverage for musicians.

St Barts Church repurposed their Stage 1 facility to become a new youth room. Visual Focus relocated their existing control desk with suitable cabling, moved the existing speakers to suit the new layout and installed a new screen and projector to enhance the room’s new purpose.

Univox hearing augmentation is installed throughout St Bart’s Church in compliance with legislation, enabling assistive listening for members of the congregation wishing to use the wireless signal through the ‘T’ or Telecoil setting on their hearing aids.

St Bart’s Church Facilities Task Group and Church Manager, Warren Dutton managed the $2 million project to completion.

On Saturday 26 August 2017, the St Bart’s Church congregation gathered to celebrate their new facility as the Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall led the dedication service at the Stage 2 Opening Service.

“When seeking to equip the new auditorium at St Bart’s Anglican Church, it didn’t take us long to realise that under Ralph’s leadership, we had a very professional organisation in Visual Focus that would meet all our needs.

From the very beginning to walking through training of our own people in the use of the equipment, Visual Focus guided us through all aspects of sound, lighting, acoustics and visuals. No question was too menial and the wealth of knowledge is astounding.

Integration of the digital equipment with dated technology was all part of the process. The team of technicians likewise are knowledgeable and affable and the relationship we have with all the team is exceptional.

We have no hesitation in recommending Visual Focus as the leader in their field on the Downs and beyond.”

Warren Dutton, Church Manager
Building and Operations, Plant and Operations Finance
St Barts Anglican Church Toowoomba