[1] St James Church of England was constructed in 1869 to the design of prominent Brisbane architect, Richard George Suter.

There was much debate about the location of a more permanent structure, some of the townsfolk and the Bishop felt that a brick building should replace the existing timber building on the same site, whereas other influential members of the community preferred to see the church re-located to a site near the Mort Estate where land was offered to the church by James Taylor MLA.

It was only after the Bishop in February 1869 changed his mind on the matter that the site near the Mort Estate was finally chosen.

Suter's design of the church was in keeping with the design of small parish churches in England of the time – modestly sized Gothic Revival buildings with steeply pitched roofs, small ornate roof towers, well executed brickwork and pointed arched openings throughout.

The polychrome striped brickwork of the original St James Church is particularly interesting and unusual in the Queensland context.

The land was formally acquired by the Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane on 8 February 1884 and trustees were later appointed.

[3] The opening of the church was reported in the Toowoomba Chronicle where the building was described as comprising an apsidal chancel, nave and transepts to the north and south, with bluestone foundation and freestone dressings.

[1] By 1876, St James was considered inadequate and cracks appeared in the apsidal chancel at the eastern end of the building facing Mort Street.

[1] St James Church is located on the corner of Russell and Mort Streets, Toowoomba and is adjacent to a recently constructed rectory.

[1] St James is a modestly scaled building, reflecting the importance of early English gothic revival architecture in parish churches during the second half of the 19th century.

The characteristic elements of that style are seen in the steeply pitched roof with timber framed steeple, polychrome brickwork, stained glass windows in pointed arched openings and, internally, use of hammer beam roof trusses and dark stained timber furniture including pews, reredos and other altar furniture.

[1] The church has a cruciform plan, the nave running east–west, with the eastern, altar end facing Mort Street.

[1] The northern and southern transepts of the building form the principal entrances to the church, through centrally located porches.

Lining the nave of the building are small lancet window openings, separated by brick buttressing.

The ceiling space is divided into the bays of the nave with stained timber hammer beam roof trusses.

[1] St James Church was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 July 2000 having satisfied the following criteria.

It is a fine example of early English gothic revival architecture at the scale of a small parish church.