Chapel

SLADE CHAPEL WINDOWS 

The schemata of the stained glass windows you see before you, were conceived under the guidance of the Slade School Council before the school closed and before the purchase of the campus by the then Church of England Grammar School, now ACGS (Anglican Church Grammar School) in 1999. Eddy and Lynne Pryor designed the windows based on this concept provided by Rev David Binns who also supplied the cartoon schemata for the design. Eddy and Lynne, both past students of Slade and St Catharines respectively, then crafted the windows and installed them in the chapel where they are today. Even though they had spent many hours on various designs based on previous concepts recommended by the School Council and numerous trips from their home in North Queensland, they offered to do the work free of charge. In fact, the original glass they had so carefully selected in Brisbane was destroyed in transit to their home in Cairns. Back to Brisbane they came and, at their own expense, they once again, selected the special glass they needed. At the insistence of the Past Students’ Association, however, they were eventually paid $700 for each of the sixteen windows, well below their true value. 

Chapel Window Schematic

These beautiful windows tell the story of Genesis and the coming of Christ in reverse order as a unique representation of the past. In fact, we start this day of Dedication on the 7th June 2003, the eve of Pentecost (Window 1 & 2) and travel back in time to Genesis, the representation of the Firmament and the Creation of the World (Window 16). Our story then moves forward through time to the beginning of life (Window 15) which led to the creation of the Garden of Eden (Window 14) and its new residents, Adam and Eve (Window 13). The tribes of Israel (Windows 12 & 11) multiply until Moses (Windows 10,9 & 8) who, confronted by the burning bush (Windows 7 & 6) and its message of hope, led the children of Israel to freedom. This is followed by the birth of Christ (Window 5) who is baptized by John the Baptist (Window 4 & 3), finally finishing where we are today on the eve of Pentecost. 

We pray that the real windows which remain in what was the new chapel until the school closed, will stand the endurance of time and remain an inspiration for all who gaze upon them and the loved ones whose names are inscribed on the plaques beneath.