St James Catholic Church

St James's Catholic Church has a significant association with the Malanda community and early settlers who arrived in 1907, particularly James English and his family. The timber church demonstrates highly skilled construction techniques as well as intricacy and craftsmanship in its ornate timber altarpiece. Services and ceremonies were held in a local hall in the early 1900s, until 1925, when the catholic community decided to construct a church to accommodate 200 people. James English (later known as the founder of Malanda) was highly involved in its construction, making the initial donation, providing timber for the altar and an acre of his land for the church to be built. The striking white, gold-trimmed altar was designed by a local architect, Mr Hassall. The church was completed in November 1926 and was officially opened and blessed in early 1927. Today, the church is recognised in the Wet Tropics Heritage Trail and presents a special piece of Malanda's history. Nearby attractions include the Malanda Hotel - reputedly the largest timber structure in Australia - the Majestic Theatre and the Malanda Falls Conservation Park.