Brisbane's impressive 1886 Synagogue

The first Jews in Brisbane were convicts in Moreton Bay penal colony in 1824 - home to repeat offenders who moved from larger NSW convict colonies where c1% of Moreton Bay convicts were Jewish. When Brisbane’s penal colony closed, a free settlement opened in 1842 with no ex-convicts. Instead some families came north from Sydney, seeking new prospects with Qld’s 1859 separation from NSW.Byzantine minarets & circular stained-glass window Beautiful white building, the twin towers soared above the nearby buildings in 1906. Brisbane Synagogue in State Library’s collection In 1859 there were just enough Jewish men to form a 10-man minyan for worship but by early 1865, services were so popular that private homes were needed. More settlers came and the community needed a proper shule. Most of the new Jewish residents settled around North Quay, meeting in each other’s homes on Sabbaths and holy days. Ads Brisbane Courier, Mar 1865 said: All members of the Jewish community are requ-ested to…