St Mary's by the Sea is a heritage-listed timber church dating from 1911, sitting on a small headland on Wharf Street with views across Dickson Inlet. The building is small, white-painted, and timber-framed in the vernacular style typical of early Queensland church architecture — breezy, practical, and without unnecessary pretension.
It has been a non-denominational venue since 1984 and is now primarily used for weddings, which means it can be closed when a ceremony is in progress. Outside of those times, visitors are welcome to look around. The setting — on the water, with palms and tropical garden, a small cemetery beside it — is the real draw.