1917
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PARRAMATTA
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PARISH OF ST MICHAEL BAULKHAM HILLS |
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FOUNDED 1917 |
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DIOCESE PARRAMATTA |
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| PARISH CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL | ||
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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| PARISH |
| THE HISTORY OF BAULKHAM HILLS DATES BACK TO 1800 WHEN LAND WAS FIRST GRANTED TO SETTLERS. AT THE SAME TIME THE OPENING UP OF THE HILLS DISTRICT REQUIRED A STEADY FLOW OF CONVICT LABOUR AND AS A RESULT SEVERAL SETTLEMENTS GREW UP ALONG THE WINDSOR ROAD. FOR MANY YEARS THE AREA WAS PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR MARKET-GARDENS AND AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS BUT WITH THE POPULATION EXPLOSION IN SYDNEY AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR BAULKHAM HILLS WAS TRANSFORMED FROM A SEMI-RURAL TO SUBURBAN HOUSING AREA WITH A STEADILY INCREASING POPULATION LARGELY COMPRISING YOUNG COUPLES, THOUGH WITH A SIGNIFICANT AGED POPULATION AS WELL. THE AREA OF BAULKHAM HILLS ORIGINALLY CAME UNDER THE CARE OF PARRAMATTA AND THEN LATER NORTH PARRAMATTA PARISHES. A SMALL CHURCH SCHOOL HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN 1848 TO CATER TO THE SETTLERS ALONG THE WINDSOR ROAD AT BAULKHAM HILLS, IRISHTOWN AND VINEGAR HILL AND THIS STATION SERVED THE FAITHFUL FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS UNTIL IN 1917 IT WAS DECLARED A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT. INITIALLY COVERING THE AREA OF KELLYVILLE AND CASTLE HILL IN ADDITION TO BAULKHAM HILLS, THE PARISH WAS REDUCED IN 1970 BY THE SEPARATION OF THOSE TWO AREAS INTO NEW PARISHES. TODAY IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARE OF THE STILL DEVELOPING SUBURB OF BAULKHAM HILLS ALONE. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, BAULKHAM HILLS |  |
| IN 1848 ARCHBISHOP POLDING, RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF CATHOLICS ALONG THE WINDSOR ROAD, LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A SMALL CHURCH/SCHOOL AT BAULKHAM HILLS AND DEDICATED IT TO ST MICHAEL. CONSTRUCTED OF LOCAL STONE SUPPLIED BY ANDREW McDOUGALL ON LAND SUPPLIED BY WILLIAM SMITH, THE CHURCH WAS COMPLETED AND BLESSED THE SAME YEAR. NEXT |
 | THE FUNCTIONAL NATURE OF THE BULDING IS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS. A LONG HALL CHURCH SUITABLE FOR CLASSES AS WELL AS WORSHIP WITH SQUARE WINDOWS CUT INTO THICK WALLS AND A SQUARE STEEPLE-CAPPED TOWER TO MARK ITS PRESENCE, IT IS REMINISCENT OF MANY SUCH DUAL FUNCTION BUILDINGS PUT UP IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH. IN 1917 IT BECAME THE PARISH CHURCH AND IN 1925 IT WAS ENLARGED (THE JOIN IS MARKED BY THE EXTERNAL BUTTRESS) THROUGH THE USE OF STONE FROM THE OLD ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL DONATED BY ARCHBISHOP KELLY. THE POPULATION EXPLOSION AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR RENDERED THE CHURCH INSUFFICIENT FOR PARISH NEEDS HOWEVER AND IT WAS RELACED IN 1980. TODAY IT SERVES THE FAITHFUL STILL AS A PARISH HALL. NEXT |
| SECOND CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, BAULKHAM HILLS |  |
| THE RAPID POPULATION GROWTH IN THE HILLS DISTRICT IN THE LATER 20th CENTURY NECESSITATED A MUCH LARGER PARISH CHURCH AND ON 27 JULY, 1980 THE NEW CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL WAS BLESSED AND OPENED. THE CHURCH FAITHFULLY REFLECTS THE LITURGICAL CHANGES OF THE POST VATICAN II ERA BEING CONSTRUCTED AS AN OPEN HEXAGON. IN PLACE OF THE TRADITIONAL TOWER, THE ROOF RISES TO A CENTRAL PEAK CULMINATING IN A LARGE CROSS. NEXT |
| THE CHURCH ACHIEVES A DOMINATING PRESENCE DESPITE ITS MODERN DESIGN, A PRESENCE ENHANCED ITS LOCATION ON A SLIGHT RISE. AS IS COMMON WITH MANY MODERN CHURCHES THERE IS A DRIVE THROUGH PORCH AREA TO COMPLY WITH COUNCIL STANDARDS. |
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| THE CONSTRUCTION IS OF VARICOLOURED BRICK APART FROM THE SANDSTONE PORCH PILLARS, WITH PLAIN FULL-LENGTH WINDOWS OF AMBER GLASS. LIGHTING IS ALSO PROVIDED VIA A SKYLIGHT AROUND THE BASE OF THE CENTRAL CROSS. NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH SHOWS THE EFFECT OF THE POST VATICAN II LITURGICAL CHANGES. THE SEATING IS ARRANGED IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE SANCTUARY WHICH IS ITSELF PART OF THE CHURCH AND NOT DISTINCT FROM IT. AMPLE LIGHTING FLOWS FROM THE SKYLIGHT AND THE ATTRACTIVE STAINED GLASS FEATURE WINDOWS. THE SANCTUARY IS RAISED SO THAT IT DOMINATES THE BUILDING WITH ITS SIMPLE YET ELEGANT FURNISHINGS. BACKED BY A STONE REREDOS, THESE COMPRISE A STONE TABLE ALTAR, A MATCHING AMBO MARKED WITH THE EAGLE OF ST JOHN AND A MATCHING PEDESTAL FOR THE TABERNACLE PLACED IN AN APPROPRIATE POSITION OF HONOUR WITHIN THE SANCTUARY. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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