1922
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF ST BRIGID BULAHDELAH |
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FOUNDED 1922 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES | OTHER BUILDINGS |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST BRIGID |
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| BULAHDELAH IS A SMALL RURAL SERVICE CENTRE BEWTEEN RAYMOND TERRACE AND TAREE. IT IS ALSO THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY TO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. NESTLED UNDER A COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE ON THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY, IT RELIES HEAVILY ON THE BUSINESS BROUGHT BY THE PASSING TRAFFIC. TODAY IT REMAINS AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY PROUD OF ITS HISTORY. BULAHDELAH BEGAN AS A STATION OF THE HUGE KRAMBACH PARISH BUT BY THE INTERWAR PERIOD IT WAS OF SUFFICIENT IMPORTANCE TO WARRANT A PARISH OF ITS OWN. IT ENCOMPASSED BULAHDELAH AND KARUAH. DURING THE LATER 20th CENTURY THE AREA AROUND TEA GARDENS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PORT STEPHENS BECAME A GROWTH AREA AND A STATION WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED THERE. NEXT |
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| THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST BRIGID WAS BUILT IN 1926 JUST THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH. AN ATTRACTIVE BRICK BUILDING IN TRADTIONAL RURAL GOTHIC STYLE WITH A NAVE, PORCH, APSIDAL CHANCEL AND TWIN SACRISTIES, THE CHURCH SITS ON THE HIGHWAY AS PART OF THE USUAL COMPLEX OF CHURCH, SCHOOL AND CONVENT. THE CHURCH IS FULL OF THE TYPICAL FEATURES OF A COUNTRY CHURCH - POINTED WINDOWS, ROOF CROSSES ON EVERY GABLE, A FREE-STANDING BELLTOWER AND A SMALL "EYE WINDOW" IN THE WEST GABLE. A LARGE PALM TREE HOWEVER PROVIDES AN EXOTIC TOUCH TO AN OTHERWISE VERY AUSTRALIAN SCENE. NEXT |
 | THE REAR OF THE CHURCH SHOWS THE CONTINENTAL STYLE APSIDAL CHANCEL FAVOURED BY CATHOLICS IN CONTRAST TO THE SQUARE CHANCELS MORE COMMON IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES WHICH OFTEN RIVALS AND NEIGHBOURS IN COUNTRY TOWNS. THE CROSS ON THE WALL OF THE CHANCEL IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES FORMING AN OUTDOOR VIA CRUCIS WHICH TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE FOREST SURROUNDING THE SCHOOL PLAYING FIELDS BEHIND THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH RETAINS MUCH OF ITS TRADITIONAL FURNISHINGS INCLUDING THE SIDE ALTARS TO OUR LADY AND THE SACRED HEART AND THE ORIGINAL CARVED WOODEN HIGH ALTAR CONTAINING THE TABERNACLE. TO ACCOMODATE THE NEW MASS, A SIMPLE BUT HARMONIOUS PORTABLE ALTAR HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT THE FRONT ALONG WITH AN AMBO AND CELEBRANT'S CHAIR. AN INTERESTING FEATURE OF THE SANCTUARY ARE THE TWO ANGELS IN EITHER CORNER STANDING GUARD OVER THE HOLY OF HOLIES. IN ANOTHER CHANGE THE FONT HAS BEEN RELOCATED TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH, BUT THE TRADTIONAL ALTAR RAILS HEVE BEEN RETAINED SEPARATING THE NAVE FROM THE SANCTUARY. TOP STATION CHURCHES |  |
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| STATION CHURCHES | |
| KARUAH | TEA GARDENS |
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| CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, KARUAH | |
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| THE SMALL RIVERSIDE TOWN OF KARUAH LIES AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER WHOSE NAME IT SHARES. A POPULAR HOLIDAY RESORT WITH ACCESS TO PORT STEPHENS BEFORE THE GROWTH OF TEA GARDENS AND HAWKS NEST, TODAY IT HAS DECLINED INTO A QUIET BACKWATER MADE MORE COMPLETE BY BEING BYPASSED BY THE NEW HIGHWAY. KARUAH WAS AN ORIGINAL STATION OF BULAHDELAH AND CONTINUES IN USE TODAY FOR THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF THE FAITHFUL FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA. NEXT | |
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| THE SIMPLE LITTLE WEATHERBOARD CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY DATES BACK TO THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY. IT CONSISTS OF A NAVE WITH PLAIN SQUARE WINDOWS AND A PORCH WITHOUT CHANCEL OR SACRISTY AND IS LOVING CARED FOR BY THE CONGREGATION. PAINTED AN ATTRACTIVE CREAM COLOUR AND WITH STRONGLY MARKED CROSSES TO PROCLAIM ITS PURPOSE THE CHURCH SITS NEXT DOOR TO THE LOCAL CEMETERY. WELL-KEPT GROUNDS AND A TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN OUTHOUSE PROVIDE A LOVELY COUNTRY AMBIENCE REINFORCED BY THE LITTLE ROCK GARDEN AROUND THE FOOT OF THE PORCH. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN, TEA GARDENS | |
 | STATION |
| THE TWIN TOWNSHIPS OF TEA GARDENS AND HAWKS NEST, LYING ON THE NORTHERN SHORE OF PORT STEPHENS BEGAN AS LITTLE HOLIDAY VILLAGES. TODAY THEY ARE A POPULAR PLACE TO RETIRE TO AND THERE HAS BEEN BOTH SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT AND POPULATION GROWTH WHICH HAS CREATED A VIBRANT AND THRIVING SETTLEMENT. A LARGELY SEASONAL STATION OF BULAHDELAH FOR MANY YEARS IT BECAME A PERMANENT STATION DURING THE LATER HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY, WITH A LARGE CHURCH AND A WEEKLY MASS. NEXT |
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| THE STATION CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE LATE 1900's IN THE STYLE THEN POPULAR. SET IN A LARGE TREE-LINED CAR PARK IT IS BASICALLY A WIDE BLONDE BRICK HALL. THE CROSS ON THE ROOF ALONE SEPARATES IT FROM MANY SIMILAR LOOKING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. A COVERED PORCHWAY AND MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOWS MARKS THE FRONT ENTRANCE AND THERE IS ANOTHER PLAINER ENTRANCE ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE. NEXT |
 | THE INTERIOR IS THE REAL SURPRISE. DESPITE THE MODERN MATERIALS AND THE OPEN-CHURCH ATMOSPHERE THAT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE MODERN LITURGICAL MOVEMENT THE CHURCH ITSELF IS VERY TRADITIONAL. THE STATUES OF THE SACRED HEART AND OUR LADY ARE PLACED IN THE ACCUSTOMED PLACES AS IS THE TABERNACLE AND THE SEATING FACES FORWARD TOWARDS THE ALTAR. THE FURNISHINGS ARE KEPT VERY PLAIN, A DOMINATING STONE TABLE ALTAR WITH AN AMBO AND CELEBRANT'S CHAIR TO THE RIGHT. A SMALL CRUCIFIX HANGS JUST ABOVE THE TABERNACLE AND A SMALL COPY OF THE PIETA IS PLACED BEFORE THE ALTAR. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS |
| BULAHDELAH JOSEPHITE CONVENT |
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| CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH, BULAHDELAH | |
 | THE LOCHINVAR CONGREGATION OF THE JOSEPHITE SISTERS CAME TO BULAHDELAH IN THE 1920"S TO RUN THE NEW PARISH SCHOOL. SOME TIME LATER THE PRESENT BUILDING WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY THE PRESBYTERY BUILT IN 1927 BECAME THE NUN'S HOME AS THE CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH. WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE NUNS IN THE LATER 1900's IT BECAME PART OF THE PARISH SCHOOL BUILDINGS. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
