1902
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LISMORE
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PARISH OF THE IMMACULATE CONSEPTION COWPER |
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FOUNDED 1902 |
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DIOCESE LISMORE |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| THE SMALL TOWNSHIP OF COWPER LIES ON THE LOWER CLARENCE RIVER HALFWAY BETWEEN GRAFTON AND MACLEAN. THE CENTRE OF A MAJOR SUGAR-GROWING AREA AND A FORMER RIVER PORT, TODAY IT IS A SLEEPY LITTLE VILLAGE MOST NOTEABLE FOR BEING THE SITE OF ONE OF THE FERRIES STILL OPERATING ACROSS THE CLARENCE. THOUGH INSIGNIFICANT TODAY, COWPER HAD A MAJOR PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE NORTH COAST. IT WAS HERE IN 1892 THAT AN INDEPENDANT FOUNDATION OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY FROM GRAFTON WAS MADE WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ST JOSEPH'S ORPHANAGE IN 1914. ALTHOUGH THE ORPHANAGE CLOSED IN 1971, IT IS REMEMBERED IN THE NAME OF THE ST JOSEPH'S COWPER CHILDREN'S HOME ESTABLISHED IN GRAFTON 1972. THE PARISH OF COWPER WAS FORMED IN 1902 COVERING THE COMMUNITIES OF ULMARRA, COWPER, AND LAWRENCE BETWEEN GRAFTON AND MACLEAN. WITH THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF VOCATIONS COWPER AND ITS STATIONS EFFECTIVELY BECAME STATIONS OF SOUTH GRAFTON FROM THE LATE 90's ONWARD. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COWPER |  |
| THE ORIGINAL PARISH CHURCH AT COWPER WAS BUILT IN THE 1890's IN THE SIMPLIFIED GOTHIC STYLE THEN IN VOGUE FOR CHURCHES. IT COMPRISED A NAVE AND CHANCEL WITH A SACRISTY AND AN OPEN FRAMEWORK PORCH. CONSTRUCTED OF BRICK, WITH MOCK BUTTRESSES, TALL NARROW LANCET WINDOWS AND AN ATTRACTIVE ROUNDEL IN THE WEST GABLE IT WAS THE DOMINATING STRUCTURE OF A COMPLEX COMPRISING THE CONVENT, PRESBYTERY, SCHOOL AND LATER THE ORPHANAGE. IT WAS CLOSED IN THE 1970's AND A NEW CHURCH BUILT FURTHER ALONG. THE OLD CHURCH, CONVENT AND PRESBYTERY WERE LATER SOLD. SADLY THE BULDING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO DECAY AND TODAY STANDS DERELICT MERCIFULLY SCREENED BY TREES PLANTED IN ITS YOUTH. NEXT |
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 | SECOND CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COWPER |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE 1970's FOLLOWING THE CLOSING OF THE ORPHANAGE IN LINE WITH LITURGICAL DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE LATE 60's AND IN THE EARLY 70's. IN SHAPE IT IS A FLATTENED DIAMOND CONSDTRUCTED IN BLONDE BRICK WITH AN EMPHASIS ON OPENESS AND ACCESIBILITY. ACROSS THE FRONT IS A GLASS FRONTED ENTRANCE WALL AND CEMENT COLUMNED PORTICO. THE ROOF RISES TO A PEAK OVER THE THE CENTRAL POINT AND IS TOPPED BY A MODERN FLECHE CULMINATING IN A CROSS. NEXT |
| THE INTERIOR IS KEPT DELIBERATELY SIMPLE YET AT THE SAME TIME IS AN ELEGANT AND FITTING STAGE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE SACRED MYSTERIES. THE KEY CONCEPT IS OPENESS WITH THE SANCTUARY RAISED SO THAT IT IS IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE TO ALL FROM EVERY PART OF THE CHURCH. A POWERFUL STONE ALTAR DOMINATES A SANCTUARY BARE OF ALL OTHER ORNAMENTATION EXCEPT FOR A VICTORY CRUCIFIX AND TWO FLOWER VASES MOUNTED ON A PLAIN STONE REREDOS. NOTHING IS THUS ALLOWED TO DISTRACT FROM THE CENTRAL ACT OF THE MASS. BEYOND THE SANCTUARY ARE LOCATD THE AMBO AND TABERNACLE (NOT SHOWN HERE). THE FORWARD FACING SEATING IS RELATIVELY TRADITIONAL. TOP STATION CHURCHES |  |
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| STATION CHURCHES | |
| LAWRENCE | ULMARRA |
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| CHURCH OF ST JOHN, LAWRENCE | |
 | STATION |
| LAWRENCE IS A SMALL COMMUNITY TO THE NORTH OF GRAFTON ON THE OPPOSITE BANK TO COWPER. AN HISTORIC SETTLEMENT, TODAY IT IS A QUIET BACKWATER WHICH MAINLY DRAWS DAY VISITORS FROM GRAFTON AND THE SEASIDE RESORTS OF THE LOWER CLARENCE. IT IS A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY WITH CONSIDERABLE PRIDE IN ITS TOWN. LAWRENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STATION WITH AN ACTIVE CATHOLIC POPULATION, INITIALLY OF GRAFTON AND THEN FROM 1902, OF COWPER. TODAY, DESPITE DECLINING CONGREGATIONS THE NEAT AND WELL-KEPT APPEARANCE OF THE CHURCH TESTIFY TO THEIR CONTINUING LOVE OF AND COMMITMENT TO THE FAITH. NEXT | |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE SIMPLE LITTLE WEATHERBOARD CHURCH OF ST JOHN HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED THE LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY FOR A CENTURY. SET IN WELL-KEPT GROUNDS ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE VILLAGE, IT COMPRISES A NAVE, PORCH AND SACRISTY. AN ATTRACTIVE TIMBER BARGEBOARD IN CONTRASTING COLOUR PROVIDES AN LOVELY TOUCH OF DECORATION TO THE WEST GABLE. POWERFUL WOODEN CROSSES PROCLAIM THE CHURCH'S PURPOSE. SHALLOW POINTED WINDOWS COMPLETE THE "ECCLESIASTICAL" APPEARANCE OF THE BUILDING. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS, ULMARRA | |
 | STATION |
| ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT APPEAR SO TODAY AS YOU PASS THROUGH ON THE HIGHWAY, ULMARRA WAS ONCE THE MAJOR RIVER PORT FOR THE CLARENCE AND A TOWN OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE. WITH THE DECLINE IN RIVER TRAFFIC, ULMARRA DWINDLED TO A SMALL BACKWATER RELYING ON THE PASSING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC FOR SURVIVAL. TODAY IT IS NOTED FOR ITS HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND FOR BEING THE SITE OF ONE OF THE FEW FERRIES STILL OPERATING. ULMARRA WAS AN EARLY STATION OF GRAFTON AND IN ITS HEYDAY POSSESSED AN ACTIVE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. IT PASSED TO COWPER WHEN THAT PARISH WAS FORMED IN 1902 AND IN COMMON WITH THE REST OF THE PARISH IT IS NOW EFFECTIVELY A STATION OF SOUTH GRAFTON. NEXT | |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE PLAIN CONCRETE AND FIBRO CHURCH OF OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS DATES BACK TO THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 20th CENTURY. SET ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER IN LOVELY GRASSY GROUNDS, IT COMPRISES THE USUAL NAVE AND CHANCEL, WITH A PORCH AND SACRISTY. WHILE THE OVERALL DESIGN IS BASIC THERE ARE SOME ATTRACTIVE TOUCHES ESPECIALLY THE BARGEBOARDS ON THE EASTERN CHANCEL AND NAVE EAVES AND THE GABLE OF THE ENTRANCE PORCH. ANOTHER INTERESTING FEATURE IS THE FREE-STANDING BELLTOWER AT THE REAR OF THE CHURCH, A COMMON SITE IN RURAL CHURCHES. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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