1922/1956
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BATHURST
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PARISH OF ST MICHAEL DUNEDOO / COOLAH |
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FOUNDED 1922/1956 |
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DIOCESE BATHURST |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES | OTHER BUILDINGS |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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| PARISH |  |
| DUNEDOO IS A SMALL TOWN SET AMIDST GENTLE ROLLING HILLS AND WIDE VALLEYS ADJACENT THE TALBRAGAR RIVER. IT FUNCTIONS AS A SERVICE CENTRE TO THE SURROUNDING FARMING DISTRICT. THE TOWNSITE WAS SURVEYED IN 1868 AND THE RAILWAY ARRIVED IN 1910. TODAY DUNEDOO IS A PEACEFUL LITTLE TOWN OF SOME 1000 THAT PROVIDES BASIC SERVICES FOR THE SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL REGION. DUNEDOO WAS ORIGINALLY A STATION OF GULGONG BUT IN 1922 IT BECAME THE PARISH CENTRE FOR THE RICH FARMLANDS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN SLOPES WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR A WIDE AREA THAT INCLUDED COOLAH, COBBORA, TALLAWANG, MENDOORAN, ELONG ELONG, LEADVILLE, TURILL, NEILREX AND CAINBIL CREEK. IN 1955 COOLAH WAS SEPARATED AS A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT, BUT WAS REJOINED TO DUNEDOO IN THE EARLY 90's. IN 1921 A JOSEPHITE CONVENT AND SCHOOL WERE OPENED IN DUNEDOO, BOTH OF WHICH ARE STILL IN USE. NEXT |
 | CHURCH OF MONTE SANT ANGELO, DUNEDOO |
| IN 1910, THE YEAR THE RAILWAY ARRIVED IN DUNEDOO, IT WAS DECIDED TO CONSTRUCT A CHURCH FOR THE TOWN. THIS CHURCH, MONTE ST ANGELO, BECAME THE PARISH CHURCH IN 1922 AND SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY FOR 50 YEARS UNTIL REPLACED BY THE PRESENT CHURCH. TODAY IT IS USED AS A PARISH HALL. THE CHURCH IS A SIMPLE BRICK BOX WITH A SACRISTY ATTACHED. AN ATTRACTIVE GABLE AND CROSS ARE THE ONLY ADORNMENT. STANDING BETWEEN THE CONVENT AND SCHOOL THE OLD CHURCH IS WELL MAINTAINED LOOKING LITTLE CHANGED FROM ITS DAYS AS THE PARISH CHURCH. NEXT |
| CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, DUNEDOO |  | THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1972 AND DEDICATED TO ST MICHAEL. IT IS A MODERN STYLE "SQUARE" CHURCH IN BLOND BRICK DOMINATED BY A SLIM CENTRAL SPIRE. THE ENTRANCE AREA IS TREE LINED AND DECORATED WITH SOME LOVELY MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. NEXT |
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 | THE SANCTUARY AND BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL ARE BUILT ON MODERN LITURGICAL LINES. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES | ||
| COOLAH | ELONG ELONG | MENDOORAN |
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| CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, COOLAH | |
 | PARISH |
| THE TOWN OF COOLAH GREW UP ON THE RICH LAND BETWEEN THE HUNTER VALLEY AND THE LIVERPOOL PLAINS. ORIGINALLY A PART OF MERRIWA PARISH, IT WAS TRANSFERRED FIRST TO GULGONG, THEN BRIEFLY TO COONABARABRAN AND FINALLY TO DUNEDOO BEFORE FINALLY BECOMING A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT IN 1956. WITH THE DECLINING NUMBER OF PRIESTS, COOLAH WAS REJOINED TO DUNEDOO IN THE 1990's. NEXT | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, COOLAH |  |
| SOMETIME BETWEEN 1885 AND 1890 A WEATHERBOARD SLAB CHURCH WITH A BARK ROOF WAS BUILT IN COOLAH. NO TRACE OF THIS CHURCH REMAINS. | |
| SECOND CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, COOLAH | |
| IN 1905 THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A NEW CHURCH WAS LAID AND THE BUILDING COMPLETED IN ONE YEAR. THE BUILDER WAS J.S NUTT, WHO BUILT THE CHURCH AT WOLLAR. BUILT ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE TOWN OF LOCAL SANDSTONE WITH A NAVE, DISTINCT CHANCEL AND A SACRISTY IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A "FINE ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDING". TODAY IT STILL STANDS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE PRESENT CHURCH WHERE IT IS USED AS A HALL. NEXT |
 | THIRD CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, COOLAH |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1982 AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE POST VATICAN II LITURGICAL REFORMS. BUILT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE EXISTING "CATHOLIC COMPLEX" OF CONVENT, SCHOOL AND CHURCH, IT IS A BLOND BRICK "SQUARE" CHURCH SIMILAR IN ESSENTIALS, BUT DIFFERENT IN DETAILS, TO THE PRESENT DUNEDOO CHURCH. BUILT AS A PARISH CHURCH, TODAY IT SERVES AS THE STATION CHURCH FOR THIS VIBRANT LITTLE TOWN. NEXT |
 | <<<< THE CALVARY GROTTO WAS ERECTED ABOUT 1918 AS A MEMORIAL TO LOCAL SERVICEMEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR I. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE SCHOOL IT WAS USED AS A CLASSROOM. THE "VATICAN" WAS ERECTED BY BEDE AND KEVIN MANNING FOR THE USE OF VISITING PRIESTS IN THE 1920's. IN DUE COURSE IT BECAME THE FIRST PRESBYTERY UNTIL REPLACED BY THE RATHER STRANGELY NAMED ST MARY'S PRESBYTERY IN 1962. >>>> TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |  |
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| CHURCH OF ST THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, ELONG ELONG | |
 | STATION |
| THE SMALL LOCALITY OF ELONG ELONG GREW UP AROUND THE WHEAT SILOS ON THE DUBBO-MERRYGOEN RAILWAY. ELONG WAS A FOUNDATION STATION OF DUNEDOO WITH A SMALL BUT ACTIVE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AND IT WAS THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS THAT THE THE PRETTY WEATHERBOARD CHURCH OF ST THERESE WAS BUILT DURING THE 1930's. TODAY THE CHURCH REMAINS AN ACTIVE STATION OF THE DUNEDOO PARISH. NEXT | |
| CHURCH |  |
| A SIMPLE LITTLE "GODBOX" WITH PORCH AND SACRISTY, AND WITH AN UNUSUALLY STEEP ROOF, THE CHURCH SITS AMID WELL MAINTAINED GROUNDS REFLECTING THE PRIDE OF THE COMMUNITY IN THIER CHURCH. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST MARY, MENDOORAN | |
 | PARISH |
| THE TOWN OF MENDOORAN WAS THE FIRST ON THE CASTELREAGH RIVER. ONCE A THRIVING SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, THE CLOSURE OF THE RAIL LINK AND THE BUILDING OF THE NEWELL HIGHWAY THROUGH GILGANDRA REDUCED THE TOWN TO A QUIET RURAL BACKWATER. ORIGINALLY PART OF COONABARABRAN AND THEN DUNEDOO FROM ITS FOUNDING IN 1922, IN 1964 IT WAS MADE INTO A SEPARATE PARISH WITH BINNAWAY AND NEILREX AS STATIONS. A SMALL PRIEST'S RESIDENCE BUILT AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH REMAINS AS A REMINDER OF THOSE DAYS. IN THE 80's THE PARISH WAS SUPPRESSED AND REJOINED TO DUNEDOO. NEXT |
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| CHURCH |  |
| THE LOVELY LITTLE BRICK CHURCH OF ST MARY'S WAS BUILT IN 1914. IN SHAPE IT IS A SIMPLE BOX WITH A SMALL SACRISTY ATTACHED. THE DECORATION IS KEPT TO A MINIMUM - ATTRACTIVE CREAM FACINGS AND A BRICKWORK CROSS ON THE GABLE. IN COMMON WITH MANY COUNTRY CHURCHES IT HAS A DETACHED BELLPOLE OUTSIDE (TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHURCH ABOVE) WHILE JUST BEHIND THE CHURCH CAN BE SEEN THE TINY TIN FLAT BUILT AS A PRESBYTERY WHEN MENDOORAN BECAME A PARISH IN 1964. NEXT |
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THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH REFLECTS THE SAME SIMPLICITY AS THE OUTSIDE. THE ALTAR AND NEW TABERNACLE WERE INTRODUCED AT THE TIME OF THE POST VATICAN II LITURGICAL CHANGES, BUT THE STATUES WERE PART OF THE ORIGINAL CHURCH DECORATIONS. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |||||||
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| CAINBIL CREEK | COBBORA | LEADVILLE | NEILREX | TALLAWANG | TURILL | UARBRY | |
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| CATHOLIC CHURCH, CAINBIL CREEK |
| CAINBIL CREEK IS A SMALL RURAL LOCALITY ON THE GOLDEN HIGHWAY EAST OF DUNEDOO ABOUT HALFWAY TO UARBRY. A CATHOLIC CHURCH EXISTED HERE IN THE LATE 1800's AS A STATION CHURCH OF GULGONG PARISH BUT BY 1900 IT WAS ALREADY IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR AND SOME TIME DURING THE EARLY 1900's IT WAS DEMOLISHED. CAINBIL CREEK CONTINUED AS A STATION OF THE NEW DUNEDOO PARISH BUT THE CHURCH WAS NEVER REPLACED. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COBBORA | |
 | STATION |
| COBBORA BEGAN ITS LIFE IN THE 1860's AS A POSTAL STOP ON THE RUN BETWEEN MUDGEE AND MENDOORAN. IT WAS DECLARED A TOWN IN 1885. THE DEVELOPMENT OF DUNEDOO ENDED ITS BRIEF IMPORTANCE AND IT DECLINED TO A TINY RURAL LOCALITY. | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COBBORA | |
| A WEATHERBOARD CHURCH EXISTED FROM THE EARLY 1900's UNTIL THE 1960's WHEN IT WAS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW CHURCH. | |
| SECOND CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, COBBORA | |
| THE NEW CHURCH, ALSO OF WEATHERBOARD, SERVED THE LITTLE COMMUNITY FOR SOME 20 YEARS UNTIL THE RATIONALISATION OF RURAL STATIONS IN THE EARLY 80's LED TO ITS CLOSURE. IT WAS LATER SOLD AND CONVERTED INTO A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT | |
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| CHURCH OF ST PETER, LEADVILLE | |
 | LEADVILLE TAKES ITS NAME FROM THE LEAD AND SILVER ORES EXTRACTED FROM THE MOUNT STEWART MINING OPERATIONS WHICH WERE THE RAISON D'ETRE OF THE TOWN. THE MINING CEASED IN 1898 AND TODAY FEW RESIDENTS REMAIN IN A TOWN WHICH ONCE EMPLOYED AROUND 500 MEN. LEADVILLE WAS ESTABLISHED AS A STATION OF GULGONG UNTIL 1922 WHEN IT BECAME PART OF DUNEDOO PARISH. A WEATHERBOARD CHURCH WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1900 AND 1918 AND SERVED AS THE MASS STATION FOR OVER 50 YEARS. THE DECLINE OF LEADVILLE INEVITABLY AFFECTED THE CHURCHES THERE, INCLUDING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, WHICH WAS CLOSED AND SOLD DURING THE LATE 60's. THE DISUSED FRAME, LEANING TO ONE SIDE AND ROBBED OF SOME OF ITS TIMBERS, STILL STANDS IN ITS ORIGINAL POSITION, A REMINDER OF EARLIER TIMES. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST PATRICK, NEILREX |
| NEILREX WAS A RAILWAY COMMUNITY ON THE MERRYGOEN-GWABEGAR LINE BUT WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE LINE THE SETTLEMENT DECLINED AND TODAY IT IS LITTLE MORE THAN AN ISOLATED RURAL VILLAGE. ALONG WITH MERYYGOEN, NEILREX WAS AN ORIGINAL STATION OF DUNEDOO PARISH BUT WITHOUT A CHURCH. WHEN NEILREX BECAME A STATION OF MENDOORAN IN 1964, A SMALL WEATHERBOARD BUILDING WAS ERECTED CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BY THE LOCAL CATHOLIC FAMILIES. ABOUT 15 YEARS LATER AFTER THEY HAD MOVED ON THE CHURCH WAS CLOSED AND LATER SOLD. THE NEW OWNER HAD THE BUILDING DISMANTLED AND RELOCATED AND NO TRACE OF IT NOW REMAINS. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST JOESPH, TALLAWANG |
| TALLAWANG IS A SMALL RURAL LOCALITY BETWEEN DUNEDOOO AND GULGONG. TODAY IT IS NOTEABLE MAINLY FOR ITS COAL MINE AND LARGE STUD PROPERTIES. A CATHOLIC CHURCH APPEARS TO HAVE EXISTED HERE IN THE LATE 1800's AS A STATION CHURCH OF GULGONG BUT IN 1913 IT WAS REPLACED BY A BRICK CHURCH. FOR OVER 50 YEARS THIS CHURCH SERVED THE TALLAWANG COMMUNITY UNTIL IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN THE LATE 1960's. SOME OF THE ORIGINAL BRICKS WERE LATER USED IN THE REREDOS OF THE NEW CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL IN DUNEDOO. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, TURILL | |
 | TURILL, NORTH OF ULAN, WAS ONCE A SERVICE CENTRE FOR WORKERS ON THE LOCAL PROPERTIES. TODAY THERE IS LITTLE MORE THAN A GENERAL STORE REMAINING. A STATION OF GULGONG IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE NEW PARISH OF DUNEDOO IN 1922. SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL WORK LED TO A DECLINE IN THE FARM POPULATION AND THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION. |
| THE HISTORIC SLAB CHURCH BUILT DURING THE 1800's WAS CLOSED IN THE 1930's. CONTAINING THE ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS, IT IS OWNED AND MAINTAINED AS AN HISTORIC MONUMENT BY THE OWNER OF THE TURILL STORE. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CATHOLIC CHURCH, UARBRY |
| UARBRY IS A SMALL RURAL VILLAGE ON THE GOLDEN HIGHWAY EAST OF DUNEDOO ABOUT HALFWAY TO CASSILIS. A CATHOLIC CHURCH EXISTED HERE IN THE LATE 1800's AS A STATION CHURCH OF GULGONG PARISH BUT BY 1900 IT WAS ALREADY IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR AND SOME TIME DURING THE EARLY 1900's IT WAS DEMOLISHED AND UARBRY CEASED TO BE A STATION. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS | |
| DUNEDOO JOSEPHITE CONVENT |
COOLAH JOSEPHITE CONVENT |
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| CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH, DUNEDOO | |
 | IN 1921 THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH OPENED SCHOOLS IN BOTH DUNEDOO AND COOLAH. WHILE THE SCHOOL IS NOW UNDER LAY DIRECTION, THE CONVENT REMAINS IN USE. BUILT IN 1921 THE IMPRESSIVE CONVENT WITH ITS TWO WINGS IS THE DOMINANT BUILDING IN THE "CATHOLIC COMPLEX" OF DUNEDOO. TOP OTHER BUILDINGS NEXT |
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| CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH, COOLAH | |
 | IN 1921 THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH OPENED SCHOOLS IN BOTH DUNEDOO AND COOLAH. FOR THE NEXT 60 YEARS THE SISTERS RAN THE SCHOOL IN COOLAH TILL DECLINING NUMBERS OF VOCATIONS FORCED THEM TO WITHDRAW. WHILE THE SCHOOL CONTINUES UNDER LAY DIRECTION, THE LOVELY LITTLE CONVENT WAS CLOSED. THE CONVENT IS BUILT OF STONE IN A FEDERATION STYLE AND IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF SUCH BUILDINGS. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
