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PARISH OF EAST LAKE MACQUARIE |
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FOUNDED 2005 |
DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH | PARISH CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH OF EAST LAKE MACQUARIE | ||
| THE PARISH OF EAST LAKE MACQUARIE WAS FORMED ON JULY 1 2005 FOLLOWING THE SUPPRESSION OF THE FORMER PARISHES OF BELMONT, SWANSEA AND WINDALE. THESE THREE SUBURBS FORMED THE EASTERN TIER ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE MACQUARIE AND THIS BECAME THE INTERIM NAME OF THE PARISH. THE PARISH COVERS AN AREA NOTED AS A POPULAR HOLIDAY RESORT AND INCREASINGLY A DORMITORY REGION FOR GREATER NEWCASTLE. BELMONT AND SWANSEA ARE BOTH OLD ESTABLISHED TOWNSHIPS WHICH WITH THE NEWER SUBURB OF WINDALE HAVE BEEN ABSORBED INTO THE NEWCASTLE CONURBATION. BASED AROUND THE MOUTH OF THE LAKE WHERE IT ENTERS THE SEA THE PARISH TODAY BEGINS A NEW PAGE IN ITS HISTORY. PARISH CHURCHES | ||
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| BELMONT | SWANSEA | WINDALE |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER, BELMONT |
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| ORIGINALLY AN AREA OF HOLIDAY HOMES AND FISHING BOATS BELMONT EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE GROWTH AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR AS A DORMITORY SUBURB FOR NEWCASTLE. THE PARISH OF BELMONT WAS THE OLDEST OF THE THREE FORMER PARISHES MAKING UP EAST LAKE MACQUARIE HAVING BEEN FORMED IN 1947. TODAY IT FORMS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE OF THE NEW PARISH. NEXT |
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| THE CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER IS LOCATED IN THE GROUNDS OF THE PARISH SCHOOL. ORIGINALLY A WEATHERBOARD BUILDING CONSTRUCTED IN THE MID 1900's IT WAS BRICK VENEERED SOME YEARS AGO TO GIVE IT A MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE. A LARGE CROSS AND THE CHURCH NAME WERE ADDED TO THE FRONT WALL AT THE TIME. THE CHURCH REFLECTS THE CONSTRICTION OF THE SITE AND THE RELATIVE POVERTY OF AN AREA WHICH UNTIL THE POST WAR PERIOD RELIED ON HOLIDAY MAKERS FOR SURVIVAL. THE BUILDINGS ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER AND SPACE HAS BEEN MAXIMISED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH ANY SPARE GROUND BEING USED AS THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND. NEXT |
 | THE CHURCH IS DESIGNED AS A HALL CHURCH TYPICAL OF MANY FORMER STATION CHURCHES AND CONSISTS OF A NAVE AND A LARGE PORCH, WITH A PARISH HALL EXTENSION OFF THE SOUTH SIDE. THIS SECTION OF THE BUILDING WAS NOT BRICK VENEERED AND THE ORIGINAL WALL OF THE BUILDING CAN BE SEEN. OTHER NOTICEABLE ASPECTS OF THE ORIGINAL CHURCH HALL ARE THE PLAIN SQUARE WINDOWS FILLED WITH AMBER GLASS, THE SIMPLE STRAIGHT LINES OF THE BUILDING AND THE LACK OF ANY EXTERNAL ORNAMENTATION. TOP PARISH CHURCHES SWANSEA |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST PATRICK, SWANSEA |
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| SWANSEA LIES ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ESTUARY TO BELMONT BUT SHARES WITH IT A SIMILAR HISTORY. THE PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1954 TO SERVE THE SOUTHERN END OF LAKE MACQUARIE DOWN TO THE BORDERS WITH BROKEN BAY DIOCESE AT LAKE MUNMORAH. | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST PATRICK, SWANSEA | |
| A WEATHERBOARD CHURCH TOGETHER WITH A PARISH SCHOOL AND CONVENT RUN BY THE JOSEPHITES OF LOCHINVAR WERE LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF THE ESTUARY FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY. THE CONVENT AND CHURCH WERE RECENTLY DEMOLISHED, THE LATTER BEING REBUILT AND THE FORMER CONVERTED INTO A MODERN AGE CARE FACILITY. WORK ON REBUILDING THE SCHOOL IS NOW UNDERWAY. NEXT |
| SECOND CHURCH OF ST PATRICK, SWANSEA |  |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST PATRICK DATES FROM THE FIRST YEARS OF THE 21st CENTURY MAKING IT ONE OF THE YOUNGEST CHURCH BUILDINGS IN AUSTRALIA. BUILT OF BLONDE BRICK IT MIXES TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ELEMENTS HARMONIOUSLY TOGETHER. A WIDE NAVE ORIENTED TOWARDS THE ALTAR WITH A FRONT SACRISTY, A SMALL HALL AND A PORCH ATTACHED, FORM THE BASIS OF THE CHURCH. AN ATTRACTIVE MODERN WEST WINDOW OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD ADORNS THE GABLE. TOP PARISH CHURCHES WINDALE |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST PIUS X, WINDALE |
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| THE SUBURB OF WINDALE WAS FORMERLY A TINY RURAL VILLAGE WHICH HAS NOW GROWN INTO ONE OF THE STRING OF DORMITORY SUBURBS TO THE SOUTH OF NEWCASTLE CITY. THE PARISH OF WINDALE WAS THE LAST OF THE THREE MAKING UP EAST LAKE MACQUARIE TO BE FORMED, BEING ESTABLISHED IN 1967. PRIOR TO THAT IT HAD BEEN A STATION OF GATESHEAD AND DURING THE 1990's WAS AGAIN ADMINISTERED FROM THAT PARISH. IN 2005 IT WAS SUPPRESSED AND BECAME PART OF EAST LAKE MACQUARIE. NEXT |
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| THE SIMPLE WOODEN CHURCH HALL AT WINDALE DATES BACK TO THE 1950's AND HAS SERVED AS STATION AND PARISH CHURCH FOR FIFTY YEARS. TOP PARISH CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES | ||
 | <<<< THE SMALL DEVOTIONAL EMMAEUS ROOM. THE SIMPLE SANCTUARY LOCATED AGAINST THE SOUTH WALL. >>>> | |
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