1835
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF ST JOSEPH EAST MAITLAND |
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FOUNDED 1835 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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| PARISH |
| EAST MAITLAND WAS THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT IN THE MAITLAND AREA. A GAOL AND COURTHOUSE WERE ESTABLISHED HERE IN THE 1830's TO MAINTAIN ORDER IN THE HUNTER. WITH THE LATER GROWTH OF MAITLAND A FEW MILES UP THE ROAD EAST MAITLAND BECAME A SATELLITE TOWN. TODAY EAST MAITLAND FORMS A BUSY SUBURB OF GREATER MAITLAND. EAST MAITLAND IS THE OLDEST PARISH IN THE DIOCESE OF MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE HAVING BEEN FORMED IN 1835, THREE YEARS BEFORE NEWCASTLE AND SIX YEARS BEFORE MAITLAND AND ALONG WITH CAMPBELLTOWN, HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE SECOND PARISH FORMED IN AUSTRALIA BEING PRECEEDED ONLY BY THE CATHEDRAL PARISH OF SYDNEY ITSELF. ALTHOUGH ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE HUNTER WAS LATER TAKEN OVER BY MAITLAND IT REMAINS TODAY A SIGNIFICANT PARISH WITHIN THE DIOCESE. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, EAST MAITLAND |  |
| THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SMALL TEMPORARY CHAPEL CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY 1830's BUT THE FIRST CHURCH OF WHICH THERE IS A RECORD WAS BUILT IN 1835. THE FAMOUS PIONEERING PRIEST FATHER THERRY WAS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN ITS CONSTRUCTION. IT WAS BUILT OPPOSITE THE GAOL AS MINISTERING TO THE CONDEMNED WAS AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE PRIEST IN EAST MAITLAND. STARTING AS A SMALL CHAPEL IT GREW INTO A TALL SANDSTONE GOTHIC BUILDING WITH MINIMAL DECORATION AS IT WAS ADDED TO OVER THE YEARS UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED IN 1933. SEEN RIGHT IS THE CHURCH IN ITS FINAL FORM PRIOR TO ITS DEMOLITION. NEXT |
 | SECOND CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, EAST MAITLAND |
| AFTER NEARLY A CENTURY AS THE PARISH CHURCH IT WEAS DECIDED TO DEMOLISH THE OLD CHURCH AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE. THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, BUILT IN 1933 IT IS AN IMPOSING CHURCH LOCATED ON THE NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY AT THE TOP OF THE HILL LEADING DOWN INTO THE MAIN TOWN. MORE CONTINENTAL THAN ENGLISH IN STYLE, THE CHURCH IS BASICALLY A LONG HALL CHURCH WITH A CHANCEL AND VARIOUS SIDE PORCHES, CONFESSIONALS AND A BAPTISTRY. THE WEST END IS ATTRACTIVE WITH ITS LARGE WEST WINDOW AND TWIN TOWERLETS ON EITHER SIDE. THE CLASSICAL STYLE FRONT PORCH AND TYPANUM IS A LOVELY FEATURE OF THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE CHURCH HAS MANY INTERESTING ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES. THE RECESSED WINDOWS ARE MADE UP OF SEVERAL ITEMS - EACH ONE CONSISTING OF TWO TALL LANCETS SURMOUNTED BY A ROUNDEL. ABOVE THE WINDOWS IS A DECORATED BAND OF BRICKS RUNNING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE CHURCH. THE TOWERLETS ACT AS BUTRESSES FOR THE ENTRANCE AND ARE SURMOUNTED BY OPEN WORK CORONAS. THE TWO CARVED STONE ROOF CROSSES ARE UNUSUALLY SHAPED, BEING CLOSER TO GREEK RATHER THAN LATIN CROSSES. AN INTRIGUING ROUND WINDOW JUST BELOW THE WEST CROSS SEEMS BASED ON CELTIC MOTIFS. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |  |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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