1956
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS FORSTER-TUNCURRY |
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FOUNDED 1956 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| THE TWIN TOWNS OF FORSTER AND TUNCURRY GREW UP AS FISHING VILLAGES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ESTUARY WHERE WALLIS LAKE ENTERS THE SEA. FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE AREA BEGAN TO DEVELOP AS A HOLIDAY RESORT AND WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE BRIDGE LINKING THE TWO TOWNS IN 1959 GROWTH ACCELERATED. TODAY THE TOWN IS A BUSY COMMUNITY OF HOLIDAY MAKERS AND COASTAL DWELLERS, WITH ITS OWN HIGHRISE BUILDINGS AND SOPHISTICATED CITY STYLE STORES. UNTIL THE MID 1900's FORSTER-TUNCURRY WAS A STATION OF THE PARISH OF KRAMBACH. WHEN THE PARISH OF FORSTER WAS FORMED IN 1957 THE PARISH SERVICES WERE SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO TOWNS WHICH CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR THE FIRST PARISH PRIEST AND EVEN AFTER 1959 WHEN THE PARISH WAS PHYSICALLY UNITED THE VARIOUS BUILDINGS CONTINUED TO BE SCATTERED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ESTUARY. TODAY THE PARISH TAKES THE JOINT NAME WHICH REFLECTS ITS DUAL HERITAGE. NEXT |
| CATHOLIC CHURCH HALL, FORSTER |  |
| FOR FIFTY YEARS FORSTER HAD NO CHURCH BUILDING. PARISHIONERS HAD TO MAKE USE OF THE SCHOOL OF ARTS HALL OR IF REALLY INTREPID ROW ACROSS THE ESTUARY TO TUNCURRY. IN DECEMBER 1957, A NEW CHURCH HALL WAS CONSECRATED BY BISHOP TOOHEY AND THIS BUILDING WAS USED AS THE MASS CENTRE FOR FORSTER FOR SOME TWENTY YEARS UNTIL THE BUILDING OF THE PRESENT CHURCH. A SIMPLE WEATHERBOARD MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING WITH A BRICK VENEER FRONT AND SIMPLE DECORATIVE CROSSES TO PROCLAIM ITS MISSION, THE BUILDING CONTINUES IN USE TODAY AS THE PARISH HALL. NEXT |
 | CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME, FORSTER |
| IN 1978 THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO BUILD THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FORSTER AND IN 1980 BISHOP CLARKE CONSECRATED THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS. BUILT IN A MODERN STYLE IT CONSISTS OF A WIDE SHALLOW NAVE TO ENABLE THE SEATING TO BE PLACED AROUND THE SANCTUARY. THE ENTRANCE IS LOCATED IN THE GLASS PANELLED SOUTH WALL PROTECTED BY A MODERN COLONNADED ARCADE. A LARGE FREE-STANDING WHITE CROSS MARKS THE LOCATION OF THE CHURCH FROM THE MAIN ROAD. NEXT |
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| THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH REFLECTS THE MODERN THINKING BEHIND CHURCH ARCHITECTURE IN THE 70's. THE SANCTUARY IS AN OPEN SPACE DOMINATED BY THE ALTAR. THE CELEBRANT'S CHAIR AND THE AMBO ARE ALL PLACED TO THE LEFT OF THIS. A SERIES OF WINDOWS ARE PLACED ALONG THE NORTH WALL EXCEPT FOR THE UNUSUAL OFF-CENTRE REREDOS WITH ITS ATTRACTIVE CRUCIFIX. TO THE LEFT OF THE SANCTUARY IS A RECESSED AREA CONTAINING THE TABERNACLE ON A BRICK PILLAR. INTERESTINGLY AMID SUCH MODERN FURNISHINGS IS THE MARIAN SHRINE IN THE BACK CORNER WHERE THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC PRACTICE OF LEAVING VOTIVES TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN IS CONTINUED. NEXT |  |
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| TOP STATION CHURCHES | ||
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| STATION CHURCHES |
| TUNCURRY |
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| CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA, TUNCURRY | |
 | STATION |
| TUNCURRY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ESTUARY HAS SHARED IN THE GROWTH OF THE TWIN TOWNS BUT IS THE MORE RESIDENTIAL AREA IN CONTRAST TO THE HOLIDAY HIGHRISES OF FORSTER. THE SHOPPING CENTRE IS A COMMERCIAL HUB RATHER THAN A TOURIST STRIP AND THIS REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THE BEACHES AND HENCE THE TOURIST MAGNET IS LOCATED IN FORSTER. DESPITE THE SEEMING DOMINANCE OF FORSTER, IT WAS AT TUNCURRY THAT THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS BUILT AS FAR BACK AS 1908. ALTHOUGH PRE-DATING THE CATHOLIC PRESENCE ACROSS THE ESTUARY TUNCURRY DULY BECAME PART OF THE PARISH OF FORSTER ON ITS FORMATION IN 1957. NEXT | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA, TUNCURRY |  |
| THE FIRST CHURCH IN THE TWIN TOWNS AND THE ONLY CHURCH FOR SIXTY YEARS WAS BUILT IN TUNCURRY IN 1908. A TRADITIONAL WEATHERBOARD "GODBOX" COMPRISING A NAVE, SACRISTY AND PORCH, IT WAS BUILT ON THE SAME SITE AS THE PRESENT CHURCH. THE CHURCH HAS THE USUAL LANCET WINDOWS AND ROOF CROSSES SIMILAR TO MANY OTHER RURAL STATION CHURCHES. WITH THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE TOWNS AND THE PARISH A LARGER CHURCH WAS NEEDED AND IN 1968 THE OLD CHURCH WAS CLOSED AND DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE PRESENT CHURCH. NEXT |
| SECOND CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA, TUNCURRY | |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1968 AND REFLECTS THE COMBINATION OF MODERN DESIGN AND TRADITIONAL ORIENTATION CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT TIME. BUILT OF BRICK WITH A LOW ROOF AND WIDE NAVE, IT IS NONETHELESS FOCUSSED FORWARD TOWARDS THE SANCTUARY. THE WALLS HAVE EXTENSIVE OPEN SPACES FILLED WITH VARICOLOURED GLASS AND TWO LARGE ENTRANCE DOORS. A LARGE OPEN-FRAME METAL CROSS ANNOUNCES THE CHURCH'S PURPOSE AND A LOVELY LADY GROTTO IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT YARD. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| FAILFORD |
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| CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, FAILFORD |
| FAILFORD IS A SMALL SETTLEMENT NORTH OF TUNCURRY. TODAY IT IS EXPERIENCING SOME GROWTH AS DEVELOPMENT SPREADS FROM THE TWIN TOWNS ALONG THE COAST. A WOODEN STATION CHURCH APPEARS TO HAVE EXISTED HERE WHEN THE AREA WAS UNDER KRAMBACH BUT WAS CLOSED AND SOLD AT SOME STAGE DURING THE MID 1900's. ITS PRESENT FATE IS UNKNOWN. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
