1888
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BROKEN BAY
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PARISH OF ST PATRICK GOSFORD |
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FOUNDED 1888 |
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DIOCESE BROKEN BAY |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES | OTHER BUILDINGS |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST PATRICK |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| SETTLEMENT OF THE CENTRAL COAST BEGAN WITHIN 20 YEARS OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST FLEET BUT LACK OF LAND TRANSPORT MEANT THAT MOST VILLAGES RELIED ON WATER TRANSPORT AND WERE CLOSE TO THE COAST OR ALONG THE MAJOR RIVERS AND LARGELY ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER. UNTIL THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE AREA REMAINED A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA CONSISTING OF SMALL INLAND VILLAGES AND HOLIDAY AND FISHING SETTLEMENTS ALONG THE COAST WITH GOSFORD THE ONLY TOWN. WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORT THE AREA BOOMED AS SYDNEYSIDERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE MORE RELAXED LIFESTYLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE CITY. TODAY GOSFORD IS THE DOMINANT TOWN BETWEEN SYDNEY AND NEWCASTLE - A VIBRANT CITY WITH EXTENSIVE SERVICES AND ACTIVE COMMUNAL LIFE. THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE AREA WAS AT KINCUMBER AND THE FIRST RESIDENT PRIEST WAS LOCATED HERE FROM 1842. BY THE TIME THE POPULATION WARRANTED A PRAISH HOWEVER, GOSFORD HAD ALREADY BECOME THE PRINCIPAL TOWN IN THE AREA AND IN 1888 WAS DECLARED THE PARISH FOR THE CENTRAL COAST. THE PARISH EXTENDED NORTH TO LAKE MACQUARIE AND SOUTH TO WOY WOY AND WEST TO INCLUDE THE SMALL TIMBER AND FARMING VILLAGES OF MANGROVE, KARIONG AND SPENCER. WITH THE CREATION OF NEW PARISHES TODAY GOSFORD RETAINS ONLY THE CITY OF GOSFORD PROPER AND THE SMALL VILLAGES TO THE WEST. NEXT |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH DATES FROM 1965. A MODERN CHURCH BUILT ACCORDING TO THEN CURRENT LITURGICAL IDEAS, IT IS ESSENTIALL A SHALLOW GREEK CROSS WITH THE EASTERN ARM FORMING THE SANCTUARY AND THE OTHER THREE ARMS THE NAVE. THE ROOF FORMS A TENT-LIKE STRUCTURE OVER THE WHOLE CHURCH. THE CENTRAL CROSSING IS SURMOUNTED BY SPIRE AND A MULTI-DIRECTIONAL CROSS. EACH ARM OF THE CROSS ENDS IN AN INVERTED "V". THE WESTERN ARM IS GLASS FILLED AND FORMS THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH. NEXT |
 | THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH IS UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS INDICATIVE OF THE HILLY NATURE OF THE TERRAIN AROUND THE CENTRAL COAST. THE CHURCH ITSELF IS SURROUNDED BY NATIVE TREES IN KEEPING WITH THE AUSTRALIANISM POPULAR IN THE 60's. BEHIND THE TREE CAN BE SEEN THE "PEGGED" CORNER OF THE ROOF TO THE SIDE OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS THE NEW CHURCH BELL INSTALLED ON THE 40TH ANIVERSARY OF THE PRESENT CHURCH. IT CAME FROM THE ORIGINAL JOSEPHITE SCHOOL OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY. NEXT |
| THE SANCTUARY OF THE CHURCH IS DOMINATED BY THE LARGE CRUCIFIX MOUNTED ON THE SANDSTONE REREDOS. THE FURNISHINGS ARE ALL CONSTRUCTED OF MARBLE AND CONSIST OF MATCHING ALTAR, AMBO, CELEBRANT'S CHAIR AND THE TABERNACLE STAND. CONSTRUCTED WHEN IT WAS IN THE MID 60's THE SANCTUARY STILL FORMS A DISTINCT AREA OF THE CHURCH, EFFECTIVELY A CHANCEL. HERE THE CHURCH IS SET UP FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES | |
| SOMERSBY | SPENCER |
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| CHAPEL OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, SOMERSBY |
| FOR MANY YEARS GOSFORD MAINTAINED STATIONS AT MANGROVE AND KARIONG, THE LATTER USING A LOCAL HALL AS THE MASS CENTRE. IN THE LATE 1990's WITH THE GROWTH OF THE ROAD CORRIDOR WEST OF GOSFORD THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO COMBINE THE FORMER TWO STATIONS AND PROVIDE A SINGLE MASS CENTRE FOR ALL THREE. THE RECENTLY PURCHASED DIOCESAN RETREAT CENTRE WAS CHOSEN AS THE LOCATION AND PLANS ARE UNDERWAY TO CONSTRUCT A PERMANENT CHAPEL ON THE SITE. CURRENTLY THE CENTRE ITSELF IS USED AS THE MASS CENTRE. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, SPENCER | |
 | STATION |
| THE HISTORIC VILLAGE OF SPENCER LIES ON HTE BANKS OF THE HAWKESBURY RIVER SOUTH OF CALGA AND MANGROVE. ONE OF THE OLDEST SETTLEMENTS IN THE AREA IT IS TODAY A SMALL SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE SURROUNDING FARMLANDS. ONE OF THE OLDEST STATIONS OF THE GOSFORD PARISH, IT CONTINUES TO BE SERVED FROM ST PATRICK'S TODAY. THE LITTLE WOODEN CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY IS THE SECOND OLDEST CHURCH STILL IN USE ON THE CENTRAL COAST. IT WAS BUILT IN 1909 AS A SIMPLE "GODBOX" AND CONSISTS OF A NAVE, PORCH AND SACRISTY. THE HILLY TERRAIN OF THE AREA NECESSITATED THE CHOICE OF A HILLSIDE SITE REQUIRING THE USE OF BRICK PILES TO LEVEL THE CHURCH. NEXT |
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| CHURCH |  |
| THE CHURCH WAS DESIGNED FOR A SMALL CONGREGATION AND IS PLAINLY FURNISHED. TO ACCOMODATE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NOVUS ORDO MASS THE ORIGINAL MENSA WAS MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW THE PRIEST TO STAND BEHIND IT BUT THE ORIGINAL REREDOS WAS LEFT IN PLACE WITH THE TABERNACLE. A CHAIR FOR THE CELEBRANT WAS PLACED TO THE SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY WHILE THE STATUES OF OUR LADY AND THE SACRED HEART STAND RIGHT AND LEFT OF THE TABERNACLE. THE STATUES APPEAR UNBALANCED DUE TO THEIR DIFFERING SIZES. A NEW AMBO STANDS TO THE LEFT OF THE ALTAR. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | ||
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| KULNURA | ||
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| CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, KULNURA | |
 | THE KULNURA-MANGROVE AREA TO THE WEST OF THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY WAS AN EARLY STATION OF GOSFORD. IT REMAINED A STATION UNTIL THE LATE 90's WHEN IT WAS CLOSED WITH THE OPENING OF THE SOMERSBY MASS STATION. UNTIL THE 60's MASSES WERE HELD IN A VARIETY OF HOMES IN THE AREA BUT IN 1963 A SMALL CHURCH CAPABLE OF HOLDING SOME 70 PEOPLE WAS BUILT ON LAND DONATED BY THE O'ROURKE FAMILY AND DEDICATED TO ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI. IN THE LATE 90's THE CHURCH WAS CLOSED AND LATER SOLD. TODAY IT HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A PROVATE RESIDENCE. NEXT |
| THE LITTLE A-FRAME WEATHERBOARD CHURCH WAS BUILT ENTIRELY FROM FUNDS RAISED LOCALLY. THE STYLE IS EARLY 60's WITH A MINIMALIST APPROACH PROVIDING A NAVE AND A SMALL ENTRANCE PORCH DWARFED BY THE HIGH PITCHED ROOF. MARKING THE ENTRANCE IS A TALL METAL CROSS PROCLAIMING THE BUILDINGS PURPOSE. THE SIDE PANELS INCLUDE A CONTINUOUS ROW OF WINDOWS WHICH PROVIDED EXTENSIVE LIGHT INTO THE NAVE. A WESTERN WINDOW IN THE GABLE HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A DOORWAY. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |  |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS |
| SOMERSBY RETREAT CENTRE |
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| ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI RETREAT CENTRE, SOMERSBY | |
 | IN THE 1990's THE DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY DECIDED TO PURCHASE A FORMER ART GALLERY AT SOMERSBY AND CONVERT IT INTO A RETREAT CENTRE FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COURSES AND DIOCESAN RETREATS. THE DIOCESE HAS BEEN DEVELOPING THE SITE TO INCLUDE A PERMANENT CHAPEL WHICH WILL BE USED BY THE PARISH AS A MASS CENTRE. PRESENTLY THE CENTRE ITSELF IS USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. NEXT |
| THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED IN A MODIFIED SPANISH STYLE WITH A TERRACOTTA TILE ROOF AND ATTRACTIVE GARDEN SURROUNDS. TOP OTHER BUILDINGS STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |  |
