COLLAROY LIES AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE LONG FOUR MILE SWEEP OF BEACH THAT TERMINATES AT NARRABEEN LAKES. ORIGINALLY THAT ENTIRE BEACH WAS CALLED BY THE LATTER NAME BUT IN THE LATE 1800's A COASTAL STEAMER CALLED THE 'COLLAROY' RAN AGROUND ON THE BEACH AND THUS THE NAME STUCK. COLLAROY PLATEAU IS A HIGH ESCARPMENT RISING BEHIND THE BEACH. BOTH COLLAROY AND THE PLATEAU PROVED POPULAR WHEN SYDNEY'S POPULATION BEGAN EXPANDING UP THE PENINSULA IN THE POST WAR PERIOD. TODAY COLLAROY IS A BUSTLING BEACHSIDE SUBURB WITH A SURF POPULAR WITH BOARD-RIDERS AND THE PLATEAU A DESIRABLE RESIDENTIAL AREA.


ALTHOUGH COLLAROY HAD BEEN A POPULAR BEACHSIDE SUBURB FOR MANY DECADES COLLAROY CATHOLICS HAD TO WAIT TILL THE POPULATION EXPLOSION OF THE POST WAR YEARS BEFORE THEY HAD THEIR OWN CHURCH. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1967 THAT A STATION CHURCH OF NARRABEEN PARISH WAS OPENED ON THE PLATEAU. UNTIL THEN THE FAITHFUL OF COLLAROY HAD HAD TO DRIVE TO NARRABEEN OR DEE WHY TO ATTEND THE HOLY MASS. IN SPITE OF THIS LATE START COLLAROY PLATEAU WAS INTENDED FROM THE BEGINNING TO BE ONE OF THE NEW PARISHES TO BE STRUNG ALONG THE PENINSULA IN RESPONSE TO THE POPULATION SHIFTS OF POST WAR SYDNEY. JUST FOUR YEARS AFTER THE OPENING OF THE CHURCH COLLAROY PLATEAU WAS DECLARED A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT AND FOR THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS THE PARISH WORKED TO ESTABLISH A SOUND AND SUCCESSFUL INFRASTRUCTURE. CHANGING TIMES HOWEVER SAW A DECLINE IN THE NUMBERS OF PRIESTS AND EARLY IN THE NEW MILLENIUM COLLAROY PLATEAU LOST ITS RESIDENT PRIEST. IN RESPONSE TO THIS LOSS COLLAROY PLATEAU WAS FIRST TWINNED WITH ITS FORMER PARENT PARISH OF NARRABEEN AND THEN IN JULY 2006 THE TWO WERE AMALGAMATED INTO A SINGLE COMBINED PARISH CALLED THE LAKES CATHOLIC PARISH.

DESPITE BEING BUILT AS A 'CHAPEL OF EASE' IT IS OBVIOUS FROM THE DESIGN THAT THE CHURCH WAS DESTINED FROM THE VERY FIRST FOR GREATER THINGS. IN KEEPING WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL CURRENTS OF THE PERIOD, THE CHURCH WAS PLANNED FROM INSIDE OUTWARDS. ACCORDINGLY THE ACTUAL BUILDING IS MERELY A SHELL FOR THE INNER SPACE AND THUS EXTERIOR DECORATION WITH ALL THE COMMON ASTHETIC ADDITIONS WERE STRICTLY ESCHEWED IN FAVOUR OF A HARD AND BRUTAL FUNCTIONALITY.

THE CHURCH IS CONSTRUCTED OF DARK BRICK AND TILES. THE USE OF MODERN DESIGN CONCEPTS IS CLEARLY NOTICEABLE THROUGH THE USE OF HIGH SKYLIGHTS TO PROVIDE FOR LIGHTING, THE GLASS WALLING AND THE ASYMETRICAL ROOFLINE. IT WAS OPENED AND BLESSED ON NOVEMBER 19, 1967 (vvv).

IN 2007 A NEW GLASS NARTHEX WAS ADDED ON TO THE CHURCH (^^^).

THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH CONSISTS OF A SINGLE LARGE HALL-LIKE AUDITORIUM WITHOUT ARCHITECTURALLY DISTINCT DIVISIONS. IT WAS EXTENSIVELY RENOVATED IN 2007 AND TODAY IT PRESENTS A MARKEDLY MODERN AND UNUSUAL APPEARANCE IN WHICH NONETHELESS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE SACRAMENTAL CHURCH ARE CONTAINED. THE CHURCH HAS BEEN CLEARLY PLANNED WITH THE REFORMED LITURGY IN MIND.

THE UNUSUAL OFF-CENTRE SANCTUARY WITH ITS THRUST FORWARD HIGH ALTAR IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE. THE ALTAR IS OF A TABLE DESIGN AND THE AMBO HAS BEEN PLACED TO THE REAR AND SIDE. THREE PRIVATE DEVOTIONAL SPACES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WHICH INCLUDES A VERY UNUSUAL BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL WITH A UNIQUE TABERNACLE, THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN KEPT APART FROM THE NAVE THROUGH THE USE OF SCREENS. THE SEATING HAS BEEN ARRANGED IN BLOCKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SANCTUARY.

AMONG THE FEATURES OF THE CHURCH ARE THE LARGE SANDSTONE FONT (LEFT) SITUATED UNUSUALLY IN MID-CHURCH, THE PAINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH IS ALSO A TRINBUTE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY GHOST FATHERS AS PASTORS OF THE PARISH AND THE ORIGINAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS PAINTED FOR THE CHURCH AND LINING ONE OF THE WALLS (ABOVE).

AS A PART OF THE 2007 RENOVATIONS THE FORMER ENTRANCE PORCH WAS REPLACED WITH A LARGE GLASSED-IN NARTHEX TO SERVE AS AN OPEN AND AIRY MEETING SPACE WHILE OFFERING PROTECTION FROM BAD WEATHER.

NARRABEEN LIES AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE LONG FOUR MILE SWEEP OF BEACH COMMENCING AT LONG REEF NEAR COLLAROY. SETTLEMENT COMMENCING IN THE LATE 1800's BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL A TRAM LINE OPENED IN 1913 THAT NARRABEEN REALLY BEGAN TO DEVELOP. SYDNEYSIDERS QUICKLY FLOCKED TO THE SUBURB TO ENJOY THE BEACHES AND LAKES AND NARRABEEN BECAME A THRIVING COMMUNITY. WITH THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF THE PENINSUAL FOLLOWING WORD WAR II NARRABEEN SOON BECAME A BUSTLING COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL CENTRE AS WELL AS A POPULAR RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT FOR YOUNG FAMILIES DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO ITS ENVIABLE BEACHSIDE LOCATION.

NARRABEEN BEGAN AS PART OF THE VAST MANLY PARISH AND HAD AN EARLY ASSOCIATION WITH THE CHURCH THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF FATHER THERRY TO DEVELOP THE PENINSULA. IT WAS NOT TILL 1917 HOWEVER THAT THE FIRST CHURCH WAS ERECTED. THIS CHURCH HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN AT CAREEL BAY AND WAS TO SERVICE NARRABEEN FOR TWENTY-TWO YEARS. IN 1926 NARRABEEN BECAME PART OF THE NEW DEE WHY PARISH AND IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT THE SCHOOL AND SECOND CHURCH WERE CONSTRUCTED. TWENTY YEARS LATER NARRABEEN BECAME A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT. IN 1971 COLLAROY PLATEAU WAS DETACHED FROM THE PARISH BUT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TWINNED WITH NARRABEEN IN THE NEW MILLENIUM. IN 2006 THE TWO PARISHES WERE RE-AMALGAMATED IN THE LAKES CATHOLIC PARISH.

THE ORIGINAL NARRABEEN CHURCH WAS THE SAME SLAB STRUCTURE WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF JOSEPHTON, FR JOSEPH THERRY'S SETTLEMENT AT CAREEL BAY. IT WAS MOVED TO NARRABEEN IN 1917 AND SERVED AS BOTH CHURCH AND HALL UNTIL 1939. IT WAS THEN USED AS THE TEA ROOM UNTIL DEMOLISHED SOMETIME IN 1940.

IN FEBRUARY 1938 THE CORNERSTONE OF A NEW CHURCH/SCHOOL WAS LAID AND THE BUILDING WAS OPENED ON JANUARY 22, 1939. A FUNCTIONAL RED BRICK HALL USED AS A SCHOOL DURING THE WEEK AND A CHURCH ON SUNDAYS THE BUILDING WAS TYPICAL OF A RASH OF CHURCH/SCHOOLS THAT SPRANG UP DURING THE INTERWAR PERIOD IN SYDNEY. IT WAS DULY RAISED TO THE STATUS OF A PARISH CHURCH IN 1946. IN 1972, AFTER SERVING OVER THIRTY THREE YEARS IT WAS REPLACED BY A MODERN CHURCH BUILDING AND WAS THEN CONVERTED FOR USE AS THE PRESENT PARISH HALL (VVV).

NARRABEEN GAINED ITS FIRST DEDICATED CHURCH BUILDING WITH THE OPENING OF THE PRESENT ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH IN 1972 NEXT TO THE CURRENT PRESBYTERY. THIS WAS THE SECOND NEW CHURCH ERECTED BY THE PARISH IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS HAVING BUILT THE STATION CHURCH AT COLLAROY PLATEAU IN 1967. LIKE THE LATTER IT IS INFLUENCED BY MODERN DESIGN CONCEPTS BUT IN STYLING IT WAS CONSIDERABLY SOFTER WHILE THE EXTERIOR IS MORE OPEN TO ASTHETIC IDEAS. THE CHURCH IS DOMINATED BY AN OFF-CENTRE METAL STEEPLE WHICH WHEN VIEWED FROM THE STREET LOOMS OVER THE CHURCH (ABOVE). A NEW PORCH WAS ADDED IN 2007. TO COMPLEMENT THE CHURCH THE GROUNDS HAVE BEEN LANDSCAPED TO CREATE A PARK-LIKE SETTING WITH A LAMPPOST FEATURE.

IN FORM THE BUILDING IS A SQUARE THAT IS ORIENTED ALONG ITS DIAGONAL AXIS, A STYLE VERY POPULAR IN THE EARLY 70's AS A MEANS OF INVOLVING THE LAITY IN THE ACTION OF THE MASS. AT ONE END OF THE AXIS IS THE ENTRANCE PORCH AT THE OTHER IS THE OPEN SANCTUARY. THE SEATING IS ARRANGED IN FOUR BLOCKS ALONG THE MIDDLE AND BOTH SIDE AXES TO FULLY ENCOMPASS THE HIGH ALTAR.

THE SANCTUARY ITSELF IS LOW KEY WITH A PLAIN STONE ALTAR TO THE FRONT OF A WHITE SCREEN. AN 'ASCENDING CHRIST' OFF CENTRE OCCUPIES THE PLACE OF A TRADITIONAL CRUCIFIX EMPHASISING THE RESURRECTION. THE WHITE BRICK WALLS SCREEN OFF THE CHURCH'S SACRISTIES.

TO THE LEFT IS THE SEPARATE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL. SOME STATUES ARE LOCATED AROUND THE CHURCH AS WELL AS A WALL MOSAIC OF THE RISEN CHRIST.

AS THE ORIGINAL PARISH NARRABEEN HAS THE LARGER SHARE OF PARISH BUILDINGS. THE PARISH SCHOOL WAS COMMENCED IN 1939 BY THE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN FROM DEE WHY. LATER IN 1951 A CONVENT WAS PURCHASED FOR THE SISTERS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE CHURCH. THE SISTERS ALSO OPENED ST JOSEPH'S HIGH SCHOOL IN 1962 WHICH OPERATED FROM THE PARISH SCHOOL SITE UNTIL IT MOVED TO WARRIEWOOD AND WAS RENAMED MATER MARIA. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS USING RENTED ACCOMODATION THE PRESBYTERY WAS BUILT IN 1950-51. IN 1972 THE FORMER CHURCH/SCHOOL BECAME THE PARISH HALL. AT THE SAME TIME THE OLD DENTIST'S HOUSE ON THE SITE OF THE NEW CHURCH WAS MOVED TO A POSITION BEHIND THE PRESBYTERY AND WAS USED FOR MANY YEARS AS A PARISH MEETING ROOM. IN THE LATE 1900's THE SISTERS OF MARY QUEEN, A VIETNAMESE ORDER, PURCHASED A HOLIDAY HOUSE WHICH THEY NAMED BETANIE HOUSE IN NARRABEEN. WELFARE SERVICES HAVE BEEN A FOCUS OF NARRABEEN PARISH IN RECENT YEARS. CENTACARE HAD A REGIONAL OFFICE THERE UNTIL 2007 AND THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY STILL OPERATES A RETAIL OUTLET. IN 1990 THE GOFF GUNN RETIREMENT UNITS WERE BUILT BY THE PARISH FOR OLDER PARISH RESIDENTS. COLLAROY PLATEAU PARISH WAS BOTH YOUNGER AND SHORTER LIVED THAN NARRABEEN AND THIS RESTRICTED THE GROWTH OF A PARISH INFRASTRUCTURE. THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE NEW PARISH WAS OBVIOUSLY A PRESBYTERY AND TO THIS END A WEATHERBOARD HOUSE CLOSE TO THE CHURCH WAS PURCHASED IN 1971. IT WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW PRESBYTERY IN 1972. THIS HAS NOW BECOME THE LAKES PARISH OFFICE. NATURALLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR A PARISH BUT AT THE TIME IT WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY HARD TO FIND RELIGIOUS ORDERS ABLE TO TAKE ON NEW SCHOOLS. THE PARISH THEREFORE TOOK THE UNUSUAL AND FORWARD THINKING DECISION TO OPEN A LAY-RUN SCHOOL FROM THE BEGINNING. IN 2004 TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOLY GHOST FATHERS (SPIRITANS) ARRIVED TO TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PARISH AND THUS TOOK UP RESIDENCE IN THE NARRABEEN PRESBYTERY.

WHEN FATHER NORMAN GRADY WAS APPOINTED THE FIRST PARISH PRIEST OF COLLAROY PLATEAU IN 1971 AN URGENT CONCERN WAS TO OBTAIN FOR HIM A RESIDENCE. A WEATHERBOARD COTTAGE WAS AVAILABLE QUITE CLOSE TO THE CHURCH AND THIS WAS SPEEDILY PURCHASED AND USED FOR THE FIRST YEAR AS THE PRESBYTERY. IT WAS HOWEVER INADEQUATE AS A LONG TERM SOLUTION AND JUST A YEAR LATER IT WAS DEMOLISHED AND THE PRESENT PRESBYTERY (LEFT) WAS ERECTED ON THE SAME SITE BY A LOCAL PARISHIONER, KEVIN DUNN. CONSTRUCTED AT THE TAIL-END OF THE BOOM ERA IN THE CHURCH THAT BEGAN IN THE 50's AND ENDED IN THE 70's IT WAS DESIGNED FOR TWO PRIESTS THOUGH SADLY THAT CIRCUMSTANCE NEVER OCCURRED. WHEN COLLAROY WAS TWINNED WITH NARRABEEN THE PRESBYTERY BECAME SUPERFLUOUS TO NEEDS AND SO WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PUT INTO SERVICE AS THE LAKES PARISH OFFICE.

THE FIRST PARISH PRIEST OF NARRABEEN WAS APPOINTED IN 1946 BUT IT WAS TO BE SIX YEARS BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE INTO A PERMANENT PRESBYTERY. INITIALLY FATHER SOBB HAD STAYED IN A HOTEL AND THEN MOVED TO A RENTED COTTAGE ON THE SITE OF THE PRESENT GOFF GUNN UNITS. AS EARLY AS 1948 LAND HAD BEEN PURCHASED NEXT DOOR TO THE FORMER CHURCH/SCHOOL FOR THE ERECTION OF A PRESBYTERY. ANOTHER TWO YEARS WERE TO PASS BEFORE THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE TOOK PLACE AND A FURTHER TWO YEARS BEFORE THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED. AT LAST IN 1952 THE IMPOSING TWO STORY PRESBYTERY WAS FINISHED AND FATHER SOBB AT LONG LAST HAD A HOME. SINCE THAT DATE THE PRESBYTERY HAS GIVEN OVER FIFTY YEARS SERVICE TO THE PARISH. A LARGE BRICK BUILDING THE PRESBYTERY IS A REMINDER OF THOSE DAYS PRECEDING PARISH OFFICES WHEN THE PRIEST'S RESIDENCE WAS ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE OF THE PARISH JUST AS THE PRIEST WAS CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR. SINCE 2004 THE PRESBYTERY HAS ALSO BEEN THE HOME OF THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF SPIRITAN FATHERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PARISH.

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ST ROSE OF LIMA SCHOOL

ST ROSE OF LIMA PARISH SCHOOL CAN LAY CLAIM TO BEING TRULY A PIONEER OF THE LAY STAFFED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OF THE LATER 20th CENTURY. ALTHOUGH FOUNDED IN 1971 AT A TIME WHEN MOST PARISH SCHOOLS WERE STILL BEING FOUNDED BY RELIGIOUS ORDERS, IT WAS ALSO A TIME WHEN THE ORDERS WERE HAVING AN INCREASING DIFFICULTY FINDING STAFF TO OPEN SCHOOLS. RATHER THAN DELAY THE OPENING COLLAROY PLATEAU STARTED THE LAY STAFFED SCHOOL WHICH HAS CONTINUED SUCCESSFULLY TO THE PRESENT DAY. THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED ON A RATHER CRAMPED SITE AT THE REAR OF THE CHURCH BUT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO CATER TO A FULL RANGE OF PRIMARY CLASSES.

BEGINNING DURING THE 1980's BOTH RELIGIOUS AND GOVERNMENTAL BODIES BECAME AWARE OF THE NEED TO PROVIDE FOR AUSTRALIA'S RAPIDLY AGING POPULATION, A NEED EXACERBATED BY THE FAILURE OF THE TRADITIONAL COMMITMENT BY THE FAMILY TO ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CARING FOR OLDER COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

SO IT WAS IN THIS CLIMATE THAT NARRABEEN DECIDED AS A PARISH INITIATIVE TO USE A BLOCK OF LAND ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL TO BUILD THE GOFF GUNN RETIREMENT UNITS IN 1990. THE ATTRACTIVE BLOCK OF EIGHT UNITS WAS INTENDED FOR THE USE OF OVER 55's AND IS STILL OCCUPIED BY SOME ORIGINAL RESIDENTS. THE UNITS, NAMED AFTER MR GOFF GUNN, A MEMBER OF THE PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE, ARE STILL MAINTAINED AND MANAGED BY THE PARISH.

AS A LARGE CITY DIOCESE IN A COMPLEX WORLD BROKEN BAY HAS A LARGE WELFARE NETWORK MANAGED BY CENTACARE THE CATHOLIC WELFARE AGENCY. TO HANDLE THE FULL RANGE OF CASEWORK ON THE PENINSULA CENTACARE ESTABLISHED AN OFFICE IN A PLAIN RESIDENTIAL BUILDING AT 112 OCEAN STREET NARRABEEN DURING THE 1990's. FROM THIS OFFICE CENTACARE PROVIDED COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE TO MANY PEOPLE DEALING WITH THE TRAUMAS AND CONFUSION OF MODERN LIVING. IN 2007 THIS OFFICE WAS MOVED TO A COMMERCIAL PREMISES IN THE BUSINESS CENTRE OF BROOKVALE.

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RELIGIOUS ORDERS

PARISH DIRECTORY

INFORMATION ON NARRABEEN CHURCH AND PARISH WAS OBTAINED FROM THE PARISH PUBLICATION 'THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF NARRABEEN:A SHORT HISTORY'. IT IS HERE ACKNOWEDGED WITH GRATITIUDE. THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PARISH SECRETARY AND OFFICE STAFF OF THE LAKES PARISH IN OBTAINING INFORMATION IS GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED.