1882
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BATHURST
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PARISH OF THE SACRED HEART AND ST LAURENCE O'TOOLE MOLONG |
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FOUNDED 1882 |
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DIOCESE BATHURST |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART AND ST LAURENCE O'TOOLE |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| MOLONG WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF TOWN WHICH GREW UP AROUND THE GOLD TRANSPORT ROUTES. ITS POSITION, MIDWAY BETWEEN ORANGE AND WELLINGTON, MADE IT AN IDEAL SERVICE CENTRE. TODAY IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE SMALL COUNTRY TOWN PROVIDING A PLEASANT STOPOVER BETWEEN BATHURST AND DUBBO. THE PARISH OF MOLONG WAS FOUNDED IN 1882 WITH STATIONS AT CUMNOCK AND MANILDRA. IN 1928 CUMNOCK BECAME A SEPARATE PARISH BUT WAS REJOINED TO MOLONG IN THE EARLY 80's. AROUND 1953 EUCHAREENA WAS TRANSFERRED TO MOLONG FROM WELLINGTON. THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH OF PERTHVILLE WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE PARISH, ESTABLISHING A CONVENT AND SCHOOL AT MOLONG IN 1881, ONE YEAR BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE PARISH, AT CUMNOCK IN 1903 AND AT MANILDRA IN 1928. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MOLONG THESE CONVENTS HAD ALL CLOSED BY 1969. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, MOLONG |  |
| THE ORIGINAL CHURCH AT MOLONG WAS BUILT IN THE MID-1800's. IT WAS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE SECOND CHURCH. | SECOND CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, MOLONG |
| THE SECOND CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE 1880's AT THE TIME OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE PARISH. IT IS BUILT OF LOCALLY CUT STONE IN SIMPLIFIED GOTHIC STYLE WITH A PORCH AND A LOVELY THREE LIGHT WEST WINDOW. IT STILL STANDS NEXT TO THE PRESENT CHURCH AND IS USED AS A PARISH HALL. NEXT |
 | CHURCH OF ST LAURENCE O'TOOLE, MOLONG |
| DURING THE 1930'S IT WAS DECIDED TO CONSTRUCT A LARGER CHURCH. THE NEW CHURCH WAS BUILT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE OLD CHURCH AND WAS DEDICATED TO ST LAURENCE O'TOOLE. ALTHOUGH KNOWN SIMPLY AS ST LAURENCE'S THE CHURCH ALSO TOOK THE NAME OF STILL STANDING FORMER CHURCH IN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CANON LAW OF THE TIME. BUILT OF BRICK WITH CREAM FACINGS IN A HIGHLY DECORATED GOTHIC STYLE, THE CHURCH DOMINATES THE TOWN FROM ITS HILLTOP POSITION. ESSENTIALLY A SIMPLE NAVE WITH SHALLOW WEST AND NORTH PORCHES AND A SMALL SACRISTY, THE CHURCH POSSESSES LOVELY MATCHING EAST AND WEST WINDOWS AND TWO STATUES REPRESENTING ITS DOUBLE DEDICATION. THE TWIN FILIALS AND THE HEIGHT OF THE FRONT CREATE AN IMPRESSIVE APPEARANCE. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES | |
| CUMNOCK | MANILDRA |
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| CHURCH OF ST DYMPNA, CUMNOCK | |
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| CUMNOCK WAS ONCE A SIGNIFICANT SETTLEMENT WITH IMPRESSIVE PUBLIC BUILDINGS, MANY OF WHICH STILL STAND. TODAY IT IS A QUIET COUNTRY BACKWATER. CUMNOCK WAS AN ORIGINAL STATION OF MOLONG UNTIL IT BECAME A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT IN 1928 WITH YEOVAL AND OBLEY. IT WAS SUPPRESSED IN THE 80's AND REJOINED TO MOLONG PARISH. NEXT | |
| CHURCH |  |
| BUILT IN THE EARLY 1900's IN A SIMPLE "GODBOX" STYLE WITH CEMENT RENDERED WALLS THE CHURCH WAS ORIGINALLY ORIENTED THE OTHER WAY, BUT IT WAS DECIDED TO ROTATE THE INTERIOR AND ACCORDINGLY A NEW ENTRANCE WAS MADE AT THE FAR END OF THE CHURCH. A LEAN-TO WAS ADDED TO PROVIDE SOME PROTECTION FROM THE WEATHER. THE EAST END OF THE CHURCH IS DOMINATED BY THE CRUCIFIX MOUNTED ON THE WALL. BELOW THE CRUCIFIX IS THE GRAVE OF THE FIRST PARISH PRIEST WHO DIED IN 1966. TO THE LEFT IS THE USUAL DETACHED BELLTOWER. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, MANILDRA | |
 | STATION |
| MANILDRA IS DOMINATED BY THE LARGEST FLOUR MILL IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. DESPITE ITS SMALLL PERMANENT POPULATION THE PRESENCE OF THE MILL HAS GIVEN THE TOWN A QUITE SUBSTANTIAL FEEL. A STATION OF MOLONG FROM ITS INCEPTION, MANILDRA POSSESSED A SCHOOL AND JOSEPHITE CONVENT FROM THE 1920's. IN 1969 THE CONVENT CLOSED BUT THE SCHOOL CONTINUES THE TRADITION OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE TOWN. THE CONVENT WAS RECENTLY DEMOLISHED CREATING A LARGE OPEN SPACE NEXT TO THE CHURCH MUCH OF WHICH HAS BEEN LANDSCAPED. NEXT |
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| CHURCH |  |
| THE IMPRESSIVE CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL STANDS ON A SLIGHT RISE IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN. THOUGH NEVER A PARISH CHURCH IN ITS OWN RIGHT, IT REFLECTS THE OVERALL IMPRESSION OF SUBSTANCE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. THE STYLE OF THE CHURCH IS MORE CONTINENTAL THAN ENGLISH, WITH A POWERFUL WEST FRONT AND AN APSIDAL EAST END. BENEATH THE CROSS AND PLAQUE IS BURIED A FORMER PARISH PRIEST OF THE MOLONG WHO HAD A SPECIAL LOVE OF MANILDRA. A PARTICULAR FEATURE IS THE BELLCOTE AS PART OF THE CHURCH IN CONTRAST TO THE USUAL DETACHED BELLTOWER. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| EUCHAREENA |
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| CHURCH OF ST BRIGID, EUCHAREENA |
| EUCHAREENA WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF SMALL RAILWAY SETTLEMENTS ON THE MOLONG-DUBBO LINE. TODAY IT IS A SMALL RURAL VILLAGE ON THE TOURIST ROAD BETWEEN ORANGE AND WELLINGTON. ORIGINALLY SERVED FROM WELLINGTON EUCHAREENA WAS TRANSFERRED TO MOLONG IN THE 50's BEFORE BEING CLOSED DOWN IN THE EARLY 70's. THE LITTLE WOODEN CHURCH OF ST BRIGID DATED FROM THE EARLY 1900's AND SERVED THE VILLAGE FOR SOME 60 YEARS BEFORE IT WAS CLOSED. IT WAS LATER SOLD BUT STOOD FOR SOME TIME ON ITS ORIGINAL SITE BEFORE BEING DEMOLISHED. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS |
| MOLONG JOSEPHITE CONVENT |
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| CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH, MOLONG | |
 | THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH OF PERTHVILLE ARRIVED IN MOLONG JUST ONE YEAR BEFORE IT WAS DECLARED A PARISH. THEY SET UP A SCHOOL AND CONVENT AND WORKED THROUGHOUT THE PARISH. THOUGH THEY HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM THE SCHOOL, THE CONVENT IS STILL IN USE AND THE SISTERS ARE STILL ACTIVE IN PARISH WORK. THE CONVENT IS A SIMPLE FEDERATION STYLE BUILDING BUILT IN THE INTER-WAR PERIOD STANDING JUST BEHIND THE CHURCH. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
