1875
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MORPETH |
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FOUNDED 1875 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | HISTORIC CHURCHES | OTHER BUILDINGS |
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PARISH CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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| PARISH | |
| MORPETH IS AN HISTORIC INLAND RIVER PORT 5 KM NORTH-EAST OF MAITLAND. MORPETH BECAME THE MAJOR PORT OF THE HUNTER VALLEY AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS BETWEEN 1832 AND 1890 WITH A REGULAR STEAMER SERVICE OPERATING TO MAITLAND, UP TO PATERSON AND DOWN TO NEWCASTLE. HOWEVER, NEWCASTLE HAD BEGUN TO GROW, AND THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY, WHICH REACHED MAITLAND IN 1857, INITIALLY BYPASSED MORPETH. THE COMPLETION OF THE RAIL LINK BETWEEN NEWCASTLE AND SYDNEY IN 1889 SEALED THE FATE OF THE RIVER TRADE AND THE FORTUNES OF MORPETH. MORPETH WAS FORMALLY AMALGAMATED INTO THE CITY OF MAITLAND IN 1969. IT RE-EMERGED IN THE LATE 1980S AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION WITH THE OPENING OF THE GIFT SHOPS. MORPETH WAS A STATION OF EAST MAITLAND FROM ITS INCEPTION IN THE MID 1830's UNTIL IN 1875 IT BECAME A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT. TODAY IT IS ONCE AGAIN SERVED FROM EAST MAITLAND ALTHOUGH RETAINING ITS FORMAL STATUS AS AN INDEPENDANT PARISH. | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST BEDE, MORPETH | |
| THE FIRST CHURCH TO SERVE MORPETH WAS A SIMPLE WOODEN STRUCTURE BUILT IN 1836 JUST ONE YEAR AFTER THE PREMIER CHURCH IN THE HUNTER VALLEY WAS BUILT AT EAST MAITLAND. IT LASTED UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED IN 1870 AND NO TRACE OF IT REMAINS. NEXT | |
 | SECOND CHURCH OF ST BEDE, MORPETH |
| IN 1870 A LARGER BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED TO SERVE THE GROWING CONGREGATION. IT IS LOCATED AT THE DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE CORNER OF THE BLOCK FROM THE PRESENT CHURCH. IT SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR JUST 27 YEARS BEFORE BEING REPLACED BY THE PRESENT CHURCH. IT WAS THEN USED AS A SCHOOL BUILDING AND LATER AS A PARISH HALL. WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE CONVENT AND SCHOOL AND THE GENERAL DECLINE OF THE PARISH IT WAS CONSIDERED SURPLUS AND WAS SOLD OFF TOWARDS THE END OF THE 20th CENTURY. NEXT | |
| THE CHURCH IS CONSTRUCTED OF LOCAL BRICK WITH BEAUTIFUL SANDSTONE TRIMMINGS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE WINDOWS. IT CONSISTS OF A SMALL NAVE, PORCH AND AN UNUSUAL EASTERN TRANSEPT WHICH GIVES NO EXTERNAL SIGN OF A CHANCEL. THE RESULT IS A T-SHAPE RATHER THAN THE MORE TRADITIONAL LATIN CROSS. UNUSUALLY FOR ITS TIME, THE WINDOWS OF THE NAVE ARE SQUARE AS SHOWN BY THE SANDSTONE TRIM. THESE WINDOW TRIMMINGS ARE A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE CHURCH WITH SOME LOVELY CARVED BRACKET WORK OVER THE LINTEL. SADLY WITH THE SALE OF THE BUILDING, IT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO DECAY AND SITS DISUSED AND DERELICT ON WHAT IS NOW PRIVATE PROPERTY. NEXT |  |
 | CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MORPETH |
| THE MAGNIFICENT PARISH CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION WAS BUILT IN 1897. CONSTRUCTED IN A CONTINENTAL GOTHIC STYLE WITH AN APSIDAL EAST END, FULL SIZE TRANSEPTS, A CROSSING FLECHE AND MOST IMPRESSIVE OF ALL A LOVELY NORTH-WEST TOWER IT IS ONE OF THE TRUE GEMS OF AUSTRALIAN COLONIAL RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE. THE CHURCH IS BUILT OF WARM YELLOW BRICKS WITH DARKER BANDING MAKING AN ATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE. THE DARKER BRICKS ARE ALSO USED TO HIGHLIGHT THE WINDOW ARCHES. THE CHURCH IS MARKED BY THE RHYTHMIC USE OF POINTED LANCETS AND ESPECIALLY THE TALL LANCET AND ORIOLE COMBINATIONS DOMINATING THE TRANSEPT AND EST ENDS. THE GREAT SQUARE TOWER IS THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH, RISING HIGH ABOVE THE NAVE AND CULMINATING IN CORNER FINIALS AND A LOW PYRAMIDAL STEEPLE AND CROSS. IT PROCLAIMS THE PRESENCE OF OUR LORD'S HOUSE AND SERVES TO SUMMON PEOPLE TO WORSHIP, A FUNCTION OFTEN FORGOTTEN IN TODAY'S SECUALR WORLD. NEXT |
| THE EAST END REFLECTS THE COLONIAL CATHOLIC PREFERENCE FOR APSIDAL CHANCELS IN PLACE OF THE ENGLISH "CLIFF" STYLE EAST ENDS. SACRISTIES NESTLE INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TRANSEPTS AND THE CHANCEL WALL. ANOTHER CONTINENTAL FEATURE IS THE SMALL FLECHE TOWER MARKING THE CROSSING. THE ENTRANCE IS VIA A DOOR IN THE BASE OF THE SQUARE TOWER WHICH IS ITSELF CAPPED WITH A LOW STEEPLE AND CROSS. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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| OTHER BUILDINGS |
| MORPETH MERCY CONVENT |
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| CONVENT OF MERCY, MORPETH | |
 | THE SINGLETON CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY ESTABLISHED A CONVENT AND SCHOOL IN MORPETH IN THE LATE 1800's AND MAINTAINED A PRESENCE UNTIL THE LATE 1900's. THE CONVENT OF MERCY WAS BUILT TOWAQRDS THE END OF THE 1800's NEXT DOOR TO THE NEW CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE TWO STORY COLONIAL BUILDING WITH AN INTERESTING CHAPEL EXTENDING FROM THE CONVENT TOWARDS THE CHANCEL OF THE CHURCH. THE CONVENT WAS SOLD AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE SISTERS AND IS NOW A BED & BREAKFAST. THE CHAPEL SADLY HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO THE BREAKFAST ROOM. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS |
