1877
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MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
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PARISH OF ST JAMES MUSWELLBROOK |
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FOUNDED 1877 |
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DIOCESE MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST JAMES |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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| MUSWELLBROOK IS A SUBSTANTIAL AND VERY ATTRACTIVE COUNTRY TOWN OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND TREE-LINED STREETS SITUATED BESIDE THE HUNTER RIVER. A TOWNSHIP WAS LAID OUT AND GAZETTED IN 1833 AS MUSCLEBROOK WITH THE FIRST ALLOTMENTS SOLD THE FOLLOWING YEAR. GROWTH WAS SLOW HOWEVER AND WHEN MUSWELLBROOK WAS DECLARED A MUNICIPALITY IN 1870 THE POPULATION WAS ONLY 1445. IN 1890 COALMINGIN BEGAN AND GRADUALLY THE POPULATION GREW TO AROUND 8000 BY 1976. TODAY IT IS AN EXPANDING CENTRE DUE TO THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY THE EIGHT COALMINES IN THE DISTRICT, THE PRESENCE OF THE LIDDELL AND BAYSWATER POWER STATIONS AND A FLOURISHING WINE GRAPE INDUSTRY. THE POPULATION OF HAS INCREASED TO AROUND 16 000 WITH 26 PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE EMPLOYED IN THE MINING, ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WATER SECTORS IN 1991. MUSWELLBROOK ALSO CONTINUES TO FULFILL ITS ROLE AS A SERVICE CENTRE TO THE DAIRYING AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNTRYSIDE WHICH STILL SUPPORTS A LARGE NUMBER OF HORSE STUDS. THE PARISH OF MUSWELLBROOK WAS LATE IN FORMING DESPITE THE TOWN BEING LAID OUT IN THE 1830's AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1877 THAT IT BECAME A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE CLOSENESS TO BOTH SINGLETON AND SCONE MUSWELLBROOK HAS NEVER HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF STATIONS AND TODAY IT INCLUDES JUST MUSWELLBROOK AND THE GROWING SATELLITE TOWN OF ABERDEEN SOME 10KM TO THE NORTH. NEXT |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST JAMES, MUSWELLBROOK |  |
| THE SLOW GROWTH OF MUSWELLBROOK IN THE EARLY YEARS OF SETTLEMENT MEANT THERE WAS LITTLE NEED FOR A PERMANENT CHURCH BUILDING AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1861 THAT THE FIRST CHURCH OF ST JAMES WAS BUILT ON THE PRESENT SITE. IT SURVIVED FOR 50 YEARS BEFORE BEING DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE PRESENT STRUCTURE. | |
| SECOND CHURCH OF ST JAMES, MUSWELLBROOK | |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT OF SANDSTONE IN 1911 IN A DECORATED GOTHIC STYLE AND IS DOMINATED BY ITS HIGH STEEPLE AND CLIFF-LIKE WEST FRONT. THE ORIGINAL CHURCH COMPRISED ONLY THE NAVE WITH ITS ATTACHED BAPTISTRY AND TOWER. THE LATER ADDITION OF THE CHANCEL AND EASTERN TRANSEPTS IS CLEARLY MARKED BY A CHANGE IN STYLE TO A MORE SIMPLIFIED GOTHIC. THE CHURCH SITS ATOP A RISE IN THE VERY CENTRE OF THE TOWN LOOKING ACROSS THE MAIN STREET TO THE ANGLICAN CHURCH BELOW IT, A STATEMENT PERHAPS OF INITERDENOMINATIONAL RIVALRY. THE GROUNDS ARE SPACIOUS AND THE WHOLE FORMS A COMPLEX CONSISTING OF THE PRESBYTERY, CONVENT AND SCHOOL AS WELL AS THE CHURCH. NEXT |
 | THE CHURCH REFLECTS THE GROWING CONFIDENCE OF CATHOLICS DURING THE EARLY 20th CENTURY. IN COMPARISON WITH MURRURUNDI, FOR EXAMPLE, ST JAMES STRIVES TO DOMINATE ITS SURROUNDINGS. THE HIGH PITCHED NAVE AND SOARING STEEPLE MAKE THE CHURCH IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE FROM THE TOWN CENTRE. THE SANDSTONE IS GIVEN CONSIDERABLE DECORATIVE TREATMENT, ESPECIALLY ON THE TOWER, THE WESTERN FACADE AND THE BAPTISTRY. THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TOWER AND HAS A LOVELY GOTHIC RECESSED DOORWAY FLANKED BY COLUMNS. IT IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF RURAL GOTHIC IN AUSTRALIA. THE INITIAL VIEW FROM THE DRIVEWAY IS OF THE NAVE AND TOWER ALONE, GIVING THE CHURCH AN ALMOST UNBALANCED LOOK. IT IS ONLY WHEN THE CHURCH IS APPROACHED THAT THE CHANCEL AND TRANSEPTS BECOME OBVIOUS. NONETHELESS THE SENSE OF IMBALANCE REMAINS WITH THE ADDITIONS APPEARING AS ONLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT. THERE IS OVERALL AN IMPRESSION THAT THE CHURCH WAS NEVER PROPERLY FINISHED AND THAT THE PRESENT EASTERN EXTENSION WAS MERELY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION PENDING COMPLETION OF THE CHANCEL AND TRANSEPTS IN THE SAME STYLE AS THE NAVE. THIS WAS NOT AN UNCOMMON EXPERIENCE IN AUSTRALIA AT THE TIME WITH THE CHURCH BEING BUILT AS FUNDS ALLOWED. IN THE CASE OF MUSWELLBROOK THE WAR AND THE DEPRESSION WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE COMPLETION OF THE CHURCH. THE SOUTH SIDE HOWEVER PRESENTS A MORE HARMONIOUS VIEW OF THE CHURCH WITH THE ADDITIONS BLENDING IN IN CONTRAST TO THE NORTHERN PERSPECTIVE. NEXT |
| THE GLORIOUS STAINED GLASS HALF-WINDOW WITH ITS DECORATIVE STONEWORK IS A FEATURE OF THE WEST END OF THE CHURCH AS IS THE ATTRACTIVE BAPTISTRY. NEXT |  |
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 | THE THE SIMPLIFIED AND MODERNISED GOTHIC OF THE CHANCEL AND TRANSEPTS CLEARLY MARK A BREAK WITH THE EARLIER WORK. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES |
| ABERDEEN |
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| CHURCH OF ST THOMAS, ABERDEEN | |
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| THE SMALL TOWNSHIP OF ABERDEEN LIES JUST TO THE NORTH OF MUSWELLBROOK. IT WAS A SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE LIVESTOCK AND STUD FARMS OF THE AREA AND OWED MUCH OF ITS EXISTANCE TO THE ABBATOIR THAT SERVICED THE UPPER HUNTER. TODAY IT HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY AS MUSWELLBROOK HAS GROWN AND IS NOW ESSENTIALLY AN OUTPOST OF ITS LARGER NEIGHBOUR. ABERDEEN WAS ALWAYS A STATION OF MUSWELLBROOK BUT IT HAS GROWN IN IMPORTANCE IN THE LATER 20th CENTURY WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, ST JOSEPH'S, FOR THE MUSWELLBROOK/SCONE REGION. THE PRESENT STATION CHURCH IS PART OF THE SCHOOL COMPLEX. NEXT | |
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| THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST THOMAS WAS BUILT IN THE LATER 20th CENTURY AT THE TIME THAT THE NEW SCHOOL WAS BUILT. CONSTRUCTED IN BRICK USING THE SIMPLE DOMESTIC STYLE ARCHITECTURE POPULAR AT THE TIME, IT IS A SIMPLE UNPRETENTIOUS BUILDING. A PLAIN BRICKWORK CROSS ON THE FRONT WALL SERVES TO ANNOUNCE ITS PURPOSE AND A COVERED DRIVE-THROUGH ACTS AS A PORCH. A VERANDAH RUNS ALONG ONE SIDE. NEXT |
 | THE INTERIOR IS FAIRLY PLAIN. SIMPLE PLASTIC SEATING IS ARRANGED IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE SANTUARY LOCATED IN THE SOUTH-EAST CORNER. THE SANCTUARY ITSELD IS OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE IN KEEPING WITH THE LITURGICAL IDEAS OF THE TIME, BEING STRUCTURALLY INCLUDED IN THE NAVE. THE FURNISHINGS COMPRISE A PLAIN TABLE ALTAR, A LARGE CRUCIFIX ON THE REAR WALL, AND AN AMBO TO THE RIGHT OF THA ALTAR. THE CELEBRANTS CHAIR IS PLACED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ALTAR. THE TABERNACLE IS LOCATED IN ITS OWN NICHE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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