1970
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PARRAMATTA
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PARISH OF CHRIST THE KING NORTH ROCKS |
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FOUNDED 1970 |
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DIOCESE PARRAMATTA |
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PARISH CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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| THE AREA OF NORTH ROCKS WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED IN THE PARISH OF NORTH PARRAMATTA BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE POST WAR PERIOD THAT PEOPLE BEGAN SETTLING THERE. IN THE 1960's THE SUBURB EXPERIENCED RAPID GROWTH AS PARRAMATTA EXPANDED. TODAY IT IS A DENSELY PACKED RESIDENTIAL AREA COMPRISED LARGELY OF YOUNG COUPLES AND FAMILIES. IN 1967 A RETIRED COUPLE, THE BARRETT'S WROTE TO CARDINAL GILROY REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW PARISH IN THE AREA. IT WAS TO BE TWO YEARS HOWEVER BEFORE THE FIRST PRIESTS ARRIVED FROM NORTH PARRAMATTA TO SAY MASS AT THE NORTH ROCKS COMMUNITY CENTRE. A YEAR LATER HOWEVER THE BARRETT'S REQUEST FINALLY BECAME A REALITY WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH OF CHRIST THE KING ON FEBRUARY 3 1970. CHURCH |
| CHURCH |  |
| WHEN NORTH ROCKS BECAME A PARISH THERE WERE NO PAROCHIAL BUILDINGS IN THE AREA. MASSES WERE HELD IN THE NORTH ROCKS COMMUNITY CENTRE AND LATER IN THE FIRST PRESBYTERY. ALTHOUGH A SITE HAD BEEN PURCHASED FOR THE CHURCH AND SCHOOL OBJECTIONS FROM RESIDENTS FORCED A CHANGE OF SITE AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1974 THAT THE PARISH CHURCH WAS COMPLETED AND BLESSED BY CARDINAL FREEMAN. THE CHURCH ITSELF WAS BUILT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE LITURGICAL REFORM MOVEMENT THAT FOCUSED ON THE COMMUNAL ASCPECTS OF THE LITURGY. AS A RESULT THE CHURCH IS A NON-HEIRARCHICAL CIRCULAR SHAPE WITH THE CENTRAL ROOF RISING TO A CROSS TOPPED SPIRE. AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING A COVERED PORCH HAS BEEN CREATED BY UNDERCUTTING THE ROOF. AROUND THE CHURCH ARE GARDENS AND BRICKWORK PATHS ENABLING THE CHURCH'S UNIQUE SPATIAL DIMENSIONS TO BE APPRECIATED. THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH FOLLOWS THE OUTLINES OF THE EXTERIOR WITH THE SEATS ARRANGED IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE OPEN AND ACCESSABLE SANCTUARY SPACE. THE SANCTUARY IS BACKED BY A BRICK REREDOS AND IS DOMINATED BY A SIMPLE STONE ALTAR AND A VICTORY CRUCIFIX WITH A CORPUS REPRESENTING CHRIST THE KING. THE RIBS OF THE BUILDING REACHING UP TO THE CENTRAL SPIRE ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE. PERHAPS THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE OF THE CHURCH FROM THE INSIDE IS THE COLOURED SKYLIGHT (ABOVE) WHICH FLOODS THE CHURCH WITH VARIEGATED SUNLIGHT IN THE MANNER OF THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF OLDER CHURCHES, A TRULY SPECTACULAR SIGHT. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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NORTH ROCKS PRESBYTERY | |||||
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| PRESBYTERY, NORTH ROCKS | |
 | ONE OF THE FASCINATING ASPECTS OF THE PRESBYTERIES AT NORTH ROCKS IS THAT THE FIRST WAS A CONVERTED FORMER CONVENT AND THE SECOND WAS LATER CONVERTED INTO A CONVENT. THE FIRST PRESBYTERY (LEFT) HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED FROM NYMAGEE IN WESTERN NSW WHERE IT HAD BEEN A JOSEPHITE CONVENT. LOCATED AT 17 STATHAM AVE, IT FORMED THE CENTRE OF THE PARISH FOR ITS FIRST FOUR YEARS UNTIL THE BUILDING OF THE NEW CHURCH. IN 1976 THE PARISH PURCHASED 1 STATHAM AVE OPPOSITE THE CHURCH AND SCHOOL AND A NEW PRESBYTERY WAS BUILT THERE. THIS LASTED UNTIL 1980 WHEN A NEW SITE AT 10 STATHAM AVE WAS PURCHASED. IN THAT YEAR THE CURRENT (THIRD) PRESBYTERY WAS BUILT AND THE SECOND THEN BECAME THE CONVENT OF THE HOLY FAITH SISTERS. TOP OTHER BUILDINGS HISTORIC CHURCHES |
