1868
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BATHURST
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PARISH OF ST IGNATIUS OBERON |
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FOUNDED 1868 |
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DIOCESE BATHURST |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS |
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| PARISH | HISTORY | CHURCH |
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| PARISH |
| OBERON, A TOWN OF 2,500 PEOPLE SITUATED ON A CHILLY PLATEAU SOUTH-EAST OF BATHURST, WAS PROCLAIMED A VILLAGE IN 1863. ORIGINALLY KNOW AS BULLOCK FLATS IT WAS CHANGED TO OBERON AS A MORE EUPHONIOUS NAME. THE EARLY BASIS OF THE TOWN WAS GOLD DISCOVERED ALONG THE FISH RIVER. LATER BEEF AND LAMB BECAME MAJOR INDUSTRIES AND IN THE 1930's FORESTRY BECAME A STAPLE INDUSTRY. THE PINEBOARD FACTORY WHICH DOMINATES THE TOWN SKYLINE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1959. TODAY IT IS AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY WITH A STRONG ECONOMIC BASE AS WELL AS A TOURIST INDUSTRY AS A GATEWAY TO THE JENOLAN CAVES. THE PARISH OF OBERON WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1868 JUST FIVE YEARS AFTER THE VILLAGE WAS PROCLAIMED. THE CENTRE OF A LARGE RURAL AREA, OBERON HAD AN EXTENSIVE NUMBER OF OUTSTATIONS THAT INCLUDED BLACK SPRINGS, HAZELGROVE, WISEMAN'S CREEK, BRISBANE VALLEY, HAMPTON, SHOOTER'S HILL, PORTER'S RETREAT AND ISABELLA AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER STATIONS. TODAY ONLY BLACK SPRINGS REMAINS. NEXT |
 | FIRST CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS, OBERON |
| THE FIRST CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS WAS BUILT IN THE 1860's WHEN THE VILLAGE WAS FOUNDED. IT WAS A SIMPLE WOOD AND IRON BUILDING FACING ONTO QUEEN ST COMPRISING A NAVE, CHANCEL AND PORCH. WHEN IT WAS REPLACED BY THE NEW CHURCH IN 1937 IT CONTINUED IN USE AS A HALL UNTIL THE EARLY 70'S WHEN IT WAS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR A GARAGE FOR THE CONVENT NEXT DOOR. NEXT |
| SECOND CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS, OBERON |  |
| THE SECOND CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS WAS BUILT DURING THE DEPRESSION YEARS OF THE LATE 30's. BASED ON A ROMAN CHURCH FOR WHICH THE THEN PARISH PRIEST HAD A LIKING IT WAS A VERY ITALIANATE BUILDING OF IMPRESSIVE PROPORTIONS. A HIGH AISLED NAVE WITH A DISTINCT CHANCEL AND A LARGE NORTH TRANSEPT PROCLAIMED THE CHURCH MILITANT OF THE TIME. BECAUSE OF THE HARD TIMES HOWEVER THE INTENDED SOUTH TRANSEPT WAS NEVER BUILT AND IT WAS THIS THAT PROVED THE CHURCH'S DOWNFALL. BY THE LATE 80's THE IMBALANCE OF THE CHURCH HAD RESULTED IN SERIOUS STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS AND IT WAS FOUND NECESSARY TO DEMOLISH THE CHURCH. NEXT |
 | THIRD CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS, OBERON |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1987 AND REFLECTS THE CHANGES IN LITURGICAL DESIGN OF THE LATE 20th CENTURY. IT IS SHAPED AS A ROUGH PENTAGON RISING TO A CENTRAL PEAK SURMOUNTED BY A CROSS THUS CREATING A SENSE OF INCLUSIVE SPACE. THE COVERED PORCHWAY CULMINATES IN AN OPEN TOPPED BELLTOWER. AN INTERSTING EFFECT IS THE CROSS USED AS A MASS TIME BOARD OUTSIDE THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE SANCTUARY OF THE CHURCH IS LOCATED OFF CENTRE AND PROVIDES THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE CHURCH. TO THE LEFT IS A LARGE BLUE TILED BAPTISMAL FONT. BEHIND THIS IS A STAINED GLASS WINDOW REPRESENTING ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ANOTHER DEPICTING THE PATRON OF THE CHURCH, ST IGNATIUS. THE TABERNACLE IS LOCATED TO THE RIGHT OF THE SANCTUARY. OF INTEREST IN THE SANCTUARY ARE NOT ONLY THE STONE TABLE LIKE ALTAR AND ITS MATCHING LECTERN BUT MORE SIGNIFICANTLY THE LARGE MODERN CRUCIFIX WHICH DOMINATES THE WHOLE AREA. TOP STATION CHURCHES |  |
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| STATION CHURCHES |
| BLACK SPRINGS |
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| CHURCH OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL, BLACK SPRINGS | |
 | STATION |
| BLACK SPRINGS IS A SMALL VILLAGE 24KM FROM OBERON KNOWN FOR ITS FOSSICKING AND FORESTS. A SETTLEMENT FOR OVER 100 YEARS IT WAS SETTLED PRIMARILY BY IRISH IMMIGRANTS. THE TOWN CEMETERY IS DOMINATED BY THE CATHOLIC SECTION WHICH COMPRISES 90% OF ALL BURIALS. TODAY IT IS POPULAR AS A DAY TRIP FROM OBERON. BLACK SPRINGS WAS A VERY EARLY STATION OF OBERON. FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS KNOWN AS AVOCA AND THE CHURCH IS STILL OFTEN REFERRED TO BY THIS NAME. TODAY IT STILL HAS A VERY ACTIVE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AND A THRIVING CHURCH. NEXT | |
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| THE HISTORIC CHURCH OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL WAS BUILT IN 1888 OF LOCAL BLACKSTONE IN TYPICAL VILLAGE GOTHIC - A NAVE, A CHANCEL, A SIDE PORCH AND A SMALL SACRISTY. OVER THE YEARS ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE GROUNDS INCLUDING THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES AND IN MORE RECENT YEARS THE EXTERIOR VIA DOLOROSA CULMINATING IN AN AUSTRALIAN BUSH CALVARY. THE CHURCH HAS RECENTLY BEEN RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL BEAUTY. AMONG ITS MANY TREASURES ARE THE LOVELY PAINTED MEDALLIONS AND MONOGRAMS ON THE WALLS, THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS, AND THE ORIGINAL WOODEN ALTAR AND CRUCIFIX. THE WEST END IS LIT BY THREE LANCET WINDOWS. NEXT |
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| TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES | ||
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |||||||
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| BRISBANE VALLEY | HAMPTON | HAZELGROVE | ISABELLA | PORTER'S RETREAT | SHOOTER'S HILL | WISEMAN'S CREEK | |
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| CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER, BRISBANE VALLEY |
| BRISBANE VALLEY IS A SMALL LOCALITY BETWEEN OBERON AND BLACK SPRINGS THAT WAS ONCE A BRIEF GOLDMINING SETTLEMENT AND LATER A RICH AGRICULTURAL AREA. AN EARLY STATION OF OBERON UNTIL IT WAS CLOSED IN THE LATE 60's IT WAS SERVED BY A CHURCH DEDICATED TO ST FRANCIS XAVIER UNTIL THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION. ITS PRESENT FATE IS UNKNOWN. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST GABRIEL, HAMPTON | |
 | THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF HAMPTON LIES ON THE ROAD TO JENOLAN CAVES. ASTRIDE THE RIDGE LINE IT IS TODAY A PITSTOP ON THE WAY TO THE CAVES. HAMPTON WAS A STATION OF OBERON FROM THE EARLY DAYS UNTIL THE LATE 70's WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. THE SIMPLE LITTLE WOODEN "GODBOX" OF ST GABRIEL'S IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF A SMALL RURAL STATION CHURCH. AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION IT WAS SOLD AND CONVERTED INTO A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST DOMINIC, HAZELGROVE | |
 | STATION |
| HAZELGROVE WAS PART OF THE "IRISH" AREA THAT RAN FROM DUCKMALOI THROUGH IRISH CORNER TO HAZELGROVE. ONE OF THE EARLIEST STATIONS OF OBERON IT WAS CLOSED IN THE 50's FOLLOWING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE STATION CHURCH. | |
| FIRST CHURCH OF ST DOMINIC, HAZELGROVE | |
| A CATHOLIC CEMETERY EXISTED IN HAZELGROVE FROM THE MID 1800's AND ABOUT THAT TIME A WOODEN CHURCH, WHICH HAD ALREADY SERVED AS A CHURCH IN SYDNEY, ST MARY'S, MT VICTORIA AND THEN TARANA BEFORE ARRIVING AT HAZELGROVE, WAS ERECTED THERE. AN ATTRACTIVE CHURCH, COMPRISING A NAVE, CHANCEL, PORCH, A SIDE ROOM (POSSIBLY USED AS A SACRISTY) AND A LOVELY BELLCOTE, IT WAS SOLD IN 1926 AND DEMOLISHED TO BE LATER RE-ERECTED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AS A BARN. NEXT | |
| SECOND CHURCH OF ST DOMINIC, HAZELGROVE | |
| A TIN HALL WAS BUILT ABOUT 100 YARDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE CEMETERY AS A TEMPORARY CHURCH PENDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW STONE CHURCH, PLANS OF WHICH EXIST SHOWING A GOTHIC BUILDING WITH AN ATTRACTIVE OPEN TOPPED TOWER. UNFORTUNATELY THE ADVENT OF THE DEPRESSION CAUSED THE PLANS TO BE SHELVED AND THE TIN HALL BECAME THE STATION CHURCH. A FIRE IN THE 50's DESTROYED MOST OF THE BUILDING AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLISHED AND THE STATION CLOSED. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT | |
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| CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA, ISABELLA |
| ISABELLA IS A SMALL HAMLET ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE DIOCESE OF BATHURST. FOUNDED DURING THE GOLDRUSHES OF THE 1800's TODAY IT JUST A LOCALITY PASSED THROUGH ON THE WAY TO GOULBURN. A LONG-STANDING STATION OF OBERON IT WAS CLOSED DOWN IN THE LATE 60's WITH THE DECLINE IN THE RURAL POPULATION. ISABELLA SEEMS TO HAVE UNDERGONE SEVERAL CHANGES IN CHURCH BUILDINGS. UNTIL THE 1950's IT WAS SERVED BY THE CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, FROM THE 50'S TIL THE 60's THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND FROM THE EARLY 60's TILL ITS CLOSURE BY THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA. IT IS KNOWN THAT A LITTLE GALVANISED IRON "GODBOX" EXISTED AT ISABELLA DURING AT LEAST THE LATTER PART OF THAT TIME BUT ITS SUBSEQUENT FATE IS UNKNOWN. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST DAVID, PORTER'S RETREAT | |
 | PORTER'S RETREAT IS A RURAL LOCALITY ON THE ROAD TO GOULBURN. AN AREA OF SHEEP AND CATTLE PROPERTIES, IT WAS A STATION OF OBERON UNTIL THE 70's WHEN DECLINING CONGREGATIONS LED TO ITS CLOSURE. THE PLAIN GALVANISED IRON CHURCH BUILT IN THE EARLY 1900's SITS IN SPLENDID ISOLATION ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE ROAD. CONSISTING OF A NAVE AND PORCH AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A CHANCEL BUT IN FACT IS A SACRISTY CUM FLAT FOR THE PRIEST WHO WOULD STAY OVERNIGHT (THE BRICK CHIMNEY OF THE FLAT CAN STILL BE SEEN) IT WAS LATER SOLD AND IS NOW A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, SHOOTER'S HILL | |
 | SHOOTER'S HILL LIES SOUTH OF OBERON IN AN AREA OF STATE FORESTS AND LARGE PROPERTIES. A STATION OF OBERON UNTIL THE 1970's, SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL WORK LED TO A DECLINE IN THE FARM POPULATION AND THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION. THE GALVANISED IRON CHURCH BUILT DURING THE EARLY 1900's WITH ITS BEAUTIFUL DECORATIVE BARGEBOARDS SITS ON ITS OWN AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS CLOSED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE STATION. A NAVE, PORCH AND CHANCEL WITH SIMPLE POINTED WINDOWS TO GIVE IT AN ECCLESIAL TOUCH, IT WAS LATER SOLD AND CONVERTED TO A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST ALPHONSUS, WISEMAN'S CREEK |
| WISEMAN'S CREEK IS ONE OF THE MANY FORMER GOLDFIELD SETTLEMENTS THAT DOT THE HILLS SOUTH OF BATHURST AND WAS A STATION OF OBERON UNTIL THE 1970's. WISEMAN'S CREEK WAS SERVED BY THE CHURCH OF ST ALPHONSUS FROM THE EARLY 1900's TILL THE STATION WAS CLOSED. ITS PRESENT FATE IS UNKNOWN. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES STATION CHURCHES |
