1922
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BATHURST
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PARISH OF ST VINCENT PORTLAND |
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FOUNDED 1922 |
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DIOCESE BATHURST |
| PARISH CHURCH | STATION CHURCHES | HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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PARISH CHURCH OF ST VINCENT |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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| PARISH | |
| THE TOWNSHIP OF PORTLAND GREW UP AS AN INDUSTRIAL TOWN IN THE LITHGOW VALLEY. FAMED FOR PORTLAND CEMENT IT BEARS TO THIS DAY THE MARKS OF ITS ORIGINS LACKING THE ELEGANT CIVIC BUILDINGS THAT ADORN SO MANY COUNTRY TOWNS. TODAY IT REMAINS A WORKING CLASS TOWN SERVING THE POWER STATIONS THAT DOT THE AREA. ORIGINALLY A STATION OF LITHGOW PORTLAND BECAME A PARISH IN 1922 AS PART OF THE DIOCESE OF BATHURST. IT COMPRISED RYDAL, KIRKCONNELL AND SUNNY CORNER AND SEVERAL STATIONS. LATER CAPERTEE AND CULLEN BULLEN WERE ADDED AND IN THE LATE 1900's THE STATION OF WALLERAWANG WAS TRANSFERRED FROM LITHGOW. | |
| CHURCH | |
 | THE SIMPLE BRICK CHURCH OF ST VINCENT REFLECTS THE WORKING CLASS ORIGINS OF THE TOWN. A NAVE, PORCH AND CHANCEL MAKE UP THE SHAPE OF THE CHURCH. DECORATION IS LIMITED TO THE POINTED GOTHIC WINDOWS, THE TRIPLE LANCETS ABOVE THE PORCH AND THE MOCK BUTTRESSES. THE CHANCEL AND SACRISTY AREA ARE STILL WOODEN, A REMINDER THAT MONEY WAS OFTEN SCARCE AND CHURCHES WERE BUILT IN STAGES. THE NO-FRILLS BUILDING HOWEVER DECLARES STRONGLY THE FAITH OF THOSE EARLY WORKERS. TOP STATION CHURCHES |
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| STATION CHURCHES | ||||
| CAPERTEE | CULLEN BULLEN | KIRKCONNELL | RYDAL | WALLERAWANG |
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| CHURCH OF ST JUDE, CAPERTEE |
 | STATION |
| THE TINY VILLAGE OF CAPERTEE LIES AT THE MOUTH OF THE CAPERTEE VALLEY, THE LARGEST ENCLOSED VALLEY IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. IT SERVED AS THE GATEWAY TO THE VALLEY BUT NEVER REALLY TOOK OFF. TODAY IT IS A LITTLE MORE THAN A PITSTOP ON THE CASTELREAGH HIGHWAY. CAPERTEE WAS A STATION OF PORTLAND FROM ITS INCEPTION BUT WITHOUT A CHURCH UNTIL THE 1930's WHEN THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT. NEXT |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE PLAIN GALVANISED IRON "GODBOX" OF ST JUDE WAS BUILT IN THE 1930's, A REFLECTION OF THE PLAINNESS OF THE VILLAGE. CONSISTING OF A NAVE AND PORCH WITH SIMPLE SQUARE WINDOWS, THE CHURCH IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE TO EARLIER GENERATIONS OF HAVING A CHURCH HOWEVER BASIC IN WHICH TO WORSHIP GOD. LIKE MANY OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE VILLAGE IT MAY HAVE BEEN INTENDED TO REPLACE IT IN TIME WITH A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURE BUT LACK OF MEANS PRESERVED THE ORIGINAL. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST BRENDAN, CULLEN BULLEN |
 | STATION |
| CULLEN BULLEN IS A SMALL VILLAGE ON THE CASTELREAGH HIGHWAY BETWEEN LITHGOW AND MUDGEE. TODAY IT IS JUST A RESIDENTIAL VILLAGE FOR WORKERS IN THE COALMINES OF THE LITHGOW VALLEY. CULLEN BULLEN BECAME A STATION OF PORTLAND DURING THE 1930's AND HAS REMAINED SO TO THE PRESENT DAY. NEXT |
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| THE WEATHERBOARD CHURCH OF ST BRENDAN IS SURPRISINGLY SUBSTANTIAL. CONSISTING OF A NAVE, SIDEPORCH AND CHANCEL WITH ATTACHED SACRISTY IT IS A LARGE BUILDING FOR A SMALL RURAL VILLAGE. THE ONLY ORNAMENTATION IS TO BE FOUND IN THE POINTED WINDOWS AND THE ROOF CROSSES. THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH IS SHIELDED BY AN ENORMOUS PINE TREE AS OLD AS THE CHURCH WHILE FROM THE REAR (ABOVE) THE SIZE OF THE CHURCH IS CLEARLY EVIDENT. AS WITH MANY RURAL CHURCHES THERE IS A FREE STANDING BELLTOWER TO THE LEFT. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST MARY, KIRKCONNELL |
 | STATION |
| KIRKCONNELL IS A LOCALITY ON THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN LITHGOW AND BATHURST. ORIGINALLY A FARMING AREA, TODAY IT IS KNOWN PRIMARILY FOR A CORRECTIONAL CENTRE AND THE FORESTRY INDUSTRY. KIRKCONNELL HAS A RELIGIOUS HISTORY GOING BACK OVER A CENTURY, AT ONE STAGE EVEN A PARISH, BUT A DECLINE IN RURAL EMPLOYMENT LED TO ITS SUPPRESSION AND IN 1922 IT WAS INCLUDED AS A STATION IN THE NEW PARISH OF PORTLAND. FOR A WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 1900's IT WAS CLOSED BUT WITH THE BUILDING OF THE CORRECTIONAL CENTRE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TIMBER INDUSTRY THE CHURCH WAS RE-OPENED IN THE 1960's. NEXT |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHERBOARD CHURCH OF ST MARY IS SURROUNDED BY GRAVES AND BUSH AND ADORNED WITH SIMPLE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. NEXT | |
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 | DESPITE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE MATERIALS THE CHURCH MIMICS IN WOOD THE STYLE OF MUCH GRANDER CHURCHES. A NAVE, FRONT SACRISTY AND PORCH FORM THE MAIN PART OF THE CHURCH TO WHICH IS ADDED A LOVELY APSIDAL CHANCEL LIT BY SIDE WINDOWS. A PARTICULAR FEATURE IS THE BEAUTIFUL IRON FILLIGREE CROSS ON THE FRONT GABLE. TO THE LEFT OF THE CHURCH IS AN EXTENSIVE GRAVEYARD REACHING BACK TO THE LATE 1800's WHERE MANY OF THE PIONEERS OF THE DISTRICT ARE BURIED. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF ST MATTHEW, RYDAL |
 | RYDAL IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF SMALL VILLAGES LYING IN THE HILLS SOUTH OF THE GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY, REMNANTS OF THE RAILWAY SETTLEMENTS THAT SERVICED THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH HERE. THE LOVELY CENTURY OLD STONE CHURCH OF ST MATTHEW IS A VERITABLE GEM OF CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. BUILT IN THE LATE 1800's OF LOCAL SANDSTONE IN A MODIFIED GOTHIC STYLE OF NARROW LANCET WINDOWS AND BUTTRESSES AND SURROUNDED BY ROSES IT LIFTS THE HEART AND GLADDENS THE SOUL BY ITS VERY SIGHT. TOP STATION CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, WALLERAWANG |
 | STATION |
| WALLERAWANG IS ESSENTIALLY A COMPANY TOWN. SET AMIDST THE COLLIERIES OF THE LITHGOW VALLEY AND DOMINATED BY THE MASSIVE LAKE LYALL POWER STATION, IT IS A WORKING CLASS RESIDENTIAL TOWN WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PRETENSIONS BUT A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY. WALLERAWANG WAS A STATION OF LITHGOW AND LATER BOWENFELS TILL IT WAS TRANSFERRED TO PORTLAND IN THE LATE 1900's. TODAY IT MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY WITH REGULAR WEEKLY WORSHIP. NEXT |
| CHURCH |  |
| THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1964 IN A MODERN MINIMALIST STYLE WITH A SLIM CENTRAL SPIRE. THE INTERIOR WAS RE-ORIENTED DURING THE 70's TO CONFORM TO MODERN LITURGICAL CONCEPTS. WHILE MEETING THESE REQUIREMENTS IT CANNOT BE SAID TO BE ASTHETICALLY SUCCESSFUL. THE NORTH SIDE CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF GLASS DOORS WITH A BRICKWORK CROSS MARKING THE MAIN ENTRANCE. TOP STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | ||||||
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| SUNNY CORNER | TARANA | |||||
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| CHURCH OF ST MATTHIAS, SUNNY CORNER |
| SUNNY CORNER IS A SMALL VILLAGE SOUTH-WEST OF PORTLAND OF WHICH IT WAS A STATION UNTIL THE SECOND WORLD WAR. A STATION CHURCH EXISTED IN THE VILLAGE DURING THE EARLY 1900's BUT WHEN THE STATION WAS CLOSED IN THE 1930's THE CHURCH WAS SOLD. ITS PRESENT FATE IS UNKNOWN. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES NEXT |
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| CATHOLIC CHURCH, TARANA | |
 | TARANA WAS ANOTHER OF THE SMALL SETTLEMENTS SET AMONG THE HILLS SOUTH OF THE GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY. TODAY IT IS A QUIET RURAL BACKWATER. A SOMETIME STATION OF PORTLAND TARANA SEEMS TO HAVE LACKED A PERMANENT CATHOLIC POULATION TO SUSTAIN A STATION AND IT WAS CLOSED PRIOR TO THE 1920's. NEXT |
| THE ORIGINAL CHURCH WAS A WOODEN BUILDING BROUGHT FROM MOUNT VICTORIA AND LATER RELOCATED TO HAZELGROVE. A SOME STAGE IN THE EARLY 1900's A SECOND CHURCH WAS BUILT BUT A DECLINE IN THE CONGREGATION LED TO ITS CLOSURE. IT WAS LATER SOLD AND CONVERTED TO A HOUSE. LITTLE REMAINS OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDING OTHER THAN THE OUTLINE OF THE NAVE. A SAD REMINDER OF THE CHURCH'S EARLIER INCARNATION IS THE OLD WOODEN TABERNACLE NOW USED AS A LETTERBOX. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES STATION CHURCHES |  |
