St Patrick's Church, Yungaburra
St Patrick's Church, Yungaburra | |
---|---|
Yungaburra, Tablelands Region, Queensland | |
Country | Australia |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Website | cairns |
History | |
Status | Church |
Dedication | Saint Patrick |
Architecture | |
Architectural type | Church |
Years built | 1914–1930s |
Administration | |
Diocese | Cairns |
Parish | Malanda |
Official name | St Patrick's Catholic Church, Our Lady of Ransom |
Type | State heritage (built) |
Designated | 21 October 1992 |
Reference no. | 600488 |
Significant period | 1914, 1930s (fabric) |
Significant components | Furniture/fittings, tower – bell / belfry, church, residential accommodation – presbytery, memorial – plaque |
St Patrick's Church is a heritage-listed
History
St Patrick's church is located on a ridge at the intersection of what were two major roads marking the original village settlement of Allumbah. It was built in 1914 and was the first Catholic church in the area, Mass previously having been said in William's hall.[1]
The first Europeans on the
The railway reached
The land on which the church was built was originally granted to George O'Donnell and was bought in 1900 by George Wedderburn. In 1914 work began on a new church on part of Wedderburn's land. It was well located at the juncture of the stock route, the main road to the coast and the road to Atherton. The church was officially opened on 26 April 1914 by Bishop James Murray as Our Lady of Ransom. The opening was a gala occasion and people travelled considerable distances to attend, many travelling on special excursion trains from Herberton and Mareeba. The resultant crowds filled the new church to capacity. The first wedding in the church was held only 3 days after the opening and was that of Maud Williams, who managed the new hotel, and Jack Kehoe, the local stationmaster. The first priest serving the church was Father Patrick Bernard Doyle and in 1915 title to the church land was placed in the names of Doyle and Bishop John Heavey.[1]
Father Doyle was a deeply spiritual man who was held in great affection and respect by his parishioners. He was born in Ireland in 1874 and joined the order of Saint Augustine in 1893. In 1899 he came to serve in north Queensland as assistant priest, then parish priest, at Cairns. In 1906 he was appointed to Herberton where he stayed, with a return to Cairns for a year between 1908 and 1909, until his death in 1924. He served various churches in his parish, besides teaching and playing sport at the Sisters of Mercy school in Herberton. After his untimely death, the church was named St Patrick's in his memory and a plaque notes that the bell tower is dedicated to him.[1]
In 1926, the Gillies Highway between Yungaburra and Gordonvale was opened, providing the first trafficable road to the Tablelands. Yungaburra became a gateway to the natural attractions of the area and a blossoming tourist trade to the nearby lakes created a second period of development. The road also made the church more accessible and Mass was celebrated twice a month. There were never enough Catholics in and around Yungaburra to support an incumbent priest.[1]
Changes to the church over time have been minor and reflect the changes in liturgical practice following the
A house was moved onto the northern corner of the site fronting Mulgrave Road in 1996, for use as a presbytery and has toilets underneath. The house was originally located on the corner of Loeven and Severin Streets in Cairns and was then approximately 50–60 years old.[1]
Description
St Patrick's is set on a grassed area on a ridge of high land overlooking the park-like plantings running down Eacham Road, originally a stock route. It is bounded to the east by Mulgrave Road and on the south east by Penda Street.[1]
St Patrick's is a single-storeyed timber church with exposed framing set on concrete stumps. It has a
Inside the roof is supported by timber
There is a freestanding steel-framed bell tower located at the eastern corner of the site. The memorial plaque at the base reads:[1]
Erected to the memory of Revd. P.B. Doyle, O.S.A. Died 16 November 1924 A Sincere Friend And a Faithful Priest R.I.P.
The relocated presbytery is located at northern corner of the site fronting Mulgrave Road. It is a single-storeyed dwelling set on stumps with hipped roof clad in corrugated iron. The walls are clad in corrugated iron and the verandah is partially enclosed by with timber louvres. The house contains 3 main rooms, with a bathroom and kitchen at either end of the enclosed verandah.[1]
Heritage listing
St Patricks Catholic Church was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.[1]
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
St Patrick's Church was built in 1914 and is associated with the early development of the Atherton Tablelands and the growth of the Catholic Church in North Queensland. The church marks the site of the original Allumbah Pocket settlement, the commercial focus of the township having moved towards the railway when it arrived in 1910.[1]
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
St Patrick's Church is a good and intact example of a rural timber church of it era.[1]
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
In its form, scale and detail it makes a substantial visual contribution to the built character of Yungaburra.[1]
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
St Patrick's Church has a strong connection with the Catholic community of the Yungaburra area, having served the village and surrounding farms since the early years of the 20th century. It also has a strong association with the life and work of Father Patrick Doyle, OSA, and the work of the Augustinian order in the spread of Catholicism in North Queensland.[1]
References
Attribution
External links
Media related to St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Yungaburra at Wikimedia Commons