THE SUBURB OF DEE WHY DATES FROM 1912 WHEN THE SALVATION ARMY BEGAN SELLING ITS LAND HOLDINGS FOR HOUSING. DEE WHY GREW QUICKLY AFTER THAT AND TODAY IT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR OF SYDNEY'S NORTHERN BEACHES AND A BUSY COMMERCIAL CENTRE. IN THE 1960'S IT ALSO BECAME THE HOME OF A SIGNIFICANT ITALIAN COMMUNITY.

FOR NEARLY SIXTY YEARS THE PENINSULA FROM SYDNEY HARBOUR TO BROKEN BAY LAY IN THE PARISH OF MANLY BUT BY THE 1920's THE NEED TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEW SUBURBS THAT WERE GROWING UP ALONG THE NORTHERN BEACHES SAW THE PARISH DIVIDED INTO SMALLER PAROCHIAL DISTRICTS. THE PARISH OF DEE WHY WAS THE FIRST OF THESE TO BE ESTABLISHED TAKING OVER THE PENINSULA AS FAR NORTH AS PALM BEACH. THE LITTLE CHURCH / SCHOOL ERECTED IN 1923 BECAME THE PARISH CHURCH SERVING DEE WHY OVER THIRTY-FIVE YEARS. IN 1958 THE CHURCH FOLLOWED IN 1959 BY THE SCHOOL TRAGICALLY BURNT DOWN. BOTH WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REBUILT. AFTER THE SUDDEN DEATH OF PARISH PRIEST FATHER O'NEILL IN 1965, DEE WHY PASSED INTO THE CARE OF THE SCALABRINIAN FATHERS. IN 2009 DEE WHY WAS AMALGAMATED WITH ITS FORMER STATION, NARRAWEENA.

THE ORIGINAL CHURCH OF ST KEVIN WAS A WOODEN BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN 1923 TO SERVE AS A CHURCH / SCHOOL. IN 1928 IT DULY BECAME THE PARISH CHURCH OF A NEWLY ERECTED PARISH OF DEE WHY. THE IDEA OF DEE WHY AS A PAROCHIAL CENTRE MUST ALREADY HAVE BEEN PRESENT FOR THIS CHURCH WAS QUITE LARGE FOR A STATION CHURCH ALTHOUGH IT WAS EXTENDED OVER THE YEARS TO SATISFY THE EXPANDING NEEDS OF THE PARISH (>>>).

ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 2 1958 TRAGEDY STRUCK WHEN THE CHURCH WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. SO IT WAS WITH HEAVY HEARTS THAT PARISHIONERS SURVEYED THE SMOULDERING RUINS OF THEIR CHURCH BEFORE STARTING ON THE TASK OF REBUILDING. MASS WAS SAID PRO TEM IN THE ODEON THEATRE AND OTHER LOCALES. IN 1962 A NEW ST KEVIN'S AROSE ON THE SAME SITE AS ITS PREDECESSOR.

WHEN THE OLD ST KEVIN'S BURNT DOWN IN JULY OF 1959 PLANS FOR A NEW CHURCH WERE QUICKLY CONSIDERED BUT WHEN THE SCHOOL ALSO BURNT DOWN JUST ONE YEAR LATER PRIORITY PERFORCE HAD TO GO TO BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL SO IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1962 THAT CARDINAL NORMAN GILROY OF SYDNEY WAS ABLE TO COME OUT TO DEE WHY TO BLESS AND OFFICIALLY OPEN THE NEW ST KEVIN'S (<<<).

IN ITS TIME THE SECOND ST KEVIN'S WAS A UNIQUE STRUCTURE, A DISTINCTION MAINTAINED EVEN IN THE PRESENT. SEGMENTED LIKE A CATERPILLAR THE CHURCH IS COMPOSED OF A SET OF TRIANGULAR FRAMES TERMINATING IN A GLASS-FILLED WEST END WITH SMALLER TRIANGLES ALONG THE SIDES OF THE CHURCH. EFFECTIVELY A NAVE WITHOUT DIFFERENTIATED CHANCEL IT WAS EXTREMEMLY MODERN FOR ITS DAY AND IN ITS OUTLINE STRIKINGLY ANTICIPATED MANY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL THEMES WHICH WOULD SOON BE INTRODUCED INTO ECCLESIAL DESIGN FOLLOWING THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL.

THE INSIDE PANORAMA REVEALS THE INVERTED V's WHICH MAKE UP THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE CHURCH. THE SEATING IS QUITE TRADITIONAL IN ITS ORIENTATION TOWARD THE ALTAR, BUT THE SANCTUARY ITSELF IS OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE IN ACCORD WITH MODERN IDEAS ON THE LITURGY.

BEHIND THE ALTAR IS A REREDOS MIMICKING IN MINIATURE THE TRIANGLE SHAPE OF THE NAVE. THE MURAL ABOVE IS A REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL 'RISEN CHRIST' WHICH WAS DAMAGED DURING THE REPAINTING INSIDE THE CHURCH. IN THE REREDOS IS THE TABERNACLE AND ABOVE IT IS THE CRUCIFIX. THE STRONG INFLUENCE OF AN ITALIAN COMMUNITY CAN BE SEEN IN MANY A DEVOTIONAL STATUE. THE FORMER BAPTISTRY FOR EXAMPLE IS PRESENTLY THE HOME OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION WHILE A WOOD CASE SITUATED AT THE REAR OF THE CHURCH HAS A MADONNA DELLA QUERCIA PATRON OF A PARISH GUILD. THE LITURGICAL WEST END IS NOTABLE FOR ITS BEING COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF GLASS.

(LEFT TO RIGHT) THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA, THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION IN THE FORMER BAPTISTRY AND THE SHRINE OF BLESSED GIOVANNI SCALABRINI WHO FOUNDED THE SCALABRINIANS WHO HAVE HAD PASTORAL CARE OF THE PARISH SINCE 1965. BELOW CAN BE SEEN SEVERAL MORE OF THE DEVOTIONAL PICTURES AND AT LEFT IS THE MADONNA DELLA QUERCIA IN ITS WOODEN CASE.

NARRAWEENA IS A POPULAR RESIDENTIAL SUBURB THAT DEVELOPED AFTER WORLD WAR 2. NAMED FOR AN ABORIGINAL WORD MEANING 'A QUIET PLACE IN THE HILLS' IT IS BUILT ON A RIDGE WITH VIEWS OVER LONG REEF AND DEE WHY.

NARRAWEENA WAS ORIGINALLY A PART OF DEE WHY PARISH. IT WAS DETACHED AS A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT IN 1959 THOUGH LACKING ANY INFRASTRUCTURE. MASSES WERE HELD IN THE LOCAL PROGRESS HALL UNTIL THE CHURCH/ SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 1961. THE PRIMARY SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE BRIGIDINES IN 1962 AND THE PRESENT PARISH COMPLEX ERECTED IN 1974. IN 2009 NARRAWEENA PARISH WAS TWINNED WITH ITS FORMER PARENT, DEE WHY.

THE LAND FOR A NEW CHURCH AT NARRAWEENA WAS OBTAINED IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD BY THE PARISH PRIEST OF DEE WHY. ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE PARISH IN 1959 THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHURCH/SCHOOL (ABOVE) COMPLETED IN 1961. A SIMPLE HALL STRUCTURE WITH A CLOSED OFF SANCTUARY (ABOVE RIGHT) AND MOVEABLE PARTITIONS THIS SERVED AS THE PARISH CHURCH UNTIL 1974 WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE SCHOOL (OPENED IN 1962) AS THE FIRST PRIORITY. WHEN THE NEW CHURCH OPENED IN 1974 THE BUILDING WAS PUT TO SCHOOL USE ALONE BEFORE BENG DEMOLISHED IN 2009 TO MAKE WAY FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

FOR THE FIRST FIFTEEN YEARS PARISH MASSES WERE HELD IN THE CHURCH/SCHOOL UNTIL FINALLY IN 1974 A NEW PARISH CHURCH WAS COMPLETED (LEFT). DESIGNED IN POST VATICAN II STYLE AS A CUBE ENCOMPASSING A SINGLE CONGREGATIONAL SPACE, IT WAS BUILT OF BLONDE BRICK WITH A SLIM CENTRAL SPIRE SURMOUNTED BY A MULTI-DIRECTIONAL CROSS. IT IS THEREFORE TYPICAL OF A STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE POPULAR AT THE TIME. THE CHURCH WAS BUILT ON THE SITE OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERY AS PART OF A COMPLEX COMPRISING THE CHURCH AND A NEW PRESBYTERY AND IS SET BACK FROM THE ROAD WITH GUM TREES PROVIDING AN ATTRACTIVE BUSH SETTING. THE ENTRANCE IS SHIELDED WITH A COVERED PORCHWAY. A FEATURE OF INTEREST IS THE NARROW LANCET-STYLE WINDOWS.

THE INTENT OF THE CHURCH DESIGN WHICH WAS TO CREATE AN INTERNAL SPACE THAT IS MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN HEIRARCHICAL IS CLEARLY VISIBLE ON ENTERING (LEFT & BELOW). THE SEATING HAS BEEN ARRANGED EN BLOC SO TO EMBRACE THE SANCTUARY WHICH IS NOT SEPARATED BUT MERELY THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE NAVE. THERE IS ONE ARCHITECTURALLY SEPARATE AREA IN THE ELONGATED SKY-LIT APSE CONTAINING AN INTRIGUING AND UNUSUAL TABERNACLE. THIS PARTICULAR FEATURE IS A PIECE OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK RESEMBLING A LARGE SUN AND DRAWS THE EYE INEXORABLY TO THE SANCTUARY. THE ALTAR ALSO IS OF AN UNUSUAL CELEBRANT-EMBRACING V-SHAPE AND IT IS THUS SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE TO LATER COME ACROSS THE TRADITIONAL LADY SHRINE AND A FLASH OF BRILLIANCE IN THE PAINTED ITALIAN STATUE OF OUR LORD IN THE BODY OF THE CHURCH. THIS STATUE IS THE TRIBUTE TO THE ITALIAN INFLUENCE WITHIN A PARISH DERIVED FROM DEE WHY.

ON THE RIGHT HAND IS A FONT AND A PRETTY LADY SHRINE AND TO THE LEFT THE STATUE OF OUR LORD TESTIFYING TO THE ITALIAN INFLUENCE IN THE PARISH. ABOVE IS THE NAVE SHOWING THE CHURCH'S UNIFIED ENCLOSED WORSHIP AREA.

DEE WHY-NARRAWEENA IS AN AMALGAM OF TWO PARISHES EACH WITH THEIR OWN HISTORY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. DEE WHY, THE OLDER OF THE TWO AND THE ORIGINAL PARENT OF NARRAWEENA WAS A RELATIVELY RECENT PARISH IN TERMS OF ITS INFRASTRUCTURE. PRIOR TO ITS ESTABLISHMENT A SCHOOL WAS OPENED IN THE FIRST CHURCH BY THE GOULBURN SISTERS OF MERCY. THE SISTERS, WHO WANTED TO ESTABLISH A BASE IN THE CITY, LIVED IN A CONVENT ACROSS FROM THE CHURCH. AFTER 1928 A PRESBYTERY WAS OBTAINED FOR THE PARISH PRIEST ON PACIFIC PARADE BUT WAS CONVERTED INTO CLASSROOMS IN 1954. FOUR YEARS LATER 'THE BLUE ROOM' WAS BUILT ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL. IN 1932 THE SISTERS OF MERCY WERE WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY THE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN IN 1934 WHO TOOK OVER THE OLD MERCY CONVENT. IN THE NEW CENTURY THIS LATTER BECAME RESPITE ACCOMODATION AND WAS RENAMED THE HOUSE OF SACRED SPACE. IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2007 TO MAKE WAY FOR A MODERN NEW SCHOOL. IN 1959 THE FIRST SCHOOL BURNT DOWN AND WAS REPLACED BY A NEW SCHOOL THE NEXT YEAR. IN THAT SAME YEAR A NEW PRESBYTERY WAS ERECTED NEXT DOOR TO THE OLD CHURCH SITE. IT NOW SERVES AS THE CASA CANONICA OF THE SCALABRINIAN MISSIONARIES WHO SINCE 1965 HAVE MINISTERED TO THE PARISH. IN 1978 A COMBINED PARISH AND SCHOOL HALL WAS BUILT AND NAMED ST KEVIN'S HALL. DEE WHY HAS ALWAYS HAD A VERY ACTIVE CONFERENCE OF THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY. IN ADDITION TO OPERATING THE USUAL VINNIES STORE THE SOCIETY RUNS A YOUTH REACH CENTRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND MAINTAINS TWO APARTMENTS AND A HOUSE IN DEE WHY AS EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE IN NEED. THE CREATION OF A NEW PARISH AT NARRAWEENA IN 1959 PLACED BOTH PARISHIONERS AND PARISH PRIEST IN SOMETHING OF A QUANDRY - NAMELY THE TOTAL LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE. WITHOUT CHURCH, SCHOOL OR PRESBYTERY THEY SET ABOUT PRIORITIZING A CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. THEIR FIRST MOVE WAS TO CONSTRUCT A MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING TO SERVE AS THE CHURCH/SCHOOL AND THIS WAS COMPLETED IN 1961. AT THE SAME TIME A SMALL TWO-BEDROOM FIBRO COTTAGE WAS PURCHASED BEHIND THE CHURCH/SCHOOL TO SERVE AS A PRESBYTERY. IN A DEPARTURE FROM TRADITION THE PARISH THEN FOCUSED ITS BUILDING PROGRAM ON THE SCHOOL WHICH WAS EXTENDED IN 1966 AND 1970. THE PARISH HAD ALREADY PREVAILED ON THE BRIGIDINE SISTERS AT ST IVES TO TAKE ON ITS STAFFING, A ROLE THEY FULFILLED UNTIL IT PASSED TO LAY LEADERSHIP IN 1980. WITH THE PROBLEM OF THE SCHOOL RESOLVED, THE PARISH BEGAN FUND-RAISING FOR OTHER BUILDINGS AND AT LAST IN 1974 A COMPLEX COMPRISING A PARISH CHURCH AND A NEW PRESBYTERY WAS COMPLETED ON THE SITE OF THE OLD PRESBYTERY. WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PARISH HALL NINE YEARS LATER TO ACCOMODATE BOTH CHURCH AND SCHOOL FUNCTIONS THE PARISH COULD BE SAID TO HAVE FINALLY COME OF AGE.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW PARISH ALWAYS NECESSITATES THE OBTAINING OF A RESIDENCE FOR THE USE OF THE PARISH PRIEST. IN THE CASE OF DEE WHY A HOUSE WAS OBTAINED ON PACIFIC PARADE THE NEXT STREET UP FROM THE OAKS AVENUE CHURCH SITE. THIS BUILDING WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONVERTED TO THE SCHOOL IN 1954.

AFTER AN INTERIM PERIOD WHICH INCLUDED THE REBUILDING OF THE SCHOOL THE NEW PRESBYTERY WAS OPENED NEXT TO THE CHURCH SITE IN 1960 THUS PROVIDING FOR A MORE CONVENIENT LOCATION WHENEVER THE NEW CHURCH WAS COMPLETED. PAINTED WHITE THE SPARTAN PRESBYTERY HARMONISED PERFECTLY WITH THE CHURCH.

AS THE PARISH LACKED AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MANY YEARS THE PARISH PRIEST LIVED IN A SMALL FIBRO COTTAGE LOCATED BEHIND THE CHURCH/SCHOOL (BELOW LEFT). WHEN THE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO BUILD THE NEW CHURCH ON THIS SITE IN 1974 A NEW PRESBYTERY (BELOW RIGHT) WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLANS FOR THE PARISH CHURCH. AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ITS DESIGN THE PRESBYTERY BLENDS IN HARMONIOUSLY WITH THE PARISH COMPLEX BEING CONSTRUCTED OF THE SAME BLONDE BRICK AND USING THE SAME GENERAL STYLING.

IN 1972 FATHER EMILIO VACCARO CS THE NEW PARISH PRIEST OF DEE WHY LAUNCHED THE IDEA OF ERECTING A PARISH CENTRE FOR ST KEVIN'S. A START WAS MADE ON RAISING FUNDS FOR THE NEW PROJECT BUT IT WOULD BE SIX YEARS BEFORE FATHER VACCARO'S DREAM WAS REALISED WITH THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF ST KEVIN'S SCHOOL ASSEMBLY HALL AND PARISH CENTRE IN EARLY MAY 1978.

THIS VERY 70's STYLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTED FROM BRICK, GLASS AND EXPOSED CONCRETE ON TWO LEVELS WAS A MOST IMPRESSIVE ADDITION TO THE PARISH INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONTINUES AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO THE PRESENT DAY.

AS INTENDED BY FATHER VACCARO THE BUILDING SERVES BOTH THE SCHOOL AND THE PARISH AND PROVIDES A LOCATION WHERE LARGE FUNCTIONS CAN BE READILY ACCOMMODATED. THIS FINE ADDITION TO THE PARISH BUILDINGS IS A TRIBUTE TO THE SCALABRINIAN'S COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING BOTH THE FACILITIES AND LIFE OF THE PARISH WHICH HAS BEEN IN THEIR CHARGE FOR OVER FORTY YEARS.

NINE YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE PARISH COMPLEX AND TWENTY ONE YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE SCHOOL THE PARISH ADDED A FURTHER FACILITY BY BUILDING AN ATTRACTIVE PARISH HALL IN THE SAME GENERAL STYLE USED IN THE PREVIOUS BUILDINGS. DESIGNED TO BE USED BY BOTH PARISH AND SCHOOL IT IS EQUIPPED WITH A STAGE (BELOW) AND LARGE DOORS ALONG ONE SIDE ALLOWING THE HALL TO BE OPENED OUT TO THE FRESH AIR. THE PARISH HALL IS A PRACTICAL AND HARMONIOUS ADDITION TO THE PARISH WITH SEVERAL USES FOR BOTH PARISH AND SCHOOL.

I AM INDEBTED TO MR JOHN BENINATI FOR HISTORICAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS FOR THIS PAGE. HIS ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING MATERIAL AND GIVING OF HIS KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE HISTORY OF ST KEVIN'S IS HERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH GRATITUDE. I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO FRANK FEATHERSTONE WHO WAS THE FIRST TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT WITH PHOTOS. FURTHER THANKS ARE OWED TO THE STAFF OF ST JOHN THE APOSTLE PARISH FOR THEIR HELP IN COMPILING THE INFORMATION ON NARRAWEENA.