PARISH OF ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA

NEWCASTLE




FOUNDED

1838
DIOCESE

MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE



PARISH CHURCH STATION CHURCHES HISTORIC CHURCHES OTHER BUILDINGS






PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA
PARISH   CHURCH


PARISH
NEWCASTLE BEGAN AS A CONVICT SETTLEMENT AT THE TURN OF THE 19th CENTURY. THE SETTLEMENT REMAINED SMALL AND ONLY LASTED FOR TWENTY YEARS AS THE GRADUAL MOVEMENT OF SETTLERS UP THE COAST AND INLAND AROUND THE HAWKESBURY MEANT THAT THE ORIGINAL ISOLATION OF THE 'UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS' DISAPPEARED. THE TOWN SITE WAS SURVEYED IN 1822-23 AND THE FIRST MODERN COLLIERY WAS OPENED IN 1831. BY THE 1850S THE INDUSTRIAL BASE OF THE CITY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR BEGAN TO GROW. NEWCASTLE RAPIDLY BECAME A MAJOR COAL PRODUCER, PORT AND RAILHEAD. THE EXTENSION OF THE RAIL SYSTEM INTO THE HUNTER VALLEY ALSO MEANT THAT NEWCASTLE INCREASINGLY BECAME A MAJOR SERVICE CENTRE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AREAS. THE POPULATION INCREASED EIGHT-FOLD BETWEEN 1860 AND 1890 AND BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY IT EXCEEDED 50000. IN 1911 BHP CHOSE THE CITY AS THE SITE FOR ITS STEELWORKS DUE TO THE ABUNDANCE OF COAL. STEEL REMAINED THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE CITY UNTIL THE CLOSURE OF THE STEEL WORKS IN 2000. TODAY NEWCASTLE IS A MAJOR CITY AND RETAIL AND COMMERICAL CENTRE CATERING TO THE HUNTER VALLEY AND THE CENTRAL COAST.

THE PARISH OF NEWCASTLE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1838 JUST THREE YEARS AFTER THE FIRST PARISH WAS ESTABLISHED AT EAST MAITLAND. ORIGINALLY COVERING ALL OF NEWCASTLE IT WAS GRADUALLY WHITTLED DOWN AS THE POPULATION EXPANDED AND NEW PARISHES WERE FORMED. TOWARDS THE END OF THE 20th CENTURY HOWEVER A NUMBER OF INNER CITY PARISHES, INLCUDING NEWCASTLE, WERE AMALGAMATED INTO TODAY'S PARISH COVERING NOT ONLY THE CITY CENTRE BUT ALSO MEREWETHER AND MEREWETHER BEACH.

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CHURCH
THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST MARY HAS SERVED THE INNER CITY SINCE 1866. PERCHED ON "THE HILL" HIGH ABOVE THE CBD, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN GOTHIC STYLE CHURCH WITH BUTRESSES, TALL LANCET WINDOW PAIRS AND A MAGNIFICENT WEST WINDOW ABOVE THE PORCH. A LARGE STATUE OF THE SACRED HEART STANDS AT THE ENTRANCE. BUILT ON A STEEPLY SLOPING SITE WHICH HAD TO BE CARVED OUT TO ENABLE THE CHURCH AND SACRISTIES TO BE BUILT, THE CHURCH IS IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE PROCLAIMING THE FAITH TO THE TOWN BELOW. DUE TO THE DISCOVERY OF TERMITE INFESTATIONS THE CHURCH HAS RECENTLY BEEN CLOSED FOR RESTORATION WORK TO BE UNDERTAKEN.

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STATION CHURCHES
MEREWETHER MEREWETHER BEACH


CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, MEREWETHER
STATION
ALSO KNOWN AS JUNCTION HILL, MEREWETHER WAS ONE OF THE MANY COAL MINING VILLAGES THAT GREW AROUND THE PORT OF NEWCASTLE. TODAY IT IS AN INNNER CITY COMMERCIAL CENTRE WITH MUCH OF THE POPULATION HAVING MOVED TO ESCAPE THE CONGESTION OF THE NARROW STREETS.

ORIGINALLY A STATION OF HAMILTON AND LATER A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT, MEREWETHER WAS A MAJOR CATHOLIC CENTRE WITH A LARGE JOSEPHITE CONVENT AND SCHOOL. THE DECLINE IN POPULATION AND VOCATIONS LED TO ITS AMAGAMATION IN THE 1990's WITH NEWCASTLE.

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CHURCH
THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH REFLECTS THE MIXTURE OF TRADITION AND MODERNITY THAT WAS A FEATURE OF THE 1960's.

THE DECORATION AND TEXTURES ARE MODERN BUT THE BLOCKY NAVE MAINTAINS THE TRADITIONAL ORIENTATION.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS FORCEFULLY PROCLAIMED BY THE LARGE WEST CROSS AND THE PATRON SAINT IS COMMEMORATED BY A STATUE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

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AN ATTRACTIVE LOURDES GROTTO IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE CHURCH IN MEMORY OF ANNIE AND ENID MILLS.

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STATION CHURCHES
CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY, MEREWETHER BEACH
STATION
THIS PRETTY BEACHSIDE SUBURB CLOSE TO THE CENTRE OF NEWCASTLE WAS A POPULAR RESIDENTIAL AREA FOR MANY YEARS. TODAY AS THE POPULATION EXPANDS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE METROPOLIS MEREWETHER BEACH HAS BECOME AN AREA OF ATTRACTIVE OLD HOMES POPULAR WITH A YOUNGER AND MORE UPWARDLY MOBILE DEMOGRAPHIC SIMILAR TO SYDNEY'S NORTHERN BEACHES.

ORIGINALLY A STATION OF MEREWETHER AND THEN A PARISH IN ITS OWN RIGHT, MEREWETHER BEACH WAS PART OF THE AMALGAMATION OF INNER CITY PARISHES IN THE 1990's. TODAY IT FALLS WITHIN THE ENLARGED NEWCASTLE CITY PARISH.


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CHURCH
TRADITIONAL IN DESIGN BUT MODERN IN ITS CONSTRUCTION THE ATTRACTIVE 50's STYLE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY REFLECTS THE SIMPLER GOTHIC OF THAT ERA. THE SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE CHURCH IS ITS LARGE PLAIN WEST WINDOW AND THE STATUE OF THE HOLY FAMILY SURMOUNTING THE PORCH.

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HISTORIC CHURCHES

HELP PLEASE

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE COMPREHENSIVE. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY CHURCHES NOT INCLUDED, OR HAS INFORMATION OR PHOTOS OF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHURCHES PLEASE CONTACT ME. I WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU AND ADDING TO THE INFORMATION ON OUR HISTORIC CHURCHES.

COOKS HILL


CHURCH OF ST LUKE, COOKS HILL
COOKS HILL IS AN INNER CITY SUBURB OF NARROW STREETS AND ATTRACTIVE VICTORIAN HOUSES JUST TO THE SOUTH OF MEREWETHER. TODAY THE AREA HAS BECOME LARGELY GENTRIFIED.

DURING THE 60's THE AREA HAD A SUFFICIENT CATHOLIC POPULATION TO WARRANT A MASS CENTRE AND THE SIMPLE A-FRAME CHURCH OF ST LUKE'S WAS BUILT. IT WAS TRADITIONAL IN ORIENTATION WITH A SMALL PORCH ATTACHED TO IT. WITH THE DECLINE IN POULATION THE CHURCH WAS CLOSED IN THE NEW CENTURY AFTER JUST UNDER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE AND WAS SOLD TO CATHOLIC AGEDCARE SERVICES WHO RUN THE GAED CARE VILLAGE AT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.

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OTHER BUILDINGS
OTHER BUILDINGS
MEREWETHER
JOSEPHITE CONVENT		NEWCASTLE
REDEMPTORIST CHAPEL


CONVENT OF ST JOSEPH, MEREWETHER
THE JOSEPHITE FOUNDATION AT MEREWETHER DATES FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 20th CENTURY.

THE HANDSOME FEDERATION STYLE CONVENT STANDS NEXT DOOR TO THE CHURCH AND IS AN IMPRESSIVE SPECIMEN OF ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE. COMPRISING A SYMMETRICAL PATTERN OF TWO WINGS AND AROUND A CENTRAL ENTRANCE AND VERANDAH DOMINATED BY THE STATUE OF THE PATRON, ST JOSEPH, IT PROVIDED ACCOMODATION FOR BOTH THE SISTERS AND BOARDERS.


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HISTORIC CHURCHES

OTHER BUILDINGS
CHAPEL OF ST MARK, NEWCASTLE
THE CENTRE OF NEWCASTLE WAS POORLY SERVED BY RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS AS A RESULT OF THE AWKWARD TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SITE. THE CBD LIES BELOW THE HILL ON WHICH ARE LOCATED THE ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL AND EVEN HIGHER UP THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY'S. ACCORDINGLY THERE WAS NOWHERE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO WORSHIP IF THEY WERE IN TOWN. THEN IN THE 1970's THE REDEMPTORISTS OPENED A SMALL CHAPEL IN THE CENTRE OF THE CBD DEDICATED TO ST MARK. ALTHOUGH THE DECLINE IN THE ORDER RESULTED IN IT BENG TAKEN OVER FOR A WHILE BY THE PARISH, TODAY IT IS AGAIN SERVED BY THE REDEMPTORIST ORDER AND PROVIDES A PEACEFUL SANCTUARY IN THE BUSTLE OF THE CITY'S LIFE.








THE CHAPEL IS LOCATED IN SMALL SIDE STREET OFF THE MAIN ROAD OPPOSITE THE STATION. IT IS CONSTRUCTED IN A TYPICAL 70's STYLE IN BLONDE BRICK TO BLEND IN UNOBTRUSIVELY WITH THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. ITS LOCATION IS MARKED BY A PROMINENT CROSS TOWER THAT CLEARLY SIGNIFIES ITS PURPOSE. THE CHAPEL ITSELF IS IN FACT A PART OF A LARGER CENTRE FOR SOCAL OUTREACH RUN BY THE REDEMPTORISTS.








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THE INTRIOR OF THE CHAPEL IS ALSO IN KEEPING WITH ITS PERIOD. APARTAN IN APPEARANCE WITH A CENTRALLY LOCATED TABERNACLE AND A MODERN CRUCIFIX DOMINATING THE EAST WALL AND A PLAIN TABLE STYLE ALTAR. THE SEATING IS SEMI-CIRCULAR CONSONANT WITH THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THE LORD'S TABLE ETHOS THAT PREVAILED AT THE TIME. DECORATION IS KEPT TO A MINIMUM TO AVOID DISTRACTION FROM THE CENTRAL ACTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.








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