1916
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BROKEN BAY
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PARISH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY WAITARA |
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FOUNDED 1916 |
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DIOCESE BROKEN BAY |
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PARISH CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY |
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| PARISH | CHURCH |
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 | PARISH |
| AS SYDNEY SPREAD ALONG THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY CORRIDOR THE NEED FOR NEW PARISHES BECAME APPARENT. ORIGINALLY PART OF THE ENORMOUS PYMBLE PARISH, WAITARA WAS FORMED IN 1916. ORIGINALLY EXTENDING TO THE HAWKESBURY TODAY IT COVERS WAITARA AND HORNSBY. | |
| FIRST AND SECOND CHURCHES OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, WAITARA | |
| ORIGINALLY A CHURCH/SCHOOL WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1898 BUT TEN YEARS LATER A BRICK STATION CHURCH WAS BUILT. THIS BECAME THE PARISH CHURCH IN 1916. IT WAS SOLD IN THE LATE 80's TO FINANCE THE NEW CHURCH AND HAS NOW BEEN DEMOLISHED. NEXT |
| THIRD CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, WAITARA |  |
| THE PARISH ORIGINALLY CONSIDERED REFURBISHING THE EXISTING CHURCH BUT THEN DECIDED TO RELOCATE THE WHOLE PARISH COMPLEX TO A SITE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD NEXT TO ST LEO'S HIGH SCHOOL. IN 1991 THE PRESENT PARISH COMPLEX WAS BUILT COMPRISING PRIMARY SCHOOL, PARISH OFFICES, PRESBYTERY AND CHURCH. THE CHURCH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE POST VATICAN II STYLE AS A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL BUILDING. THE SHAPE OF THE CHURCH IS SQUARE PROVIDING ALL-ROUND ACCESS TO THE SANCTUARY. THE ROOF FORMS A STEEPLE CULMINATING IN A SKYLIGHT AND A METAL TUBING CROSS. NEXT |
 | A WIDE COURTYARD PROVIDES AN AREA FOR MINGLING BEFORE AND AFTER MASS AND LANDSCAPED GARDENS PROVIDE A COOL RESTFUL ATMOSPHERE. THE CHURCH IS CONSTRUCTED OF BLACK VOLCANIC ROCK TO PRODUCE STARK BLACK AND WHITE CONSTRASTS WITH THE ROOF. AN EXTENDED ROOF AND UNDERCUT DOORWAY PROVIDE A SHELTERED PORCH OUTSIDE THE CHURCH. NEXT |
| THE FRONT VIEWED FROM THE CENTRAL COURTYARD CLEARLY SHOWS THE DEEP PORCH CREATED BY THE DIAGONAL UNDERCUTTING OF THE EAVE. THE GLASS WALLING IS ALSO EVIDENT HERE, PROVIDING A UNIFYING OF INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. IN FRONT OF THE DOORS IS AN ATTRACTIVE LITTLE GARDEN SOFTENING THE HARD LINES OF THE SUPPORT COLUMN. THE GLASS WALLING PROVIDES THE BULK OF THE LIGHTING IN THE CHURCH. NEXT |  |
 | THE SANCTUARY IS AN ATTRACTIVE OPEN SPACE DOMINATED BY A DARK STONE WALL SET WITH A STAINED GLASS WINDOW. THIS LATTER IS A NOD TOWARDS TRADITION UNLIKE MOST MODERN CHURCHES WHICH TEND TO PREFER BLANK WALLS AS AN EASTERN BACKDROP. THE WALL IS SAID TO REPRESENT THE MEMBERS OF THE PARISH AS LIVING STONES FITTING TOGETHER NEATLY BUT IN AN IRREGUALR PATTERN. WIDE WINDOWS AT EITHER END PROVIDE LIGHTING AS DOES THE TRIANGULAR SKYLIGHT HIGH OVERHEAD. A PLAIN STONE ALTAR AND FUNCTIONAL MODERN FURNITURE COMPLEMENT THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SANCTUARY. TOP HISTORIC CHURCHES |
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| HISTORIC CHURCHES | |
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