The Advocate was first published on 1st February 1868 by Samuel Vincent Winter and his brother, Joseph. Its goal was to “fairly and intelligently represent the Catholic and Irish section of the community, and, while defending their legitimate interests, would aim at promoting the prosperity of the colony, and cultivating a friendly feeling among all classes of the community.” In 1902, The Advocate imported a font of Irish type and became the first newspaper in Australia to be able to print the Gaelic language. In 1919, the ownership and management of The Advocate passed to the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne until it ceased publication in 1990. From 1868 -1990, The Advocate remained a “reliable record of Catholic life.” (1)
In this post we will look at the type of local historical information we can find in The Advocate, concentrating on reports of the opening of Catholic Churches in the old Shire of Berwick and Shire of Cranbourne; but before we do here is a short overview of the Parish structure in the area.
As early as the 1840s Priests from Melbourne used to visit the area - Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon and the Western Port region. In 1853 the Brighton Mission was established, a very large area that covered the south east part of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast and West Gippsland. In April 1883 the Dandenong Parish or Mission was established which covered nearly all of the Shire of Berwick and Shire of Cranbourne (the Casey Cardinia region), plus Dandenong, Phillip Island, down to Wonthaggi and the Mornington Peninsula. This Parish was eventually split up with the Iona Parish being created in 1905, Koo Wee Rup in 1946, St Mary's North Tynong (or Maryknoll) in 1950 (combined with Iona in 1968), Pakenham in 1954, Berwick (including Cranbourne) in 1956, Doveton in 1962, Cranbourne in 1973, Endeavour Hills in 1980 and Narre Warren in 1982. This information and some of the information in the rest of this post comes from A Parish carved from the bush: the centenary history of the Dandenong Parish, 1883-1983 (2)
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The next church to open was St Patrick's in Pakenham which opened in 1871. The existing Church was built in 1976. The original Church is still standing and is now part of the St Patrick's School. The Advocate published this report on construction of this Church -
St Michael's Church, Berwick
The first Berwick Catholic Church was officially opened by Archbishop Goold on March 31, 1878. It was originally known as St Joseph's, but later changed to St Michael's. The name change seemed to gave occurred around 1910 - I found references to St Michael's in 1910, even though St Joseph's was still be used as late as 1914, presumably by long-term parishioners. (6)
St Joseph's Church, Iona
St Joseph's at Iona was the next Church to be opened, which took place on December 16, 1900. Iona was known as Bunyip South until 1905. The Advocate reported -
St Agatha's Church, Cranbourne
Back to The Advocate - the first Catholic Church in the area was St Agatha's at Cranbourne which was opened on February 6, 1861, by Archbishop Goold (3); so a bit too early to be reported in The Advocate. However, the second St Agatha's which was opened on January 20, 1929 had a full page report, which you can read here. This church was opened by Archbishop Mannix; it was designed by Architect, Mr P.J. O'Connor and the contractor was Mr Taylor. The church cost £3131/5/.
The current St Agatha's was built in 1981. This Church was partially funded by a generous bequeath of $492,000 from Mr Eddie Donnelly who passed away in 1979. You can read more of the history on their website http://www.stagathas.org.au/
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The opening of St Agatha's Church at Cranbourne in 1929 with the original 1861
weatherboard Church next to it.
The opening of St Agatha's in Cranbourne in 1929
The Advocate, January 24, 1929 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171655207
St Patrick's Church, Pakenham
New Church, Pakenham - On the Gippsland road, about 35 miles from Melbourne, in the wilds, we may say, of the Australian bush, a beautiful little church is being built. It is so situated, and both in material and design is so pleasing, that more eloquently and impressively than all the churches in this crowded city it will bear testimony to the Christian character of the people of Victoria. On the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul the Rev. J. P. O'Sullivan turned the first sod for the foundation in the presence of several members of the Catholic congregation in the district. Since that time the building operations have been rapidly progressing. (4)
I can't actually find an opening date for the Church, but A Parish Carved from the Bush notes that the first wedding which took place was on October 2, 1872, between Johanna O'Brien and Phillip Boland. (5)
Marriage of Johann O'Brien to Matthew Boland, at
The Australasian, November 2, 1872 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137575458
An early photo of St Patrick's at Pakenham.
Source: North of the Line: a pictorial record published by the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society in 1996.
St Michael's Church, Berwick
The first Berwick Catholic Church was officially opened by Archbishop Goold on March 31, 1878. It was originally known as St Joseph's, but later changed to St Michael's. The name change seemed to gave occurred around 1910 - I found references to St Michael's in 1910, even though St Joseph's was still be used as late as 1914, presumably by long-term parishioners. (6)
The Advocate had a report of the opening -
Church of St Joseph, Berwick - This handsome and commodious edifice was solemnly opened and consecrated to divine worship on Sunday, 31st March, by his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Goold, Archbishop of Melbourne. The Archbishop was assisted by Rev. M. Carey, pastor of the district, and Rev. W. Kelly, S.J., who preached a very eloquent and impressive sermon on the occasion. He took his text from Galatians iv., and read in the Mass of the Sunday, " we are children of promise." The rev. preacher dwelt on the promises of God, through Christ, pointing out that the material temple in which they were assembled was the memorial and manifestation of men's best and highest hopes, and that it was by turning to good account the grace that would be so largely conferred within these walls that our hopes of pardon, perseverance, and final bliss were to be realised. After the sermon his Grace addressed the congregation, urging in highly and well chosen words, the importance of complying with the paschal obligations of confession and communion. The attendance was very numerous, considering the very extreme inclemency of the weather, and must be regarded as highly creditable to the zeal and earnestness of the Roman Catholic, pastor and people of Berwick. (7)
The original wooden Church at Berwick
Image: Church on the hill: a history of St Michael’s Parish Berwick by Maree Chapman (St Michael’s Catholic Parish, 1996)
The second Church at Berwick was opened on January 24, 1937 by Archbishop Mannix. The Advocate had full report, including photographs, which you can read here. The old wooden church was removed having been sold to Dan Cunningham of Nar Nar Goon, but burnt down before he could use it (8) The current St Michael's Church was opened in 1984.
St Michael's Berwick
The Advocate, January 28, 1937, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171926375
Archbishop Mannix at the opening of St Michael's in Berwick in 1937.
The Advocate January 28, 1937 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171926375
St Joseph's Church, Iona
St Joseph's at Iona was the next Church to be opened, which took place on December 16, 1900. Iona was known as Bunyip South until 1905. The Advocate reported -
The Dandenong Mission - Last Sunday a new church was opened at Bunyip South by the Very Rev. M. J. Maher, C.M. (Malvern), who also delivered the dedicatory discourse, his theme being the excellence of the August Sacrifice of the Mass. The custom of offering sacrifice to a Supreme Being was traced from the earliest history of the world down to our own day. Fr. Maher was assisted in the function by the pastor of the Dandenong mission, in which the new church is situated (Rev. J. Gleeson). The building is of wood, and is considered very good value for the sum of £250, the contract price. The preacher concluded with an appeal on behalf of the debt on the new structure, and a generous response was made, the sum £48 being received. (9)
St Joseph's Church, Iona, 1922
The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246
The current St Joseph's Church was opened on April 14, 1940. The comprehensive report in The Advocate started with -
A new church was blessed and opened at Iona on Sunday afternoon by his Grace the Archbishop, who was accompanied from Melbourne by Right Rev. Dr. P. F. Lyons, V.G., Adm. Built of multi-red brick, with a tower rising to a height of 60 feet, and with seating accommodation for 450 people, the new church is one of the best country churches in the Archdiocese. It has been well furnished and the High Altar, altar rails and pulpit are of Mt. Sommers (New Zealand) stone. The site is most central, but, because of the treacherous state of the ground, the foundations were specially strengthened. The cost of erecting the church was £5300, and it was designed by Mr. W. P. Conolly and built by Mr. Donald McLennan. Messrs. Lodge Bros, executed the stonework. (10)
St John the Baptist Church, Koo Wee Rup
The first decade of the twentieth century continued to be a busy time for the Dandenong Mission with three other Churches established. Two years after Iona, another Church, St John the Baptist, was opened on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, at Koo Wee Rup, on August 24, 1902. The Advocate reported -
A new Catholic Church was solemnly opened and blessed at Koo-wee-rup, in the Dandenong Mission, on Sunday last, 4th August. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, a large congregation had assembled to witness the opening ceremony, the entire seating space being taken up. After the blessing of the new church, Mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. J. Hagarty, C.M., of Malvern, who also preached the sermon, after which a collection was taken up, which realised upwards of £50, including a donation of £25 received from His Grace the Archbishop. The pastor (Rev. J. Gleeson) assisted in the function. (11)
The current Church, built in Modernist Design, was opened on December 23, 1962, by the Bishop of Sale, the Most Reverend P.F. Lyons.
St John the Baptist Church, Koo Wee Rup, 1930s.
Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society
St James' Church, Nar Nar Goon Catholic Church opened on May 29, 1904 -
A new church recently built at Nar-Nar-Goon at a cost of between £300 and £400, on land given byMr. James Kelly, of Nar-Nar-Goon, was formally opened on Sunday by the Very Rev. J. T. Colgan, S.J. The choir from Pakenham assisted. There was a large congregation. (12)
The current St James' building was opened on March 13, 1971.
Sources -
St Mary's Church, Lang Lang
On September 14, 1908 the Lang Lang Church was opened, it is called St Marys. The Advocate reported -
The Vicar-General's Visit to Lang Lang - New Church opened and Blessed - Last Sunday the Very Rev. Dean Phelan, V.G., visited Lang Lang (Iona Mission) for the purpose of solemnly blessing and opening a new church. It being the feast of the Holy Name of Mary, the church was placed under the invocation of Our Blessed Lady under that title. There was a large congregation people attending from all parts of the mission, and not a few of our separated brethren were present.
After the ceremony of blessing the church, in which the Dean was assisted by the respected pastor (Rev. James Byrne), and previous to delivering the occasional sermon, he congratulated Fr. Byrne and the parishioners on the wonderful progress made during the few years he had been in charge of the district. Four churches had been erected in the parish, and a fine presbytery and Catholic Hall at Iona. Over £2000 had been paid off during the past four years, leaving but a small debt on the parish. Considering the growing needs of the place, the Dean told the congregation that at Fr. Byrne's request he would send him an assistant priest within the next couple of months. In future, the Vicar-General said, you will have Mass every Sunday at a fixed hour in each of the four churches. This announcement gave pleasure to the people of the Lang district, who, in the past, had Mass only on week-day.
The Dean preached on the necessity of a church as a home for the Blessed Eucharist, and touched on the Sacrifice of the mass and the Doctrine of the Real Presence as a reason why Catholics erected churches. The collection made after Mass was a very generous one, and realised over £150. There remains, in consequence, a debt on the building of only £120. Amongst the larger donations received were:—Dean Phelan, V.G., and Fr. Byrne, £10 each; Messrs. P. Kennedy, £15; J. O'Connor, £11; P. Doyle, £8 8s.; J. Glasheen, T. Lonergan, and M. Coghlan, £6 each; R. Gray, £5 5s. Fr. Byrne, in announcing the result of the collection, thanked the Dean for his presence and generosity, the people for their earnestness in building the church, and the many non-Catholics who were present and contributed generously to the building fund. (13)
The Church is still in operation.
St Peter's Church, Tooradin
The Tooradin Catholic Church opened on December 3, 1922 and, as befits a fishing village, it was named St Peters, after the Patron Saint of Fishermen. The Advocate published this report -
St Peter's - of Tooradin. New Church for Fishing Village. Opened and Blessed Last Sunday.
A fine spirit exists amongst the handful of Catholics in the fishing village of Tooradin, one of the outer parts of the Dandenong parish, and this has found expression in the erection of a large wooden church in the district. Situated on Westernport Bay, about 36 miles from Melbourne, Tooradin is a long way removed from Dandenong, the centre of a very extensive parish. In such a scattered place, where the Catholics are few and far between, the visits of a priest from Dandenong are not very frequent and Mass has only been celebrated at irregular intervals. Despite these drawbacks, the district Catholics pressed their claim for the building of a church,, and expressed their readiness to shoulder the responsibilty. The Rev. F. A. Merner, P.P., knew the genuine spirit that prompted the people to ask for a church, and now their wish has been acceded to.
The new church, which is dedicated to St. Peter, is practically completed, and it is a credit to the district. Designed by Mr. Fritsch; it has been built by Messrs. Claude and Len McCarthy, whose work is most thorough. The site is an admirable one, and commands a good view of a wide expanse of country. With many natural advantages, and enjoying a well-earned reputation as an established fishing ground, Tooradin is bound to progress in the near future. With the development of the place, it will become more and more apparent what a wise step has been taken in erecting the church. Future requirements, in a spiritual sense, have indeed been well provided for.
The new church was blessed and opened on Sunday afternoon by his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne (the Most Rev. Dr. Mannix). Sultry, conditions in the early part of the morning gave way to a cool change later, and in the latter part of the afternoon light rain fell. There was a fine gathering at the function, many having come from Melbourne, lona, Koo-wee-rup, Pakenham, Lang Lang, Dandenong, and other parts. Irish and Australian flags were placed at the entrance to the church grounds, which will be planted with buffalo grass, later. When his Grace, who motored from Melbourne arrived with Fr. Merner, he was greeted with rousing cheers by the men of the district, who formed a guard, of honour in and about the church grounds. His Grace's visit was regarded as a most important event in the district, and it was quite a sight to see the large collection of motors and vehicles drawn up in the grounds.
After the blessing ceremony speeches were delivered in the church building. It was intended to have an outdoor demonstration, but the showery conditions necessitated the change of plans. In addition to his Grace, there were present the Rev. F. A. Merner, P.P.; Rev. J.Carroll, Rev. W. M. Collins, D.D., and Rev. L. Hartnett. The proceedings were of an enthusiastic character, and his Grace's address was followed with close Interest. (14)
The Church was closed and the building was moved to St Peter's College in Cranbourne in 2003 where it is used as a Chapel.
Sacred Heart Church, Gembrook
A few weeks later, on December 31, 1922 Scared Heart Catholic Church at Gembrook was blessed and opened by Archbishop Mannix - and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus according to the beautiful and inspiring formulary prescribed by the Roman Ritual.
The Advocate report commences with -
New Church at Gembrook. Blessed and Opened by the Archbishop. On Sunday 31st December, within the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord, his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne (the Most Rev. Dr. Mannix,) who motored from Melbourne accompanied by the Very Rev. Dean Carey. P.P., visited Gembrook for the purpose of the solemn blessing and opening of the new Church at Gembrook. There was a very large assemblage, many coming from Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon, and every part of the parish, not a few journeying from the metropolis.
As explained by Father Little, the Church was originally to have been opened in July -
Fr. Little, who was cordially received, said that a well-known expression rose to his mind on that occasion, "All things come to those that wait." The blessing and opening of the church was originally intended for July; adverse weather caused the function to be postponed till 15th October, and the same reason was responsible for a third postponement to that day. There had been, of course, much disappointment. However God had blessed them and gave a beautiful day for the function. (15)
This Church was described as - The new church, of timber construction, is pleasing in appearance, and was built by contract for £825, according to the design Mr G. Vanheems (16).
Gembrook was in the Fern Tree Gully Parish and the Church is still in operation, read more about it here - https://pol.org.au/Portals/30/ParishData/Id39/Uploads/Type3/Gembrook.pdf
Sacred Heart, Gembrook, 1922
The Advocate, October 5, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article176522966
Holy Family Church, Maryknoll
On September 3, 1950 at St Mary's Rural Settlement at North Tynong (as Maryknoll was originally known) the Holy Family Church was blessed and opened by Archbishop Mannix. The original Church was designed by Smith and Tracey, architects, Sydney-road, Brunswick. The comprehensive Advocate report began -
The widespread interest in St. Mary's community settlement, Tynong North, was shown last Sunday, when more than 3000 people attended the blessing and opening by Archbishop Mannix of a church-school and presbytery for Rev. Father Pooley and his pioneer co-operators at St. Mary's. Visitors came in hundreds of private cars and some fifty parlour coaches and vans from Melbourne and its suburbs, from nearby country centres and from towns as far apart as Geelong and Sale. So large was the concentration of cars on Tynong North that a special mobile police squad directed the traffic......A large tract of bush land at Tynong North is being converted into a Catholic rural settlement for 150 families. Fine work has already been done in clearing the land and home building is now in progress. Each family will have a holding of two or three acres to grow its own vegetables and fruit and keep poultry. There will be a community dairy farm and craft shops and later, it is hoped, a fruit cannery (17)
The Church was enlarged at a later date. I have written more about the history of the settlement here.
Caption: This is Holy Family Church-School, opened by Archbishop Mannix of
St. Marys Rural Settlement, Tynong North, on September 3. The building was erected from a design by Smith and Tracey, architects, Sydney-road, Brunswick, who also prepared the large-scale map of the settlement which appeared last week. The erection of the first seven permanent homes is now being undertaken and these will be occupied by settlers, at present housed in temporary quarters in the vicinity.
The Advocate, September 14 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172514072
Other Catholic Churches in the area
There are other Catholic Churches in this region which were opened after 1954 - The Holy Family Church at Doveton was opened in 1960. On October 21, 1962 St Kevin's at Hampton Park was opened - this was in a building that had been transported to the site - the old St Leonard's Church from Glen Waverley. They appear to have a newer building now, but I don't have any details on it. Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church at Narre Warren was opened in February 1980; and the St Paul Apostle Catholic Church at Endeavour Hills was opened on August 14, 1983. (18)
St Kevin's, Hampton Park
Image: A Parish carved from the bush: the centenary history of the Dandenong Parish (St Marys) 1883-1993,
compiled by Greg Dickson (St Marys Centenary Committee, 1983)
- 100 years of a faith community: St Joseph’s Iona 1905-2005 by Damian Smith (St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 2005)
- A Parish carved from the bush: the centenary history of the Dandenong Parish (St Marys) 1883-1993, compiled by Greg Dickson (St Marys Centenary Committee, 1983). Also covers the Catholic Parishes of Iona, Koo Wee Rup, Pakenham, Berwick, Cranbourne and Narre Warren.
- Church on the hill: a history of St Michael’s Parish Berwick by Maree Chapman (St Michael’s Catholic Parish, 1996)
- Parish of St John the Baptist Catholic Church: 50th anniversary as a Parish 1946-1996 (St John’s Catholic Church, 1996)
- St Agatha’s Parish Cranbourne Silver Jubilee 1973-1998 (St Agatha’s Catholic Parish, 1998)
- St Patrick’s Pakenham, 1840 - 2016 by Patrick Ferry (St Patrick’s Parish, 2016)
Footnotes
(2) A Parish carved from the bush: the centenary history of the Dandenong Parish, 1883-1983, compiled by Greg Dickson and published by the St Mary's Centennial Committee, 1983.
(3) A Parish carved from the bush, p. 16.
(4) The Advocate, July 29, 1871, see here.
(5) I have written about the O'Brien family in an article about the Nar Nar Goon Hall, here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2022/05/mechanics-institute-soldiers-memorial.html
(7) The Advocate, April 6, 1878, see here.(8) Chapman, Marie Church on the hill: a history of St Michael’s Parish Berwick by Maree Chapman (St Michael’s Catholic Parish, 1996)
(9) The Advocate, December 22, 1900, see here.
(10) The Advocate, April 18, 1940, see here
(11) The Advocate, August 30, 1902, see here.
(12) The Advocate, June 4, 1904, see here.
(13) The Advocate, September 19, 1908, see here.
(15) The Advocate, January 4, 1923, see here.
(16) The Advocate, June 29, 1922, see here.
(17) The Advocate, September 7, 1950, see here.
(18) Opening dates - A Parish carved from the bush; Hampton Park - The Age, March 23, 1962, p. 11; The Age, October 19, 1962, p. 17;
The opening of St Kevin's, Hampton park
The Age, October 19, 1962, p. 17 from newspapers.com
Narre Warren - not sure where this date came from; Endeavour Hills - https://www.melbcatholic.org/s/articles/a198w00000000tfAAA/parish-history
A shorter version of this post, which I wrote and researched, appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past
