Gibney House (fmr)

Values

The place was built for Bishop Matthew Gibney, a prominent Bishop in the Catholic Church in Western Australia, who resided in the house.

The place is rare as an example of Federation Queen Anne style church housing.

The place is representative of the development of the Catholic Church in Western Australia, largely due to the efforts of Bishop Matthew Gibney.

Physical Description

‘A single storey brick and tile residence with prominent tiled gambrel style roof and projecting central porch with half battened gable screen and art nouveou style timber verandah brackets. The roof line is broken by several tall brick chimneys with terracotta pots.’

History

The establishment of a Roman Catholic presence in Highgate Hill dates from 1891, when Bishop Matthew Gibney supervised the subdivision of the Church’s land known as ‘Mount Heart Estate.’ Gibney house was built for Matthew Gibney and he resided in the house.

‘Cornafean’ website states:

‘Matthew Gibney was born at Aghaknock, Cornafean, County Cavan, Ireland, on 2 November 1837, son of Michael Gibney, a farmer, and his wife Alice, nee Prunty. He was educated in Kilmore Academy and studied for the priesthood at the Preparatory Seminary at Stillorgan and from 1857 at the All Hallows College in Dublin.  He was ordained on 14 June 1863 and arrived on the “Tartar” in Perth on the 12th of December of the same year.’

‘Father Gibney was a man of great energy and charity. In 1868 he opened the Catholic Girls Orphanage in Perth and in 1871 the Clontarf Orphanage for boys in Subiaco.’

‘In 1886 he became Coadjutor Bishop of Perth, and in the following year was consecrated Bishop after the death of Dr. Griver.  During his episcopate, he expanded greatly the numbers of churches, schools, and orphanages within the diocese and also established a number of hospitals and a monastery. In 1898 he divided the diocese and created the diocese of Geraldton.’

‘Gibney identified himself closely with the political and social aspirations of his fellow Irishmen in Australia. He had been partly responsible for the 1871 Elementary Education Act by which the subsidisation of religious education was extended to the catholic schools.  In the Perth by-election of 1888 Catholics voted en bloc for John Horgan, Gibney’s Solicitor. Gibney deplored the restrictions which disqualified many of the people from voting, and publicly condemned the electoral system on several occasions.’

‘In the 1894 elections the principle of government aid to Catholic schools was defeated, despite the Bishop’s efforts to mobilise votes for candidates supporting it.  Next year the ecclesiastical grant was abolished; he requested £50,000 in compensation and received £5,000.’

‘This caused a financial crisis for the diocese, which was worsened by some ill-advised investments. From the late 1890’s the church bought many shops, offices houses and a hotel in the city of Perth.  In 1905 he acquired control of the Morning Herald, he banned horse racing information from it, circulation dropped and the paper went into liquidation in 1909.’

‘By 1908 the Church was seriously in debt and two years later Gibney retired after an inquiry instigated by Cardinal Moran of Sydney.  Father Patrick Clune succeeded him.  Matthew died at his North Perth home, from cancer on 22nd June 1925.  He was buried under the nave of St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth.’

‘Matthew died at his North Perth home, from cancer on 22nd June 1925.  He was buried under the nave of St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth.’

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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