St Mary's Roman Catholic Church

Values

• The place is a good example of a substantial red brick church building in the Federation Gothic style.
• The place is a landmark due to its size and form and location on the corner of Lindsay and Lefroy Streets and as such makes a significant contribution to the Coolgardie townscape.
• The place is associated with the discovery of gold in the region in 1892 and the subsequent development of the Coolgardie townsite in the 1890s.
• The place has associations with prominent architectural firm Cavanagh and Cavanagh.
• The place has social value for its religious, education and social associations since 1902.

Physical Description

The place is a double volume red brick building with gable frontage and a gable vented CGI roof. The front porch is located centrally in the façade and is also gable in form with a separate roof.
The building is cruciform in plan.
The building has horizontal rendered bands and reveals. There is a facetted bay to the rear.

History

In 1892, gold was discovered near Coolgardie by Bayley and Ford and the field was declared in that same year. This was followed by mass migration to this area by people eager to strike a claim of their own. The discovery of gold and the burgeoning town at Coolgardie signalled the further exploration and settlement of the remainder of what became known as the Eastern Goldfields area, and the town of Coolgardie developed as the mining, business and administrative centre of the Eastern Goldfields.
The original church on the property was a timber framed and iron clad church dating from 1892. This was demolished to make way for the permanent brick building, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1902.
The 1902 church was designed by well-known architectural firm Cavanagh and Cavanagh, who were responsible for the design of many buildings for the Roman Catholic Church around the state. J. Millington was awarded the building tender.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.