St Louis Catholic Church, Boyanup

Statement of Significance

The pace represents the presence of the Catholic Church in Boyanup since 1913. It has significant associations with the Reilly family and for generations of worshippers it has a sense of place.

Physical Description

Timber framed and weatherboard clad and painted white. The steeply pitched gable corrugated iron roofe3d gives the church the typical Gothic style of Gothic Churches. Two Gothic arched windows are along each side of the church, with double hung sash windows in the rear lean-to extension. Lined and ceiled in 1939. Stone fense in 1948. In 1968, porch replaced and alter turned around, as well as a confessional being added. The 'front porch is clad with wertical profile asbestos sheeting, and has a low pitched skillion roof not in keeping with the general character of the church. In 1990 the floor stumps were renewed, and the confessional was removed to allow for more seating.

History

The Catholic pioneers in Boyanup in the early 1900's thought the Boyanup church too far away. Occasionally a Catholic Priest would stay overnight at Terrence and Bridget Reilly's and mass would be celebrated in their front room with an alter of kerosene boxes.
The church's first priest, Reverend Dean Martelli, travelled by train from Bunbury to conduct services, and was esponsible for naming the church. He came to the Bunbury parish in 1897, and acted as an agent for the Sisters of Mercy, buying land for future convents. He insisted the church be built on freehold land with space to build a convent, so this site was purchased and the former allocated site on the South West Highway was sold to the Hitchings.
The church builder became one of the chief builders in the Boyanup area after he came from NSW by way of the goldfields, as an experienced carpenter. He married Emma Simmons in c.1896 (daughter of Thomas and Charlotte). The church wsa dedicated on the 9th February 1913, by the Reverend Deam Smyth of Bunbury. Fianance for the church was raidsed by the efforts of Terrence Reilly and a small band of dedicated workers. The Reillys even with their nine children, matched all donations collected fromt he community with a personal contribution. The timber was carted by horse and dray from the Old Argyle Mill, and the place was built by Alfred Peake with the assistance of the dedicated church workers.
In 1938, when Archbishop Prendivile was visiting, he ordered that the church be lined and celed, and the work was completed by 1940.In 1948, the Reverend Fathe Charles Cunningham, later Monsignor, was the Dardanup parish Priest who had the stone fence erected. In 1968, Monsignor Giles had the small porch replaced and a new altar built to enable the celebrant to face the congregation, and a confessional was built at the same time. In 1990 the confessional was removed to allow for more seating.
In 1989, the land intended for the convent was sold to the Capel Shire by Bishop Quin of Bunbury for the sole purpose of building aged accommodation. 'Riverside Villas' for the aged were opened on 16th October 1993.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Intact
Authenticity: High Degree

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

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