St Louis Catholic Church, Boyanup

Statement of Significance

St Louis Catholic Church, a single storey timber building in Federation Carpenter Gothic style, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
• the place has considerable social significance for the local catholic community;
• the place is an abiding testament to the efforts of the small catholic community who raised
the necessary funds to construct a place of worship;
• the place is associated with the historical development of Boyanup; and,
• the place has aesthetic value due to its prominent corner location on main entry roads into
Boyanup.

Physical Description

Significance
St. Louis Catholic Church sits on a large corner block along the main entry roads into Boyanup. The northern property line is defined by a low stone and brick wall (1948). A timber pergola marks the main entry point into the church grounds and a concrete path leads from the footpath to the entrance of the church. Narrow garden beds line either side of this path.

At the rear of the church is a modern ablution block constructed from corrugated galvanised iron. The building is a timber framed, weatherboard clad structure. The steeply pitched gable roof is clad with corrugated iron. A wooden cross is affixed to the front gable and two painted angles fixed to the lower section of this gable end. The building has a simple rectangular plan, with an entry porch, nave/sanctuary and sacristy. The porch (1968) is timber framed and clad with vertical profile asbestos cement sheeting. It has a shallow pitched skillion roof. The paired doors, on the eastern side, are square headed. The nave/sanctuary section features two arched headed windows on each elevation while the sacristy has a squared, double hung sash window on the eastern side and a door on the southern side. It has a skillion roof clad with corrugated galvanised iron.

The Interior features a wooden floor, covered with carpet, a plasterboard walls and ceiling with decorative ceiling ventilators and metal tie rods running across the width of the building at top plate height. The southern wall, dividing the sanctuary from the sacristy is clad with weatherboards. The sacristy has a skillion roof ceiling lined with plaster board and the walls are lined with weatherboards. The church is fitted with wooden pews which came from the Church of Immaculate Conception, Dardanup in 1958. The building has modern lights and fittings. The building appears to be in good condition. The modern porch detracts from the overall gothic character of the church.

History

Assessment: 2003
Construction: 1913
Architect & Builder: Alfred Peak
Alterations/Additions: 1939, 1968
A rail link between Bunbury and Boyanup was completed in 1888, although due to the lack of locomotives, the line remained inoperable until the locomotives were returned in 1890. The settlement at Boyanup began to expand and the town site was surveyed with land set aside for the Anglican and Congregational Churches. Boyanup was declared a township in 1894.' Land was later allocated to the Roman Catholic Church on the South West Highway. This was sold when Bishop Gibney purchased two lots (9 and 10) on the corner of Bridge and Thomas Streets in October 1896. Two lots were purchased in anticipation of the erection of a convent on one of the blocks. Construction of Boyanup's Catholic Church was highly dependent on the fund raising activities of Terence and Bridget Reilly.
The Reillys arrived in Boyanup in 1894. Prior to the construction of St. Louis, Catholics in Boyanup had to attended The Church of the Immaculate Conception at Dardanup or mass was occasionally held in the Reilly's front room. The family began an active campaign for the construction of their own church and donated £1 for every pound donated. Raffles were also held to raise the necessary funds. St. Louis Catholic Church was dedicated on 9 February 1913 by Dean L. Smyth from Bunbury. The service was also attended by the local Anglican Minister, Rev. Scott-Clarke. Dean Luigi Martelli from Bunbury initially held services until the appointment of Father James Phelan who was the Parish Priest at Dardanup.
The building remained unaltered until 1938 when Archbishop Prendiville, on a visit to the district, considered the state of the building unfit 'to say mass in'. Up until this time, the northern, eastern and western walls were clad to dado height with weatherboards (the southern sacristy wall was totally clad with weatherboards) with exposed studs above. The ceiling was also unlined. The work was completed by 1940.
During 1948, Father Charles Cunningham had the stone fence built around the northern perimeter. The decision made at the Second Council of the Vatican in Rome in 1962, which saw changes to the Catholic Liturgy led to alterations to the interior. These included the replacement of the original small porch with the present structure, the erection of a confessional in the eastern side of the porch and the construction of a new altar to enable the priest to face the congregation. These alterations were carried out in 1968 under the direction of Monsignor Giles. In 1989, Lot 10 Thomas Street was sold to the Shire of Capel for the construction of aged home units. Further minor alterations occurred to the interior of the Church in 1990. The confessional was removed to provide more seating, the outside line of slumps were replaced and a new altar, and tabernacle were constructed.

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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.