Malvern, VIC - St Joseph's Catholic

Year Built: 1908

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Saint: Joseph

Address: 47 Stanhope Street, Malvern, Victoria, 3144

Architect: A.A. Fritsch

Architectural Style: Romanesque

Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri people

Last Updated: 19/03/2024

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History and Architecture:

The Very Rev. Father (afterwards Dean) Hegarty, parish priest of St. Kilda celebrated the first public Mass for the Catholics of Malvern in the new Malvern Town Hall on the third Sunday of September 1888. An earlier Mass had been said on the 3rd February 1888 at the recently established Convent of the Sacred Heart in Burke Road. In 1889, a site for a Catholic Church building was purchased in Stanhope Street for the sum of £1400.

The Foundation stone was laid on 16 February 1908 by his Grace The Most Reverend Dr Carr Archbishop of Melbourne. The Architect was A.A. Fritsh and the builders were Swanson Brothers.

The Advocate Newspaper of the 26th September 1908, in an article about the opening of the Church, described it as follows: The building is one of the most handsome and best fitted Churches in the southern suburbs.

The Church has a fine bold entrance, with a marble tympanium filled with two Australian marbles. There are two side towers, surmounted by monier constructed domes, and the central feature of the facade is a large niche with a statue of the Universal Church, St. Joseph Viet (2.7 metres) high. The interior height of the Church is 38.5 feet (11.7 metres). The nave is 110 feet (33.5 metres) by 40 feet (12.2 metres), and there is a recess for the High Altar of 13 feet (3.9 metres) by 26 feet (7.92 metres).

Clergy:

These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.

Years Name Annotation D.o.B D.o.D
1892 - 1909 Father Michael Maher
1909 - 1914 Father Simon Hegarty
1915 - 1919 Father Michael O'Flynn 1867 1919
1919 - 1923 Father Richard Ryan 1879 1957
1924 - 1924 Father John Ryan 1872 1947
1925 - 1931 Father Patrick Meenagh 1881 1966
1932 - 1938 Father John Barry
1939 - Father William McGlynn
1939 - 1945 Father Ernest Martin 1891 1955
1946 - 1952 Father Arthur Bridgwater 1912 1998
1952 - 1957 Father Victor McKinnon 1907 1968
1957 - 1963 Father Raymond McGuire 1911 1977
1964 - 1967 Father Roderick McMahon 1911 1977
1967 - 1968 Father Gerald Scott
1969 - 1969 Father Leo Keenan 1912 1980
1970 - 1972 Father John Halloran
1973 - 1975 Father Xavier Barry
1976 - 1981 Father Leo Conlon 1920 2005
1982 - 1987 Father Bernard Scott
1988 - 1992 Father Timothy Williams
1992 - 1995 Father Maurice Sullivan
1995 - 2000 Father Gerlad Scott
2001 - 2008 Father Brian O'Sullivan
2020 ? - Father Alan Gibson

Organ:

The first Organ was built in 1917 by J.E. Dodd. It was rebuilt c1960 by S.I. Sakacs. Removed in 1972 by George Fincham & Sons (parts used elsewhere). It had 2m, 23spst, 7c, tubpn. Gt: 8.8.8.8.8.4.4.2.8.8. Sw: 16.8.8.8.8.4.4.8.8. Ped: 16.16.16.16 (Trombone). The present Organ was built in 1967 by Hill, Norman & Beard (o/n V744). 2m, 2rks + mixture ext, elmag.

Source:

1. The Story of the Church of St Joseph's Malvern.1908 - 2008. SLTF 282.9451 ST1058S
2. The Advocate Newspaper.
3. Organ Historical trust of Australia with permission.