Camberwell, VIC - Our Lady of Victories Catholic
Year Built: 1918
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Address: 548 Burke Road, Camberwell, Victoria, 3124
Architect: A.A. Fritsch
Architectural Style: Romanesque
Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri people
Last Updated: 19/11/2024
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History and Architecture:
The church is built of Barrabool stone, from Waurn Ponds, Geelong. The most prominent external feature is the cupola – the rounded copper dome adorning the church roof.
The foundation stone was laid on 25 May 1913, replacing an earlier church-school building dedicated to St John Berchman opened in 1887. The cost of the building was worked out at 4,589. The building was opened on 6 December 1918 before a crowd estimated at 80,000 and it was consecrated on 26 May 1925.
A Foundation stone reads, " This Foundation stone was laid by the Most Reverend T.J. Carr Archbishop of Melbourne 25th May 1913". A.A. Fritsch Architect ?? Harper Supervisor and Builder".
Clergy:
This list may not contain every serving cleric, past or present, for this church.
Further submissions welcomed.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 - 1894 | Father McGee | |||
| 1895 - 1900 | Father O'Callaghan | |||
| 1910 - 1918 | Father Robinson | |||
| 1918 - 1935 | Father O'Brian | |||
| 1929 - 1932 | Father Frank Molan | Asst | 1969 | |
| 1932 - 1936 | Father Nicholas Morrissey | Asst | 1948 | |
| 1933 - 1942 | Father Bernard O'Connor | Asst | ||
| 1935 - 1947 | Father Gibbons | |||
| 1936 - 1941 | Father Timothy O'Sullivan | Asst | 1962 | |
| 1941 - 1942 | Father Patrick Egan | Asst | ||
| 1942 - | Father John Cahir | Asst | 1968 | |
| 1942 - 1945 | Father George Vill | Asst | 1958 | |
| 1942 - 1946 | Father Patrick Shelton | Asst | 1956 | |
| 1945 - 1947 | Father Edward Fennessy | Asst | 1995 | |
| 1946 - 1947 | Father Edward Nowlan | Asst | 1990 | |
| 1947 - 1949 | Father Tom Murray | Asst | 1992 | |
| 1947 - 1951 | Father John Bracken | 1982 | ||
| 1948 - 1968 | Monsignor Martin | |||
| 1949 - 1951 | Father Alex Dunlop | Asst | 2006 | |
| 1949 - | Father Doug Lyons | Asst | ||
| 1949 - | Father James English | Asst | ||
| 1951 - 1954 | Father Leo Ryan | Asst | ||
| 1951 - 1954 | Father Leo O'Hallaran | Asst | ||
| 1954 - 1962 | Father John Brennan | Asst | 1995 | |
| 1955 - 1958 | Father Tom White | Asst | ||
| 1959 - | Father Maurice Ahern | Asst | 1997 | |
| 1959 - | Father Gerard Dowling OAM | Asst | 1932 | 2023 |
| 1959 - 1966 | Father Kevin Garry | Asst | ||
| 1962 - 1964 | Father Kevin Sweeney | Asst | ||
| 1965 - 1967 | Father William Pierce Smark | Asst | 1996 | |
| 1966 - 1967 | Father Michael Fitzpatrick | Asst | ||
| 1967 - 1969 | Father Patrick Harvey | Asst | ||
| 1968 - 1972 | Father Michael McEntee | Asst | ||
| 1970 - 1974 | Father Conquest | 2006 | ||
| 1970 - 1975 | Father Gerry O'Connor | Asst | ||
| 1972 - 1973 | Father John Maguire | Asst | ||
| 1974 - 1977 | Father Roger Ryan | Asst | ||
| 1975 - 1976 | Father Ron Lowe | Asst | 2001 | |
| 1975 - 1988 | Father O'Driscoll | |||
| 1976 - 1977 | Father Tom Furey | Asst | ||
| 1977 - 1979 | Father Gerry Smith | Asst | ||
| 1978 - 1979 | Father Kevin Manning | Asst | 2011 | |
| 1980 - 1983 | Father William Van Kooy | Asst | 2002 | |
| 1984 - 1986 | Father Peter Waters | Asst | ||
| 1986 - | Father David Daniel | Asst | ||
| 1988 - | Monsignor Walsh | |||
| 2021 - | Father Brendan Reed |
Organ:
The Organ was built by T.W. Magahy & Son, Cork, Ireland in 1920 at a cost of £3,000. Magahy himself launched the organ with a series of recitals in 1921. It was rebuilt in 1980 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd.
A complete history of the Organ can be viewed here.
Source:
1. Our Lady of Victories Camberwell Centennial Celebrations. LH 282.94 OUR