Mudgee, NSW - St Mary's Catholic

History and Architecture:

The first Catholic Church in Mudgee was built near where the present presbytery now stands and was built of slabs with a bark roof in 1843 on the two acre site of Government granted land.

The 2nd St Mary's was a stone church and was commenced in 1857 and in pursuance of the Governments policy to assist financially the building of all Christian Churches, the Trustees of the Church wrote to the Colonial Architect on the 19th August 1857 that the value of stonework done on the Church was 250 Perches at 4 pounds 10 shillings each totalling £1,125. On the 26th February 1859 the Clerk of Works reported to the Colonial Architect that the total value of work done at that date was £2,575. The building was opened and blessed in March 1860.

A Gothic Revival Church the sanctuary and vestry are part of the original 1857 sandstone building, with the present body added in 1873-76 and the steeple in 1911. The Architect was Edward Gell.