South Yarra, VIC - St Joseph's Catholic
Year Built: 1888
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Saint: Joseph
Address: 30 Fitzgerald Street, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141
Architect: Tappin, Gilbert & Dennehy
Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri people
Last Updated: 01/05/2023
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History and Architecture:
The foundation stone of St Joseph’s Church was laid on 18 March 1888 and the building opened on 28 October 1888. Designed by architects Tappin, Gilbert & Dennehy, this is a large cruciform brick building in the Gothic style with stucco dressings, tower and spire. Further additions were completed in August 1892.
The Advocate Newspaper at the time described the building as follows:
"The church has an entrance porch 12 feet by 10 feet, and nave 80 x 32, chancel 20 x 18 and two sacristies each 18 x 12. The walls are 20 feet high. The distance from floor to ridge is 45 feet.
Internally the roof is open to the apex being formed of framed principals, with Gothic arched ribs, ceiling of wood, panelled and moulded. The exterior is of red bricks, with dressing and tracery of Waurn Ponds freestone, and base course of dressed bluestone and concrete.
Clergy:
These names are now in the Database and can be searched individually.
| Years | Name | Annotation | D.o.B | D.o.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 - 1891 | Father John Francis Fitzgerald | 1841 | 1893 | |
| 1891 - 1925 | Father Robert Stanislaus Benson | 1941 | ||
| 1893 - 1896 | Father J. J. Cusack | Asst | ||
| 1896 - 1897 | Father M. O'Brien | Asst | ||
| 1897 - 1900 | Father G. Bryne | Asst | ||
| 1900 - 1906 | Father T. English | Asst | ||
| 1906 - 1908 | Father A. May | Asst | ||
| 1908 - 1909 | Father J. Gibbons | Asst | ||
| 1908 - 1909 | Father J. O'Grady | Asst | ||
| 1910 - 1919 | Father J. A. Kenny | Asst | 1919 | |
| 1912 - 1914 | Father R. W. Divine | Asst | ||
| 1914 - 1920 | Father P. J. Nicholson | Asst | ||
| 1920 - 1921 | Father H. G. Donohue | Asst | ||
| 1920 - 1925 | Father J. Toomey | Asst | 1949 | |
| 1921 - 1922 | Father W. M. Collins | |||
| 1921 - 1922 | Father T. Power | Asst | ||
| 1922 - 1923 | Father J. Lee | Asst | ||
| 1924 - 1925 | Father J. J. Ryan | Asst | ||
| 1924 - 1927 | Father N. A. Clack | Asst | 1939 | |
| 1925 - | Father P. Garvey | Asst | 1965 | |
| 1925 - 1926 | Father John Collins | Asst | 1867 | 1926 |
| 1925 - 1926 | Father M. O'Sullivan | Asst | ||
| 1925 - 1927 | Father J. Collins | Asst | ||
| 1926 - 1927 | Father P. E. Fennessy | Asst | ||
| 1926 - 1929 | Father T. V. Carroll | Asst | ||
| 1927 - 1933 | Father Francis Thomas Ryder | Asst | 1961 | |
| 1927 - 1948 | Father Thomas English | 1948 | ||
| 1929 - 1933 | Father Joseph Lanigan | Asst | 1953 | |
| 1932 - 1936 | Father S. F. Keane | Asst | ||
| 1933 - 1939 | Father J. J. Ryan | Asst | ||
| 1936 - 1941 | Father P. Egan | Asst | ||
| 1939 - 1941 | Father Patrick Shelton | Asst | 1956 | |
| 1941 - 1944 | Father O'Sullivan | Asst | ||
| 1942 - 1943 | Father M. Fitzgerald | Asst | ||
| 1943 - 1947 | Father Albert J. Randall | Asst | 1982 | |
| 1944 - 1949 | Father A. C. Gilholly | Asst | ||
| 1945 - 1948 | Father Michael James Rafter | Asst | 1995 | |
| 1947 - 1949 | Father F. Nolan | Asst | ||
| 1947 - 1949 | Father M. D. Kennelly | Asst | 1989 | |
| 1948 - | Father J. Ryan | Asst | ||
| 1948 - 1975 | Monsignor James Hannan | 1975 | ||
| 1949 - 1950 | Father K. J. Williams | Asst | ||
| 1949 - 1956 | Father P. H. Jones | Asst | ||
| 1951 - 1965 | Father James Brasier | Asst | 1918 | 2007 |
| 1953 - 1954 | Father J. J. Hayes | Asst | ||
| 1955 - 1956 | Father P. F. Crudden | Asst | ||
| 1956 - 1958 | Father Brian Wallis | Asst | 1996 | |
| 1957 - | Father J. T. Doyle | Asst | 2021 | |
| 1958 - 1965 | Fther P. Kane | Asst | ||
| 1959 - 1963 | Father J. McCrory | Asst | ||
| 1964 - 1967 | Father R. B. Donohue | Asst | ||
| 1965 - 1966 | Father K. P. Cronan | Asst | ||
| 1966 - 1968 | Father B. L. King | Asst | ||
| 1967 - 1970 | Father J. Nicholson | Asst | ||
| 1968 - 1971 | Father J. S. Elson | a | ||
| 1968 - 1973 | Father T. J. Gallagher | Asst | ||
| 1971 - 1972 | Father P. R. Cross | Asst | ||
| 1971 - 1973 | Father B. W. Caldwell | Asst | ||
| 1972 - 1975 | Father R. F. Coghlan | Asst | ||
| 1973 - 1974 | Father B. James | Asst | ||
| 1974 - 1975 | Father G. Baron | Asst | ||
| 1976 - | Father A. De Bono | Asst | ||
| 1976 - | Father G. O'Leary | Asst | ||
| 1976 - 1982 | Father Raymond Mitchell | |||
| 1977 - 1978 | Father B. Buckley | Asst | ||
| 1977 - 1986 | Father D. P. Dempsey | Asst 77 - 81 | ||
| 1979 - 1982 | Father R. O'Donnell | Asst | ||
| 1979 - 1986 | Father J. Kavanagh | Asst | ||
| 1980 - 1982 | Father J. Barry | Asst | ||
| 1983 - 1987 | Father N. Hackett | PP 87 | ||
| 1983 - 1987 | Father P. Bourke | Asst | ||
| 1983 - 1987 | Father P. Rohan | Asst | ||
| 1987 - | Father J. Barry | |||
| 2020 ? - | Father Brian Buckley | |||
| 2022 - | Father Luca Park |
Organ:
The pipe organ, built by William Anderson, was opened in July 1894 when The Advocate of 14 July reported that on Sunday last the organ that was recently erected in the church was opened. It is likely that the metal pipework for the instrument was supplied to William Anderson by Fincham & Hobday.
Source:
1. The Parish of South Yarra 125 Years Historical Notes.
2. Deceased Clergy in Australia, 1788-present.
3. St Joseph's Parish South Yarra 1887 - 1987 by Peter John Bergin. SLT 282.9451 B45S