SANCTA MARIA CHURCH, WEST TOODYAY

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c. 1909

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Overview

B&W reproduction of a photo of the Sancta Maria Roman Catholic Church, West Toodyay.
Taken at front of the building. High pitched centre roof with sloping sides. On right side of the roof is a chimney.
Two windows on sloping sides. Two windows on the centre part, with pointed arch frames. Door in centre also has a pointed arch frame. Small round window at the top of the wall above the door.
Man standing at the front, on the right side.

Historical information

The Catholic Church of Sancta Maria stood on Lot R53, on the corner of Toodyay West Road and what is now known as Picnic Hill Road.The foundation stone for the Catholic Church was laid on 8 March 1857. The building also contained a school room and provided modest accommodation for the priest. The work was achieved with money raised by private means and voluntary labour. Walls were brick and the roof shingled. a fireplace provided warmth in the winter. After its completion, late in 1858, Bishop Serra performed the blessing in January 1859.
Canon Raphael Martelli oversaw much of the construction of the church. He is renowned for his service as a priest to the community of Toodyay. Darby Connors, Enrolled Pensioner Guard, agreed to become the school's first teacher.
The school closed in 1863. The Catholic Church of Sancta Maria had ceased being used as such by 1867.
In 1885 the Toodyay Government School reopened using the building of the Sancta Maria Church. The school closed in 1898 and the building was demolished some time after 1909.
(ref: brochure, The Township of West Toodyay compiled by Alison Cromb 2019 for the Newcastle Gaol Museum, Shire of Toodyay)

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-37-2001.997

Item type

Photographs

Themes

Social History
Religion

Material

Photographic Paper

Width

11 cm

Height or length

17 cm

Contextual Information

This photograph was published in the Western Mail on p. 25 of the 18 Dec 1909 edition in a photographic series titled "In the Newcastle District: photos by WE Stowe". The caption for the photograph was 'Old Roman Catholic Church (built in 1851) in the Newcastle district'

Year

c. 1909

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Geotag

-31.52434437791, 116.43134633318

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Links to additional resources

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37403399?searchTerm=Old%20Catholic%2…

Shire of Toodyay

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