St Mary's Catholic Church, Bairnsdale, Vic, Australia - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The Church is listed in the Victorian Heritage Council as "Registered Significant". [H2174 - Victorian Heritage Register Number] (visit link)

"St Mary's Church Bairnsdale was begun in 1913, replacing an earlier brick church of 1883. Father Cornelius Cremin proposed the new church soon after his appointment in 1909. Designed by the prolific Catholic church architect Augustus A Fritsch, the first stage comprising a nave of six bays with barrel vaulted ceiling and a sanctuary within a polygonal apse was opened by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Daniel Mannix, in July 1914. The second stage, being the final three bays of the nave, the west front with wheel window and tower, was completed by 1936.

"The church is executed in the Romanesque style, constructed of red brick, with cement dressings, a slate roof, and small copper dome to the dominant 42 metre high, asymmetrically placed tower. The comprehensive interior decorative scheme is of murals depicting the apostles, numerous saints, imaginings of purgatory, heaven and hell, and numerous seraphims and cherubims. It was executed by Francesco Floreani between 1931 and 1938. Floreani was a migrant Italian from Udine, who had studied painting at Udine College and then at the Academy of Arts in Turin. He arrived in Melbourne in 1928 and briefly was a house painter in Melbourne. During the
Depression he became an itinerant farm worker in Bairnsdale. In 1931 he approached Father Cremin for work, and after completing some minor commissions he set about a comprehensive decorative scheme for the church. The content of his murals were probably at least partly directed by Father Cremin, and are in flat, stylised manner, possibly inspired by Renaissance religious art. Father Crenin paid Floreani 3 pounds per week from his own purse."

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 07/01/1914 Age of Church building determined by?: Church website If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Catholic If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 10:00 AM To: 3:00 PM If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 9:30 AM Street address of Church: 240-256 Main Street Corner of Pyke Street Bairnsdale, Vic Australia 3875 Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/16/2021 Brain visited it