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Bairnsdale: |
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St Mary’s is one of the most notable landmarks of Bairnsdale. Construction of the Church was commenced in 1913, replacing an earlier brick church which had been built thirty years earlier in 1883.
The murals, painted by out of work Italian artist Francesco Floreani during the Great Depression, cover the walls and ceiling. They depict the saints, the trinity and scenes of hell, purgatory, heaven and the crucifixion. |
Paynesville: |
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St Patrick’s Church is a weatherboard building situated in a mainly retiree population south of Bairnsdale on the Gippsland lakes.
The building was relocated from Sarsfield in 1953. |
Lindenow: |
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St Canice’s Church is another small weatherboard church situated among a farming community west of Bairnsdale in the Mitchell River valley. |
Omeo: |
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Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is a solid brick construction built in 1903 and is located two hours north of Bairnsdale in the ‘high country’ of East Gippsland. |
Swifts Creek: |
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Sacred Heart Church is a simple weatherboard building.
This building is a place of worship that alternates services on a monthly basis together with the small group of worshippers at St Joseph’s Church Ensay. |
Benambra: |
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St Francis of Assisi Church is a modular building where the small community gather weekly for either Mass or Liturgy of the Word with Eucharist.
This building is located in the most remote part of the parish in the ‘high country’. |
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The Diocese of Sale is divided into six geographic regions, with varying numbers of parishes and geographic spread. When regions were created in 1998 there were originally seven but in the rapidly growing western end of the diocese, the common interests of two regions prompted them to amalgamate in 2001.
The parishes of Bairnsdale-Omeo and Lakes Entrance-Orbost make up the East Region in the Diocese of Sale. It covers a vast geographic area which includes most of Victoria’s rugged hill country, the Gippsland Lakes and spectacular coast line. The population is small and declining as people leave the area seeking better employment opportunities elsewhere.
Pattie Pruscino
Telephone: 5152 2942
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The current St Mary’s Church has served the Bairnsdale community for over 100 years. We are rightly proud of its history. The challenge now is to ensure this legacy continues for generations to come. Those who have gone before us have given us a wonderful gift of a beautiful Church. It falls to us now to preserve this building for those who will follow in our footsteps.
Since its initial construction, there have been very few modifications. There were some minor internal alterations in 1978 which involved the part removal of the marble altar rail to enable the new timber altar to be bought forward into the nave and closer to the congregation.
St Mary’s Church has most certainly become a building of architectural, historical, aesthetic and social significance to the State of Victoria. Architecturally the building is one of the earliest, largest, most striking and least altered of the red brick churches designed by A. A. Fritsch, who was one of the key exponents of Romanesque & Baroque church architecture in Victoria.
Restoration Logistics Committee:
This committee works in conjunction with the architects to plan and oversee all the works of the restoration.
Restoration Fundraising Committee:
This Committee is responsible for raising funds to cover the costs of the restoration i.e. grants etc
Restoration Events Committee:
This committee organises events for fundraising.
St Mary’s needs your help to restore and maintain its historic Church building.
Assistance can be provided in a number of forms, including by
Donations to the Appeal are tax-deductible through the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
The St Mary’s Church Restoration Project,
Nicholson Street, Bairnsdale Vic 38756
Telephone (03) 5152 2942
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A clean and prepared environment is fundamental to the hospitality we wish people to experience when coming into the church building. This is a generous group of people who are rostered to keep our Churches in good order by cleaning the church interiors, attending to the flowers, and immediate surrounds.
Cleaning can be done on Saturday morning or earlier in the week. If you can spare two hours of your time we would love to hear from you. In fact, one hour’s contribution is of great assistance. Contact the parish office for more information.
Don Roderick operates with a small group of volunteers, who undertake specific tasks around the parish as needed.
These include works that are required to be carried out annually or periodically e.g. gas servicing and electrical safety checks (every 5 years), as well as window and fence painting (every 5 or 6 years). Other works include regular light bulb renewal and drainage checks.
Contact information
| Church Cleaners/Flowers Roster | Michael Flynn | Telephone: 5152 2942 |
| Cyclic maintenance | Martin Sroczynski | Telephone: 0408 516 803 |
| Property - Churches | Paul Heaton Harris | Telephone: 5152 2942 |
‘RENEW AND ENRICH’ - St Mary’s Church Restoration |
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| Restoration Logistics Committee: | John Fallon | Telephone: 5152 3893 |
| Restoration Fundraising Committee: | Paul Heaton Harris | Telephone 0418 377 076 |
| Restoration Events Committee: | Cathy Sharp | Telephone 0433 000 864 |