ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
15 RAGLAN PLACE EAST, AXEDALE - PROPERTY NUMBER 196895, GREATER BENDIGO CITY
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Statement of Significance
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ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH - Physical Description 1
The current St Mary's Church replaced an earlier building erected in 1862. It was demolished and some of the stone used to construct the current church.[1] St Mary's is the most sophisticated of the three churches in Axedale. It is designed in the French style by architects Heffernan and Keogh, and built in 1902. Whilst the history suggests that the first plans were rejected, a set of architectural drawings signed by Heffernan and Keogh hang on the wall of the church. These are very close to the design as executed and it is assumed that these architects were responsible for the design. French church designs were often favoured more by the Roman Catholics who borrowed freely from the sources available. The most dominant element of the French style was the use of a polygonal apse and the rose window. St Mary's has a five sided apse and the rose window has reduced in scale to a small round window or oculus. The church has a complex form with a large vestry intersecting the apse and nave. Built from the local basalt, St Mary's has stucco dressings around the pointed arch window and door openings and forming the parapet cappings. The coursed stone is laid with fine jointing and the blocks are cut in regular shaped block indicating a higher quality of masonry work was employed in the building of this church.
The church is surrounded by a grove of tall palm trees that contribute to the setting . Although palm trees are a feature of many places in the Bendigo district, there are not others with the large number of palm trees planted around a building. The tall palms form an avenue from the pedestrian gate. The fence of concrete pillars and woven wire panels and gates appears to be contemporary with the church. Other elements of the site include a steel framed, free-standing bell tower containing a bell, and a stone memorial commemorating 100 years of worship.
The interior has painted stencilling on the walls, has encaustic tiles to the porch floor and contains pine pews of an unusual design. The roof structure has scissor trusses and the ceiling is timber lined with the timber at different angles that gives a dynamic appearance to the ceiling. The sacristy has an elegant ceiling form and is also timber lined.
[1] Centenary and Back to Axedale Committee (1970), p. 10.
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH - Physical Conditions
Good
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH - Integrity
High
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH - Historical Australian Themes
8 Building Community Life
8.1 Maintaining Spiritual Life
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Bendigo - Former Shires of McIvor and Strathfieldsaye Heritage Study
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2008
Grading: Local
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