Celebrating a New Pope, and Highlighting Catholic Churches in the Shire of Mundaring

Pope Leo X1V’s Inauguration this weekend in St Peter’s Square in Rome has sent our thoughts to Catholic Churches in the Shire of Mundaring.

We have learnt that between 1899 and 1902 the first Masses were held at either Mundaring Weir or the home of Mr John Reddy on Coolgardie Street. He was the gardener at the Weir and also ran a horse and buggy taxi service from the Weir. These Masses were for the workers on the construction of the Weir.

Mr John and Mrs Mary Reddy who donated the land on which the Sacred Heart Church is built.

By 1902 the population in the area was growing and Mundaring was now a township, and the locals began to work towards building a church. By 1933 even though we were in the Depression the church was built on land next to the Reddy’s home where Mass had been said for many years.

First image: Sacred Heart Church, Mundaring. Second image: First Holy Communion day at Sacred Heart Church 1955

The Official blessing and opening of “Sacred Heart” Church took place on Sunday January 22nd, 1933.

By 1949 all the locations from Darlington to Wooroloo in the Shire were having Masses said every Sunday but not at a church. Notably Mt Helena had theirs on the fifth Sunday of the month which meant they only had Mass five times a year!

By 1952 the population in Chidlow had grown so a church was needed. It was named our “Lady of Good Council” and was completed by 1956. Local stonemason Matteo Gregorini was the builder, and he was very particular about the quality of the stone. The original bakery on Memorial Avenue also has similar stonework.

Our Lady of Good Council Church in Chidlow. Second Image: A wedding Group outside the Church in early 1950s

The third Catholic Church in the Shire of Mundaring, St Anthonys is in Greenmount (pictured below) and was built in1983 alongside the Catholic School St Joseph's. However, the first site was on Robertson Road Midvale, where Bowra &O’Dea now stands, and the first School was on Beaconsfield Ave Midvale. Second image shows Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition outside the newly completed Presbytery in 1960.

In the process of researching this post we are aware that the current information in our collection is quite sparse regarding local Catholic history and would welcome any photographs or information to add to our collection.