No. 1585 - Rosebery - St Joseph's Catholic Church (1930)
Rosebery is a mining town located on the Murchison Highway approximately 60 kilometres north of Queenstown. The town’s name is taken from a mine pegged out by Tom McDonald in 1893. He named it the Rosebery Gold Mining Company after the Prime Minister of England, Lord Rosebery.
The develop of the town only took off in the 1920s. In February 1930 a visitor to Rosebery remarked on the development that had recently taken place:
“Since our last visit over three years ago, Rosebery has made immense strides, and a now town has practically arisen. Building operations are still going on to provide new houses and places of worship. Ringed around by mountains of imposing height - Mounts Murchison, Read and Black, and by lower heights, clothed by trees and bush, Rosebery is really beautifully situated, and might be considered a most delectable residential town, if it were not for the heavy rainfall, the roads, alternately dusty and muddy, and the comparatively few days of sunshine and warmth”.
“A deep gully through which flows the River Styx, separates the railway from the town, which is approached from the station by a -winding road nearly two miles long. The houses are built in irregular lines along the hill sides, or perched on bits of high ground, forming rough and unfinished streets….There are some 300 men employed in the mine and the extensive workshops surrounding it, besides builders, carpenters, etc., who are working on houses and public buildings…As regards the accommodation for religious services, there are no permanent buildings yet. The Anglican Church holds its services in the Odd Fellows, Hall, while the Methodist Church meets every Sunday for one service …in the Public Hall. Three churches are, however, in the course of erection, or are shortly to be built, for the Anglicans, the Methodists and the Roman Catholics”.
Little information is available concerning the establishment of Rosebery’s Catholic church. Fundraising for the erection of a place of worship began in the late 1920s and a contract for the building was awarded to “Messrs H. Jones and Sons of Wynyard” in June 1930. The church was completed by August 1930 but the date of its official opening is not known. In late September 1930 Archbishop William Hayden visited Rosebery when he administered the sacrament of confirmation to 20 Rosebery and six Williamsford candidates. In addressing the congregation the Archbishop “congratulated the people on the fine church building which they [had] recently erected”.
In 1958 St Joseph’s School and Convent was opened and blessed by Archbishop Guilford Young. The church is now part of the school precinct and Mass is held in the week throughout the school year.
Sources:
Advocate, Thursday 20 February 1930, page 6
Advocate, Thursday 19 June 1930, page 8
Examiner, Tuesday 30 September 1930, page 5
Mercury, Monday 23 April 1951, page 3
Southerwood, W. T., Priceless heritage : the Tasmanian Catholic community 1772-2010 / by W. T. Southerwood Stella Maris Books St. Leonards, Tas. 2010
https://stjosephsr.tas.edu.au/our-history
The develop of the town only took off in the 1920s. In February 1930 a visitor to Rosebery remarked on the development that had recently taken place:
“Since our last visit over three years ago, Rosebery has made immense strides, and a now town has practically arisen. Building operations are still going on to provide new houses and places of worship. Ringed around by mountains of imposing height - Mounts Murchison, Read and Black, and by lower heights, clothed by trees and bush, Rosebery is really beautifully situated, and might be considered a most delectable residential town, if it were not for the heavy rainfall, the roads, alternately dusty and muddy, and the comparatively few days of sunshine and warmth”.
“A deep gully through which flows the River Styx, separates the railway from the town, which is approached from the station by a -winding road nearly two miles long. The houses are built in irregular lines along the hill sides, or perched on bits of high ground, forming rough and unfinished streets….There are some 300 men employed in the mine and the extensive workshops surrounding it, besides builders, carpenters, etc., who are working on houses and public buildings…As regards the accommodation for religious services, there are no permanent buildings yet. The Anglican Church holds its services in the Odd Fellows, Hall, while the Methodist Church meets every Sunday for one service …in the Public Hall. Three churches are, however, in the course of erection, or are shortly to be built, for the Anglicans, the Methodists and the Roman Catholics”.
Little information is available concerning the establishment of Rosebery’s Catholic church. Fundraising for the erection of a place of worship began in the late 1920s and a contract for the building was awarded to “Messrs H. Jones and Sons of Wynyard” in June 1930. The church was completed by August 1930 but the date of its official opening is not known. In late September 1930 Archbishop William Hayden visited Rosebery when he administered the sacrament of confirmation to 20 Rosebery and six Williamsford candidates. In addressing the congregation the Archbishop “congratulated the people on the fine church building which they [had] recently erected”.
In 1958 St Joseph’s School and Convent was opened and blessed by Archbishop Guilford Young. The church is now part of the school precinct and Mass is held in the week throughout the school year.
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| St Joseph's Catholic Church at Rosebery |
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| Advocate, Thursday 20 February 1930 |
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| Undated photograph of St Joseph's Catholic Church - Archdiocese of Hobart |
Sources:
Advocate, Thursday 20 February 1930, page 6
Advocate, Thursday 19 June 1930, page 8
Examiner, Tuesday 30 September 1930, page 5
Mercury, Monday 23 April 1951, page 3
Southerwood, W. T., Priceless heritage : the Tasmanian Catholic community 1772-2010 / by W. T. Southerwood Stella Maris Books St. Leonards, Tas. 2010
https://stjosephsr.tas.edu.au/our-history
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