No. 1635 - Glenorchy - Dominic College - Mary Help of Christians Chapel (2006)

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Dominic College in Glenorchy was established in 1973 as Tasmania’s first co-educational Catholic college. It was formed by amalgamating St John's Primary; Savio Primary; Holy Name School and Savio College. The College is rooted in the Salesian and Dominican traditions of the founding schools. It is located on a 28-hectare site that previously housed the Catholic orphanage ‘Boys’ Town’.

The College’s chapel, an award wining contemporary building, was constructed in 2006 and was designed by Elvio Brianese. The chapel is positioned to blend into the natural environment and as such features a dramatic glass wall that uses Mount Wellington as an "altar backdrop”. It is the fourth chapel established on the College site.

The first chapel (1945–1946) was housed within “Grantleigh”, a large house and estate once owned by Alfred Sawyer, an orchardist and local politician. The property was acquired when Boys’ Town was established in May 1945. With the conclusion of the Second World War surplus army huts were purchased for use as student accomodation and the second chapel was incorporated within one of the “huts”.

In 1957 a third chapel, the Savio Chapel, was built. Savio College was run by the Salesians of Don Bosco, replacing Boys’ Town in 1956. On 25 May 2003, during the first weekend of the school holidays, the Savio Chapel was destroyed in a deliberately lit fire.

The present chapel was built on the footprint of the Savio Chapel. In 2021 a Memorial Wall was blessed inside the chapel commemorating students and staff who passed away while at the college. The wall also celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Salesians' arrival in Tasmania.

Future articles on ‘Churches of Tasmania’ will investigate the history of the earlier three chapels associated with the College.

Mary Help of Christians Chapel - Source: Dominic College



Mary Help of Christians Chapel - Source: Dominic College

Photograph: Peter Whyte - Liminal Studio


Sources and Further Information:

https://www.dominic.tas.edu.au/parish/parish-life
https://www.liminalstudio.com.au/dominic-college-chapel/
https://www.dominic.tas.edu.au/home/our-history



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