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ST JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH

Other Names

Korumburra Catholic Church , Korumburra Catholic Presbytery , St. Joseph's Primary School Office , St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Location

4 GUYS ROAD, KORUMBURRA, SOUTH GIPPSLAND SHIRE

Level

Recommended for Heritage Overlay

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St Joseph's Catholic Church
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St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
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St. Joseph’s Presbytery
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Good Samaritan Convent
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St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
St. Joseph's Church, designed by P.J. O'Connor and opened on 10 December, 1939 is a substantial red brick Interwar Gothic church with a steeply pitched unglazed terracotta tile roof with ridge capping. The church also has a square buttressed tower with tall windows and rendered castellated parapet, and a gabled wing containing the sacristy and the octagonal apse. St. Joseph's features stained glass lancet windows paired between brick buttresses and accent render around the windows to the buttresses, below the roofline and intricate decorations around entry. The main entry from the south includes a decorative architrave surmounted by a large three-part window with vertical tracery. The roof is lined with timber, supported by collar tie trusses and large fretted brackets.

How is it significant?
St. Joseph's Catholic Church complex, Korumburra, is of local historic, aesthetic and social significance to the South Gippsland Shire.

Why is it significant?
Historically, the complex demonstrates the development of St Joseph's in the early twentieth century after it was elevated to Parish status. This scale of this complex demonstrates the status of Korumburra as a regional hub within South Gippsland. (Criterion A)

It is significant as a representative Catholic Parish centre based around a place of worship, with an associated residence, convent and school. The convent and school demonstrate the importance of education to the Catholic Church and the expansion of Catholic education in the early to mid-twentieth century. (Criterion D)

Aesthetically, St Joseph's is the finest Interwar church in the Shire. It is notable for its substantial scale and fine detailing to both the exterior and interior, which reflects the skill of the architect, P.J. O'Connor. Situated on one of the highest points in Korumburra it is a prominent landmark. It is complemented by the presbytery, which is a fine example of a Federation bungalow with characteristic form and detailing including the dominant hipped roof and fine detailing to the verandah, gable ends and chimneys, and the convent and school, which collectively form a distinctive grouping. (Criterion E)

St Joseph's has social value for its strong and enduring associations with the local community through its use as a church, school and parish centre, which has been a focal point of the Catholic congregation for up to 100 years. (Criterion G)

Group