| Back to search results » | Back to search page » |
|
Gooroc Roman Catholic Church (St Bernard's), 22 Church Road, GOOROC
Location22 Church Road GOOROC, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE LevelRecommended for Heritage Overlay |
|
Statement of Significance
The Gooroc Roman Catholic Church, 22 Church Road, Gooroc, has significance as a largely intact example of an interwar Gothic Revival styled church building. Constructed in 1922, the church served the Gooroc township and the almost 100% Irish immigrant community at that time. Today, the church is the only remaining building in the originally surveyed township area. The Gooroc Roman Catholic Church is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an interwar Gothic Revival style. These qualities include the gable roof forms clad in lapped galvanised corrugated iron, four bayed main nave with stepped brick and render buttresses, and the Gothic arched timber windows. Other intact qualities include the face red brick wall construction, render dressings to the window arched heads, central arched doorway forming the church entry, arched niche in render with a corbelled ledge supporting a plaster statue of the Virgin Mary, rendered upper gable section with three vertical recessed panels supported on a narrow rendered sill with render moulds above, and the timber bargeboards. The line of eucalypts, remnant peppercorn trees and timber post and rail fence also contribute to the significance of the place. Due its isolation on a flat site amongst farming pastures the building has also become a district landmark. The Gooroc Roman Catholic Church and site are historically significant at a LOCAL level. The site is associated with the establishment of the Catholic Church in the Gooroc area in 1885, while the church building is associated with the further development of the church from 1922. The site also has wider associations with the community, with the original church building (subsequently destroyed by fire) being used as the district hall from 1923 until 1950, and as the local State school between 1923 and 1931. The Church has associations with several local and former local families in the district, including the Feeny and McKew families. The Gooroc Roman Catholic Church is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised and highly valued by the local community, and particularly by several family members of the Feeny and McKew families, for religious reasons. Overall, the Gooroc Roman Catholic Church is of LOCAL significance.
Group
Religion
Category
Church