St Mary's by the Sea, Port Douglas

St Mary's by the Sea
St Mary's by the Sea
	St Mary's by the Sea, 2020
	16°28′46″S145°27′44″E / 16.4795°S 145.4621°E
Address	Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland
Country	Australia
Denomination	Non-denominational (since 1988)
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic (1914–1988)
History
Former name(s)	St Mary's Roman Catholic Church
Status	Church
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1913–1914
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name	St Mary's by the Sea, St Mary's Roman Catholic Church (former)
Type	State heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600464
Significant period	1913–1914 (construction); 1900–1914 (historical)

Last updated December 23, 2023

St Mary's by the Sea is a heritage-listed non-denominational church (formerly a Roman Catholic church) at Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1913 to 1914. It is also known as the former St Mary's Roman Catholic Church. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.^[1]

History

St Mary's by the Sea was constructed in 1914 replacing an earlier Roman Catholic church at Port Douglas, which had been destroyed by the cyclone of March 1911.^[1]^[2]

Port Douglas was established in 1877 as a port to service the newly opened Hodgkinson goldfield, west of the Great Dividing Range. In the period 1877 to 1893 Port Douglas functioned primarily as a port for the mining hinterland and secondarily as an administrative and service centre for the surrounding developing agricultural districts.^[1]

The Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of North Queensland (renamed the Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown in 1887) was established in 1877 and first staffed largely by Italians. The intention was to send missionaries among the Aborigines. However, when the first priests arrived they were required to serve the needs of new towns, the mining boom having brought into the area many Europeans, including large numbers of Irish Catholics. In 1884 the Irish Province of the Order of Saint Augustine agreed to take on the work of the Vicariate which was struggling to serve a scattered population of Catholics in a vast area with very few priests. The first chapel in Port Douglas was established in 1878 and by November 1881 a church had been erected under the direction of Father Pierre-Marie (Peter) Bucas, a Breton, on land on Port Hill. When Bishop Hutchinson arrived in 1884, an Italian priest, Father Guerrini, had been in Port Douglas for eight months and stayed on until an Augustinian arrived to replace him in May 1885.^[1]

The development of Port Douglas initially outpaced that of its nearby rival, Cairns, established in 1876. However, following the 1885 political decision to site the terminus for the Atherton Tableland railway at Cairns, it advanced rapidly at the expense of Port Douglas. After the opening of the Cairns-to-Mareeba railway in 1893, trade between Port Douglas and the mining hinterland declined markedly, and virtually ceased after the extension of the railway to Mount Molloy in 1908. Much of what remained of the town was destroyed when a severe cyclone levelled it on 16 March 1911. According to the local newspaper, itself put temporarily out of action, the church and presbytery were "blown to bits". The presbytery was rebuilt first and Mass was celebrated there until the church was complete in 1914.^[1]

Port Douglas recovered from the cyclone and although it had lost the mining trade, it operated principally as a sugar port from the 1890s until 1958. The town was also the administrative centre of the Douglas Shire until the 1920s when its headquarters were shifted to Mossman in the heart of the expanding sugar lands. In 1917 the Parish Priest of Mareeba was also appointed as the Administrator of Port Douglas. The priest appointed next (in 1932) became the first to reside in Mossman. Two years later the name of the parish was changed to Mossman and Port Douglas.^[1]

During the 1960s and 1970s Port Douglas functioned mainly as a fishing and holiday town, retaining much of its historic character, but in the 1980s it emerged as a booming tourist resort, creating strong development pressures. St Mary's Church was by then in poor condition and could no longer meet the needs of the parish. In 1987 the Catholic Church gave the church building to the local community with the stipulation that it continue to be used for Christian purposes. As a Bicentennial Project, the church was relocated to parkland on the foreshore in November 1988. The Port Hill site was sold by the Church to finance construction of a new church on land elsewhere. Once relocated, the former St Mary's Church was restored and renamed St Mary's by the Sea. It is used as a non-denominational community church for religious and civil weddings, carol services and other special services and events.^[1]

Description

St Mary's by the Sea is a small, Gothic-style timber church situated on the foreshore at Wharf Street near the road leading to Pier 319.^[1]

The church is a timber-framed structure with exposed exterior studwork set on low timber stumps. It has a steeply pitched gabled roof clad in corrugated iron. The building is rectangular in plan with a vestry off the rear corner and a small central porch at the front flanked by lancet windows. The porch has a gabled roof clad in corrugated iron and a side entrance and is lit by triple lancet windows. The side walls are braced by simple timber buttresses. The bearers and joists are of hickory ash and penda timbers and the framing is hickory ash. The wall cladding was of northern silky oak although much of this and the flooring has had to be replaced.^[1]

Internally, the ceiling is unlined and three lancet-shaped timber archways separate the sanctuary from the nave.^[1]

Heritage listing

St Mary's by the Sea was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

The church of St Mary's by the Sea was built in 1914 and is associated with the early development of the Port Douglas district and the growth of the Catholic Church in North Queensland. It is one of the oldest buildings in Port Douglas and illustrates the built character of the town before modern redevelopment as a tourist resort.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

St Mary's is a good example of a modest church built to meet the needs of a small community in a remote area. Its simplicity, small scale and probable recycling of materials from its predecessor also illustrate the way in which many small communities of its era coped with the after effects of cyclones on towns with timber buildings.^[1]

The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

St Mary's has strong associations with the Catholic community of the area and has served Port Douglas for several generations. Community regard for the church was emphasised in 1988 when local people banded together to save and relocate the church as a community building.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Port Douglas is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia, approximately 60 km north of Cairns. In the 2021 census, Port Douglas had a population of 3,650 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season from May to September. The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting on lots around the Mossman River by 1880.

Mossman is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Douglas Shire Council In the 2016 census, the locality of Mossman had a population of 1,937 people.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is a diocese of the Catholic Church located in the state of Queensland, Australia. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The diocese was erected as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and was elevated to a diocese in 1941. Its territorial remit is Far North Queensland.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church & School is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church and school at Goondoon Street, Gladstone, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1924 to 1950. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

St Patrick's Catholic Church is a heritage-listed former Roman Catholic church at 27 Spiller Street, Brandon, Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1910. It is also known as Burdekin Academy of Dance. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

St John's Anglican Church Precinct is a heritage-listed churchyard at 30-34 Macrossan Street, South Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c. 1907 to c. 1911. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

St Monica's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Cairns. It is located at 183 Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The cathedral was designed by Ian Ferrier and built from 1967 to 1968. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 31 August 1998.

St David's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 3 Foxton Avenue, Mossman, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Edward Taffs and Edwin Roy Orchard. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 August 2010.

St Monica's Old Cathedral is a heritage-listed former Roman Catholic cathedral at Minnie Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Lawrence and Lordan and was built in 1927 by Michael Garvey. It is also known as St Monica's Cathedral and St Monica's Church & School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 1 July 1997.

Bishop's House is a heritage-listed former Roman Catholic monastery and now bishop's residence at Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Father Joseph Phelan and built in 1930 by Michael Garvey. It is also known as St Monica's Monastery/Priory. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 1 July 1997.

Port Douglas Wharf is a heritage-listed wharf at 6 Dixie Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1904. It was also known as Shipwreck Museum. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Mossman District Hospital is a heritage-listed public hospital at Johnston Road, Mossman, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hill & Taylor and built c. 1930 by J J Riley. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 June 2009.

National Bank of Australasia Building is a heritage-listed former bank at 11 Mill Street, Mossman, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Lange Leopold Powell and built from 1935 to 1936 by Arthur E Zillfleisch and Tom Booth. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 August 2010.

Exchange Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 2 Front Street, Mossman, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Vibert McKirdy Brown and built from 1934 to 1935. It was also known as Daintree Inn. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooktown Museum</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Cooktown Museum is a heritage-listed former convent and school and now museum at Furneaux Street, Cooktown, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1888 to 1889 Hobbs & Carter. It was formerly known as St Mary's Convent and School. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

St James Catholic Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church located in Monash Avenue, Malanda, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Bob Hassall, built by Alby Halfpapp in late 1926, and was opened on 23 January 1927. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 28 July 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Church, Yungaburra</span> Church in Australia

St Patrick's Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church at 1 Penda Street, Yungaburra, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1914 to 1930s. It is also known as Our Lady of Ransom. The church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Mareeba Shire Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall at 136 Walsh Street, Mareeba, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Eddie Oribin and built from 1960 to 1961 by Ernest William Lepinath. It is also known as Former Mareeba Shire Hall. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 October 2013.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church at 120 Douglas Street, Thursday Island, Shire of Torres, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c. 1885 to c. 1905. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 December 1998.

St Patricks Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church at 18 Pearson, Mount Perry, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by F H Faircloth and built in 1904 by John Guthrie. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "St Mary's by the Sea (entry 600464)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
↑ "A DEVASTATING CALAMITY". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, 597. Queensland, Australia. 22 March 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 14 April 2017– via National Library of Australia.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

External links

Media related to St Mary's by the sea at Wikimedia Commons

Port Douglas Restoration Society

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[qhr-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "St Mary's by the Sea (entry 600464)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

[2] "A DEVASTATING CALAMITY". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, 597. Queensland, Australia. 22 March 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 14 April 2017– via National Library of Australia.

[1]

[2]