Aranmore Catholic College Group

Child Places

• 02196 St Mary's Catholic Church
• 02202 St Mary's Hall

Statement of Significance

The Aranmore Catholic College Group is both an ecclestiastical and educational landmark in the area. Its order and character creates a strong sense of place and a valued extension of the public domain. The place has significant associations with the Sisters of Mercy, Christian Brothers, Monsignor Maloney and Ernest Hamilton. It demonstrates significant developments in education, worship, community services and a way of life. It is an integral part of the local Catholic community, as well as the wider community.

Physical Description

A group of ecclesiastical buildings including St Mary's Church, presbytery, college and former convent. CHURCH: The church is a red brick and tile building in the Inter-War Gothic style, with characteristic stone mullioned windows, parapeted gable, spire and other vertical elements and entrance porch. Imposing gable roofed church with a tall bell tower and spire. Constructed with gothic design elements including arched windows and doors and buttresses at the sides. The central and side windows feature characteristic stone tracery and stained glass lead lights. The building has a projecting entrance porch at the front. A spire of this scale is unusual in a suburban parish church, being more commonly found on cathedrals. PRESBYTERY: This two storeyed brick and tile residence has a two storeyed timber verandah on three sides. The projecting front rooms have a gable that is topped with a cross and has a simple vertical rectangular vent feature. This projection also has a horizontal band of stucco above and below each window, and a fifth band across the gable. Original timber balustrades on the upper verandah have been replaced by metal railing. The presbytery is situated adjacent to St Mary's Church, facing Franklin Street. FORMER CONVENT: A two storey red brick and tile building with symmetrical projecting wings at either end, each with a gable end, and connected by a two storeyed verandah or colonnade. The façade features decorative horizontal stucco bands which are typical of the period. The windows mirror those of St Mary's Presbytery, part of the Aranmore complex, with those on the lower floor being divided into nine square lights (3x3, the top 3 being fanlights) and those on the top floor being regular casement windows hung with 3 square fanlights. HALL: A local hall with ground floor shop front appearance to Oxford Street. It is truncated at the corner and has a corner doorway. The rendered front gable has a cross at its apex. The date '1929' is on the gable. The hall itself extends along Franklin Street, which slopes upwards. Tall windows are set into each section of the hall, defined by projecting pilasters. The group occupies the entire street block bounded by Oxford, Salisbury, Marion and Shakespeare Streets and incorporates Franklin Street and includes landscaped areas, paving, playing fields and carpark areas. Numerous modifications to facilitate the continued development and use of the place.

History

The Sisters of Mercy established a convent and primary school on the corner of Marian and Shakespeare Streets in 1903. The Sisters of Mercy is a religious order founded by Catherine McAuley in Ireland in 1831. The sisters' mission is to serve the poor and the needy with many engaging in medical care, community programs and teaching. The Leederville school opened in an existing weatherboard house and it was known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Convent, Aranmore. A weatherboard school building was established further west on Marian Street. This building was most likely also used for church services. It is shown on the MWSSDD sewerage plan of c.1930 as being constructed in the traditional cross-shape. The Leederville Parish was established on 1 March 1919, and the first presbytery was an existing cottage at 46 Franklin Street. The first parish priest was the long-serving Monsignor J. F. Maloney (1919-1958). Theresa Leeder occupied a house on the corner of Franklin and Shakespeare streets, and when she died on 26 October 1922, this land was purchased in March 1923 as the site for St Mary's Church. The foundation stone for the church was laid on 6 May 1923 and the Church was opened on 9 December that year. The architect for St Mary's Church was Ernest H. Hamilton. Hamilton originally worked as a draughtsman for the Public Works Department and was involved with the design of Perth Modern School in 1909. As a privately employed architect in the 1920s, he designed the Subiaco Clock Tower war memorial. He was most likely assisted with the design of St Mary's Church by Leederville parish priest Monsignor J.F. Maloney, who was known for his forceful and outspoken opinions. Mons Maloney was the parish priest from 1919 - 1958, and was a driving force in the development of the parish and the Aranmore College group. The Berry Brothers, members of the Leederville parish, were responsible for the extensive jarrah joinery in the Church. Monsignor Maloney became very well - known in the district and some of the St Mary's school girls recalled being frightened of him because he was so stern. They dared not be late to church as he called to them and made them walk down the whole length of the aisle to the front pews. He was remebered by others with fondness and for being a man he could turn his hands to most things. One resident recalled seeing him perched high on the steeple doing some maintenance with his cassock flying in the breeze. In 1929, a church hall, reputed to have been moved from the goldfields, was erected on the corner of Franklin and Oxford streets. This was named St Mary's Hall. It presents a shop-front to Oxford Street, and the front two rooms may have been used originally to house an op-shop or some similar fund-raising function for the parish. Many early residents recall going to weddings, dances and other fund raising functions in this hall and the children attended the school's annual fancy dress ball there. On 21 November 1933, the Sisters of Mercy opened the new novitiate and convent building. They were then able to extend the school to secondary level for girls. The school was renamed St Mary's College. The following year, a new Presbytery was built on the west side of the Church, directly opposite the new convent building, and the priests took up residence on 5 November that year. Monsignor Maloney is credited with the design of this presbytery. In 1937, St Mary's Church was enlarged and the bell tower added, the additions being blessed by the Archbishop on 13 February 1938. The terrazzo Communion rail, which was added at this time, was made by Fanzan Brothers of Perth. The Church bell had been cast at the O'Byrne Foundry in Dublin in 1928. The iron and stone fencing around the Church on both street frontages was erected in 1956. In February 1942, the Christian Brothers opened their college on the adjoining site west of St Mary's College with 140 boys. In 1971, the senior classes at St Mary's and CBC were amalgamated and St Mary's Primary School moved to a new site on Brentham Street in 1976. The Christian Brothers established an upper primary school for the boys on Jugan Street, Glendalough. Various other buildings were added to the two secondary school complexes over the years, and they shared some facilities, including a library, canteen and sports grounds. In 1986, St Mary's and CBC amalgamated as Aranmore Catholic College, a fully co-ed school. Franklin Street was closed to vehicular traffic and landscaped. In 1991, the St Mary's convent building was remodeled for offices and classrooms, with new convent accommodation being provided on Shakespeare Street, opposite the College complex. St Mary's Parish Centre, a hall building of domestic scale, was constructed in 1968, behind St Mary's Hall. The architect was Matthew Broderick and the builder Fennesey Holdings Pty Ltd. The Parish Centre is well patronized by groups in the parish, but has little heritage significance. Following construction of the Parish Centre, St Mary's Hall, no longer required as a church hall, became part of the school complex. The Hall continues to be used as the venue for lower school social functions, music and drama concerts, graduation ceremonies, meetings, parent group functions, and any other activity that requires a large space, including local community use as an election polling place.

Integrity/Authenticity

Mostly intact

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.