Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church and Ventnor, sandstone house

Item details


Name of item:	Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church and Ventnor, sandstone house
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Primary address:	189-193 Avoca Street, Randwick, NSW 2031
Local govt. area:	Randwick

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
189-193 Avoca Street	Randwick	Randwick			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	A fine mid Victorian house excellently sited on the ridge overlooking Coogee Bay, which is surrounding by mature Moreton bay Fig and Camphor Laurel trees. From the period of the first school-church building through to the present day, the allotment occupied by Our Lady of the Sacred heart has been in continuous use as a place of catholic worship and education in Randwick. The church and school have been an integral part of the early history and later growth of Randwick. The cultural significance of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is greatly enhance by its role as the "mother church" for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart during the order's years of growth in Australian and the South Pacific. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church embodies high historic, aesthetic and social heritage significance. The Church was designed by the architects Sheerin and Hennessy, who were responsible for the design and construction of many Catholic buildings in this State. Further the Church , as a landmark in the local area, displays high aesthetic value as a Gothic Revival building. The brickwork, sandstone architraves, and stained glass windows contribute to tis aesthetic significance. The articulated Gothic brickwork at the rear façade is highly unique. The place represents the development of the Randwick municipality and the role the Catholic Church played in the growing community. The place holds high social value today through its association with school and community facilities.
	Date significance updated: 25 Aug 21
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Construction years:	1870-1888
Physical description:	A large two storey Georgian style sandstone house. The large paned sash windows and flat cast iron columns, to the single storey and concave iron verandah are Victorian. The entrance is marked by a large six panel door with side lights and fanlights. A blind arcaded single storey wing extends to the west which was a former servants quarters and kitchen building. Much of the interior appears intact, but in poor condition. Exterior unaltered except for enclosure of rear verandah. Stonework has deteriorated in places, especially on magnificent chimney. Slate roof. Huge grounds. Many large fig trees. Rectangular plan with rear single storey extension. Hard to see from Avoca Street (rear elevation), Best view is from Milford Street (side).

History

Historical notes:

Built in 1858 by Edward Dawson whose brother, John, built Burnside in nearby Short Street (recently demolished). Alderman George Kiss who was Mayor of Randwick in 1878 bought the property in the 1870s. His family lived in Ventnor until 1963 when it was sold to the Sacred Heart Church. The architect of Ventnor is unknown but the style is reminiscent of Blacket’s work.
By the end of 1880, a brick school church seating 300 people was built to the design of the architect Aston Watkins. The Franciscan Fathers came once a week for Mass and Benediction. By the mid 1880s, Randwick was a rapidly growing suburb and local parishioners were concerned that they still had no resident priest. A small group of French Missionary priests known as the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart had come to Australia seeking a parish, and in 1885 the Randwick parish and the existing church school passed to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. The three priests and two seminarians took up residence in nearby Napper Terrace, which was known as the first Presbytery.
As the local population and congregation grew, plans were prepared in 1886 for a new presbytery to the design of architects Sheerin and Hennessy. In 1887 a competitive tender for the design of the new church was won by the same architects, Sheerin and Hennessy. After more than 40 years of use, the second Presbytery was for the be too small of the requirements of the growing Catholic community and was in a state of deterioration. In 1928, its was decided to demolish the structure and build a new third presbytery on the same location.

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Originally constructed in 1888 with additions made in 1921 and 1937, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church holds high historic value. The place is representative of the development of the Randwick locality and the growth of the local community since the 19th century.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church is associated with the architectural firm Sheerin and Hennessy. JF Hennessy was a noted architect who studied in the UK and working in the United States before arriving in Australia in 1880. He was responsible for the design of the Fraser Fountain in Hyde Park and Centennial Hall extension of Sydney Town Hall in 1883. A devout Catholic, both he and J Sheerin who began their partnership in 1884, were responsible for the design of many Catholic buildings in NSW such as St Patricks College, Manly and St Vincents College, Potts Point.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Our Lady of the Sacred heart Church holds high aesthetic value as a prominent building in the Gothic Revival style. The Church is constructed of facebrick with sandstone plinth, entablature and architrave. The stained glass windows are noted for their fine craftsmanship and were made in France. The articulated Gothic brickwork at the rear façade is highly significant and unique. The place contributes to the streetscape and is a landmark in the local area.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church holds high social value as a place of religious worship for the Catholic faith. Further, the school and community facilities attached to the Church increase its value to the community.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The articulated Gothic brickwork at the rear façade is unique and demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church demonstrates moderate rarity. The Church was designed by the architects Sheerin and Hennessey who were responsible for many Catholic buildings in the 19th century. The articulated Gothic brickwork at the ear façade is rare.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church is representative of the development of the Randwick locality and the role of the Church in the community.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Randwick Local Environmental Plan 1998 - Sch3	75	26 Jun 98	97	5007
Local Environmental Plan	Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012	I284	15 Feb 13

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Electronic	City Plan Heritage	2012	Heritage Impact Statement
Electronic	Rappoport Pty Ltd	2009	Statement of Heritage Impact

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2310074

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.