St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, Convent & Site

Item details


Name of item:	St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, Convent & Site
Other name/s:	St Ignatius Roman Catholic Church
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Location:	Lat: -30.0877828467 Long: 145.9320818790
Primary address:	3-7 Meek Street, Bourke, NSW 2840
Local govt. area:	Bourke
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Nulla Nulla

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	100		DP	1169821
PART LOT	101		DP	1169821

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
3-7 Meek Street	Bourke	Bourke			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Roman Catholic Church	Religious Organisation	23 Mar 99

Description


Designer/Maker:	W. Lamrock (1888 school) W.T. Knox (1897 convent)
Construction years:	1874-
Physical description:	Church & Grounds: Victorian Gothic Revival church in red brick with slate roof. Steeple not built, but base of tower, with tapeing buttresses, frames main entrance to the church, off the nave. Grounds include silky oak (Grevillea robusta) trees (Stuart Read, from photograph in BHS, 1982, 26). Convent: Two storey late Victorian Gothic Revival brick building with double-height verandahs and prominent gabled ends.


Current use:	church
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, church

History

Historical notes:

Bourke:
1862, prior to the first sale of land at Bourke, William Sly, Joseph Becker and John Kelly are thought to have constructed the first buildings in Bourke on the Banks of the Darling River on what was to become Lots 245 and 6 of Section 1 and Lots 1,2,3 and 5 of Section 2 located next to the punt. Sly and Kelly established the first Bourke hotels on their land and Becker established a store. William Sly established his hotel on Lot 5 Section 1 and also owned Lot 6 which is the site of the Old London Bank (Plim, 2004).

Although the town of Bourke was not laid out until 1862 (by Surveyor, J.Glen Wilson), it took its name from the district of Fort Bourke. This name, in turn, came from the stockade erected in 1835 by Major Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (as a protection against pilfering Aboriginals) and named in honour of the NSW Governor, at the time, Sir Richard Bourke (BHS, 1982, iv).

Although the town of Bourke was not laid out until 1862 (by Surveyor, J.Glen Wilson), it took its name from the district of Fort Bourke. This name, in turn, came from the stockade erected in 1835 by Major Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (as a protection against pilfering Aboriginals) and named in honour of the NSW Governor, at the time, Sir Richard Bourke (BHS, 1982, iv).

Bourke was proclaimed a township in 1862 and quickly grew and developed. By 1872 the township's businesses could offer residences all the necessities of domestic life - bakers cordial manufaturers, tailors and a jeweller, fruit and vegetables from the numerous market gardens as well as the needs of the workday world such as a blacksmithand wheelwright. Bourke spawned the first of the local newspapers in 1968 and communications were facilitited by the Post Master, Joseph Becker form the early days of the towns establishment (ibid, 2004).

The growth and development of Bourke continued throughout the 1890s and the early decades of the twentieth century. The telegraph system of communication was supplimented with telepohne in 1911and electricity became available in the early 1930s (ibid, 2004).

With development grew numerous industries. There were two Bourke breweries operating by 1881 as well as woolstores and the meat processing and export industry was established in 1889. The local meat business, Bourke Meat Works closed in 1900 and it was not until 1938 that it was replaced by Tancred Brother Pty Ltd who established an abbatoir in Bourke in 1938. This business prospered and continued to operate through the 1970s (ibid, 2004).

The industry and business interests in the Bourke community were supported by a growing financial and banking sector. The first Bank to open in Bourke was the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney in 1965, this was followed by the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1875, the Bank of NSW in 1877 and by 1881 the London Chartered Bank was established in the town, the bank was restructured in 1888 becoming the London Bank of Australia. Most of these banking operation had started their operations in rented rooms in the business district. As they firmed thier position in the comunity most banks purchased property and constructed imposing premises from which to operate (ibid, 2004).

St. Ignatius Church:
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Ignatius is (today, in 1982) Bourke's oldest building of known date and still in use as an alternative place of worship. It was opened in 1874 and its handsome convent building, now almost abandoned, was built for the Sisters of Mercy in 1897 (BHS, 1982, 26).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Gardens-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Introduce cultural planting-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of urban amenity-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of passive recreation-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of institutions - productive and ornamental-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes and parklands of distinctive styles-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing local landmarks-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Surveying by J. Glen Wilson-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Administering and alienating Crown lands-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Alienating Crown Lands for religious purposes-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Religious worship-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Church-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Practising Catholicism-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Building and garden maintenance Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing material; and (2) Garden maintenance including cultivation, pruning, weed control, the repair and maintenance of existing fences, gates and garden walls and pruning and tree surgery but not including extensive lopping.	Mar 21 1986
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	works to existing 1960 school buildings Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) Any works to existing c1960 school buildings, galvanised iron shelter shed, and concrete block / tuckshop building as well as three proposed general purpose learning areas as shown on drawings prepared by Charles Macluran, Architect, on drawings No. 8510-2 to 5 inclusive.	Aug 1 1986
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Garden & Building Maintanence Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing material; and (2) Garden maintenance, including cultivation, pruning, weed control, the repair and maintenance of existing fences, gates and garden walls and tree surgery, but not extensive lopping;	Sep 23 1988
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) OF THE HERITAGE ACT 1977 Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977. I, the Hon James Griffin MP, Minister for Environment and Heritage, pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales do by this Order, effective at the time of publication in the New South Wales Government Gazette: 1. revoke the order made on 9 November 2020 and published in the Government Gazette Number 318 of 13 November 2020; and 2. grant the exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 that are described in the attached Schedule. The Hon James Griffin MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Signed this 2nd day of June 2022. To view the standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 click on the link below.	Jun 17 2022

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00603	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00603	23 Sep 88	147	5050

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Bourke Heritage Inventory Study	1999		Prof.Ian Jack & Arch.Barbara Hickson		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written
Written	Bourke Historical Society	1982	Bourke - a pictorial history
Written	Plim, Caroline	2004	History and Significance Assessment Gidgee Guesthouse, Site of the Former London Chartered Bank)
Written	The Catholic Press 26 June 1897:13		Blessing the Bourke Convent

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045126
File number:	S90/01188

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