St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church

Item details


Name of item:	St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church
Other name/s:	Saint Francis Xavier's Church; St. Scholastica's Church
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Religion
Category:	Church
Location:	Lat: -34.4925262012 Long: 150.3321232140
Primary address:	Hume Highway, Berrima, NSW 2577
Parish:	Berrima
County:	Camden
Local govt. area:	Wingecarribee
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Illawarra

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1	44	DP	758098
LOT	2	44	DP	758098

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Hume Highway	Berrima	Wingecarribee	Berrima	Camden	Primary Address
Oldbury Road	Berrima	Wingecarribee			Alternate Address

Statement of significance:


	St Francis Xavier's, Berrima, is of state significance as the only intact and essentially unaltered Pugin-designed building in New South Wales, indeed in the whole of Australia. With his complete set of liturgical furnishings (excepting the rood screen which may not have been constructed) and in a scholarly mid thirteenth-century Early English Gothic idiom, beyond the compass of New South Wales architects at the time of its design in 1842, it is his perfect exemplar for the re-creation of a small English medieval village church. Pugin is acknowledged to be England's greatest and most influential early-Victorian designer and theorist. The building is one of only two such Pugin churches of its particular typology and with these liturgical furnishings in the world, the other being Our Lady and St Wilfrid's, Warwick Bridge, Cumbria, England. The building is associated with John Bede Polding, first Catholic bishop in Australia, later first Archbishop of Sydney and founder of the Australian Catholic hierarchy, who supplied the plans that he had acquired from Pugin in 1842. As such it clearly demonstrates Polding's evolving taste in church architecture.
	Date significance updated: 21 Jun 06
	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


Designer/Maker:	Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
Builder/Maker:	William Munro
Construction years:	1849-1851
Physical description:	Setting: The church is sited on a knoll on which a convict road gang stockade was located in the 1830s (RNE, 1980) in an open block with large mature European, Californian (Monterey pine, Pinus radiata) and native trees around its perimeter and some small shrubs and trees on the block. The site also features a number of fine mature pines (LEP, 2010). A key building in the townscape and (sic: which) makes a significant contribution to the historic town of Berrima. The location of the church on the site of an 1830s convict road gang stockade is of historic interest (RNE, 1980). Church: Designed in 1842 in an Early English Gothic idiom of around the mid thirteenth century, the church consists of: a four-bay nave, buttressed at the corners, with north porch and a single bellcote astride the west gable; a two-bay chancel with diagonal buttressing to its east wall; and a sacristy abutting the chancel south wall. It is constructed of ashlar sandstone and has corrugated iron roofs. The nave and porch interiors are of ashlar sandstone, the chancel and sacristy being plastered. The nave has an open timber roof with arch-braced collar tie trusses having arch-braced king posts. The chancel has a plaster ceiling dating from the last quarter of the twentieth century. The floors are wooden. The chancel is equipped with stone sedilia and piscina as well as an Easter sepulchre recess. Rougher finish to the stonework of the nave east wall interior above the level of the north and south walls indicates that the surface was designed to receive a Doom painting. With the exception of the chancel, porch and sacristy ceilings and the corrugated iron roofs, the entire structure is original and intact and unaltered. The present forward altar is original, as is the baptismal font (not by Pugin), all other furnishings dating from not earlier than the last decade of the nineteenth century. Gabled, corrugated iron clad roofs to main nave, porch (northern) and vestry (southern). The west end also features a small stone bellcote (on top of the gable), a recessed statuary niche (empty), a pair of narrow lancet headed stained glass windows and a pair of boarded entrance doors with ornamental hinges (similar door to porch). Ornamentation is generally limited to restained hood mouldings (to doors and windows), gablets to ends of copings and gable-surmounting crosses (LEP, 2010).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Generally very good condition.
	Date condition updated:15 Jun 06
Modifications and dates:	Last quarter c.20: New plaster ceiling to chancel. Reversible. 1991: Disabled ramp to north porch, along with re-orientation of porch approach steps. Reversible. 1988-1993: Replacement of ceiling in sacristy. Reversible. 1988-1993: Pine board ceiling to porch. Reversible.
Further information:	This is Pugin's only intact and essentially unaltered building in Australia. In its layout and permanent liturgical furnishings-piscina, sedilia, Easter sepulchre recess, provision for a Doom painting (the designed rood screen appears not to have been erected)-it is a comprehensive expression of his ideal for the revival of a small English medieval village church. It is one of only two such intact churches of Pugin's with this typology and these furnishings worldwide, the other being Our Lady & St Wilfrid's, Warwick Bridge, Cumbria. It is the only Australian church with an Easter sepulchre recess and provision for a Doom painting.


Current use:	Catholic church
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, Convict Barracks site, Catholic parish church

History

Historical notes:

Aboriginal land
Gundungurra or Gandangarra people lived in the Southern Highlands area, which includes Mittagong, for many thousands of years. People who spoke the Gundungurra language lived in the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Goulburn Plains of New South Wales. They lived in small groups of extended family members, who were attached to particular areas of country. After Anglo-European settlers caused displacement of Gundungurra people, they often worked on farms or grazing properties within and adjacent to their traditional land (Di Johnson: 2004 in SHR database 5045486). Gundungurra groups left archaeological evidence of their occupation throughout their traditional lands, including scarred trees where bark was removed for use as a boat or other object, grinding grooves on rocks where axes were ground, and occupation sites which include middens. Well-worn Gundungurra pathways on ridge tops were often the routes used as the first roads by colonists (Di Johnson 2004). Possibly this could have been the origin of the Old South Road which borders part of the Renwick site. (SHR database 5045486).

Gundungurra groups left archaeological evidence of their occupation throughout their traditional homelands, including scarred trees where bark was removed for use as a boat or other object, grinding grooves on rocks where axes were ground, and occupation sites which include middens. Well-worn Gundungurra pathways on ridge tops were often the routes used as the first roads by colonists (Di Johnson, 2004). Possibly this could have been the origin of the Old South Road where the Hassall and Jefferis Cottages are located.

The area is home to the Tharawal and Gungungurra people (Robinson, 2008).

Camden and the Cow Pastures:
The area is associated with the early history of the colony of New South Wales. Governor Hunter named it 'The Cowpastures' after cattle which had strayed from the Farm Cove settlement were discovered there in 1795 (to the south-west of Sydney). Due to the early European settlers, namely the Macarthurs, who established flourishing wool, wine and wheat industries here, the area is said to be the 'birthplace of the nation's wealth' (ibid, 2008).

Colonisation of Berrima:
Berrima is the second oldest (European) settlement in Wingecarribee Shire and the oldest continuing settlement in the shire. The first town settlement in the district was in 1821 at Bong Bong, 8km south-east of Berrima on the Wingecarribee River (Webb, 2008, 9).

The site of Berrima was selected by Surveyor General Sir Thomas Mitchell in 1829 on a visit planning the route for a new road alignment from Sydney to replace the old Argyle Road, which had proven unsatisfactory due to a steep hill climb over the Mittagong Range and river crossing at Bong Bong. In 1830 Mitchell instructed Robert Hoddle to mark out the town based on a plan Mitchell's office prepared, along the lines of a traditional English village (with a central market place and as many blocks as possible facing onto the WIngecarribee River), and using the local Aboriginal name. The new line of road came through the town (Allman Johnston, 2007). Berrima was to be established as the commercial and administrative centre for the County of Camden.

Following the approval of Governor Bourke in 1831, the period 1824 to 1841 saw significant flourishing development as mail coaches changed their route to this new line of road. Early town lots were sold in 1833, predominantly to inn keepers and around Market Square, including the first town Lot sales to Bryan McMahon (Webb, 2008, 9).

Governor Bourke designated Berrima as a place for a courthouse and gaol to serve the southern part of the state (Webb, 2008, 9). With construction of the Jail from 1835-9 and its Court House in 1838 to serve the southern part of the state the town flourished into the 1840s as mail coaches called, public buildings including churches in 1849 and 1851, establishment of many hotels and coaching houses to service local resident needs and passing trades, persons and commercial travellers. Its 1841 population was 249 with 37 houses completed and 7 more in construction. Research has indicated there were some 13 hotels or grog houses in Berrima at the one time in the early days before the coming of the Southern Railway to the Moss Vale area, which by-passed Berrima (Allman Johnston, 2005).

The 1851 census showed the number of buildings remained the same but the population had dropped to 192. During the 1850s Berrima experienced another boom period after the discovery of gold.

Berrima is Bypassed by the Great Southern Railway:
When the Great Southern Railway bypassed Berrima in 1867 the town again began to decline as Mittagong, Moss Vale and Bowral developed. Berrima remained virtually unchanged for the next 100 years, preserving the town as an almost intact colonial village (Webb, 2008, 10).

1867 was a momentous year. In December, the newly completed railway line from Sydney opened and in anticipation for an influx of people, the owners of the large estates began subdividing, with the first town plots sold in 1863. By the time Moss Vale station opened, the town had a store, postal service and hotel, mainly to cater for the needs of the large number of railway workers and their families who had come to the district. Their small tent communities had sprung up all along the Great Southern Railway line as it forged south to Goulburn. Lewis Levy from Berrima opened the first store, having cannily anticipated the decline in business in Berrima once it was bypassed by the railway. Business people of Sutton Forest saw Moss Vale's potential as the future centre of the district and many of the first land buyers in Moss Vale were Sutton Forest and Berrima people (ibid, 2001, 82).

The opening up of the Yarrawa Brush (rainforest area, split up and cleared for farming) in the 1860s - the Robertson, Burrawang and Wilde's Meadow area - added to the importance of the rail head at Moss Vale, which became the district centre for sending produce and other freight to the Sydney market (Emery, 2001, 82).

As a result the once bustling town rapidly declined. By the turn of the century Berrima's population totalled 80 and many of its buildings had been abandoned.

Berrima Training Centre:
In 1948 the Berrima Training Centre, a minimum security correctional centre opened at the Berrima Gaol. In the 1960s the National Trust of Australia (NSW) started to classify and seek to protect heritage properties (Webb, 2008, 22).

Since the classification of a number of buildings in Berrima by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) in the 1960s, the popularity of Berrima has increased, particularly as a tourist destination. Recent developments in the town have seen the emergence of bed and breakfast accomodation facilities, reflecting the early years of the town's development that provided accomodation for travellers through the construction and operation of various inns (Webb, 2008, 10).

In 1992 the Sydney to Canberra Freeway (F5) bypassed Berrima (Webb, 2008, 22).

Catholic worship in Berrima, later in St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church:
St. Scholastica's stands on the site of the (1830s: LEP, 2010) Berrima stockade, where the road gangs that worked on construction of the Great South Road were housed. When the gangs left Berrima in 1838, the Catholic Chaplin of NSW, Father John McEncroe, applied to the Government for the land on which to build a church and a school. The first mass was celebrated in 1840 and later that year the foundation stone was laid (National Trust of Australia (NSW), undated).

From 1840 the Catholic community in the Berrima district had been worshipping in a chapel converted from two huts formerly used to house chain gangs (Berrima District News, 2015).

The building of a more permanent church was first mooted in 1840 and a subscription list opened, but it was 9 years before construction began. Builder William Munro was just finishing Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Berrima when he secured the contract to build the new catholic church. In February 1849 Archbishop Polding laid the foundation stone in the presence of some 150 local residents. The stone came from the same quarry used for building Holy Trinity (Southern Highland News, 2015).

During his 1841/1842 trip to England, John Bede Polding OSB, first Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, was exposed to the impact of the revolutionary new Gothic Revival works by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. He attended the dedication of Pugin's St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, England, in June 1841 and subsequently consecrated Robert William Willson there in October 1842 as first Catholic Bishop of Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land. Polding also saw Pugin's ambitious design for a vast new monastery for his former Benedictine monastic brethren at Downside Priory, Somerset.

As a consequence Polding sought designs from Pugin for a range of buildings and these were despatched in December 1842. The package of designs included a temporary free-standing bell tower for St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, along with major extensions destined to ultimately replace that building, a school and at least five designs for churches, from small two-compartment structures to a large spired triple-gabled building. All differed from any of Pugin's existing English or Irish designs. It should be noted that although the bell tower and Cathedral are no more, Pugin's extant school (St Mary's Cathedral Chapter House) and four churches in Sydney (Ryde, Balmain, Broadway and Parramatta), although all substantially altered, represent the greatest number of Pugin buildings in any city, town or village anywhere in the world (Berrima District News, 2015).

In 1846, Dean John Grant of the Campbelltown mission determined to erect a permanent church in Berrima, and as a result Polding supplied him with a set of Pugin's plans for a small two-compartment church. Polding came down to Berrima to bless and lay the foundation stone in mid 1847, but work on the building's erection did not commence for another two years with William Munro as builder. Munro would appear to have started the job upon completion of Edmund Thomas Blacket's Holy Trinity Anglican Church (1847-49) in the same village (Berrima District News, 2015).

Research by historian Linda Emery reveals that the major local contributor, promising 20 pounds, was publican Bryan McMahon, owner of the Berrima Inn in Jellore Street. A former soldier transported to NSW for desertion, he came to Berrima as the overseer of one of the convict road gangs workin in the district. Recognising the potential of the growing market town, he left his government position in the mid-1830s and built Berrima's first licensed inn. The other major contributors to the building fund were also publicans - Michael Doyle of Berrima, Redmond Connor of Sutton Forest and John Keighran from Bargo. Builder William Munro was finishing the construction of Berrima's Holy Trinity Anglican Church when he secured the contract in 1849 to build St. Scholastica's. A Scottish immigrant, he had arrived in the colony in 1838 and began his working life in NSW as a house carpenter. His work in Berrima, also including major repairs to Berrima Court House, set him on the path to success and he became a leading Sydney architect (Berrima District News, 2015).

Noted Pugin expert Brian Andrews, in an essay on the Pugin Foundation website, points out that the design of St.Scholastica's was a totally original evocation of a small English medieval village church. He also states that the quality of workmanship in the church reveals that Munro was a very competent builder (Southern Highland News, 2015).

Some of the pews come from the Sutton Forest Roman Catholic Church of St Patrick (LEP, 2010).

The church has remained virtually unaltered since its construction in 1851 and still reflects Pugin's exacting standards of proportion (Southern Highland News, 28/9/2015).

St. Scholastica's was for many years the focus of Catholic worship in the district, but as the railway towns of Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale developed, Berrima declined. In the late 1880s the Berrima Church was incorporated into the Moss Vale parish and the name changed St. Francis Xavier (Southern Highland News, 28/9/2015).

In the late 1880s, the Berrima church was incorporated into Moss Vale parish. (National Trust of Australia (NSW), undated).

The building has remained substantially intact, apart from some ceiling additions in 1988-93. Except for a short period from 1973 to 1984 when the building was closed, it has always functioned as a Catholic church.

In 1984 it was reopened and since 2000 has been substantially repaired. It is open for mass, weddings and other sacraments through the Moss Vale Parish. A dedicated 'Friends of the Church' group manages the ongoing restoration and maintenance of this local heritage treasure (Southern Highland News, 2015).

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-
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.	Changing the environment-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities	Convict barracks-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities	Administering the convict system-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities	Demonstrating convicts' experiences and activities-
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	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.	A Picturesque Residential Suburb-
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.	Adapted heritage building or structure-
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	Changing land uses - from rural to tourist-
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	Expressing lines of early grant allotments-
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	Townships-
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	Suburban Centres-
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	Early farming (Cattle grazing)-
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-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th century suburban developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Subdivision of rural estates-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th Century Infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	A quiet Rural District-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	living in the country-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Cultural Social and religious life-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Shaping riverine settlement-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Shaping inland settlements-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Role of transport in settlement-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Planned towns serving a specific industry-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Planned towns serving a specific industry-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Planning relationships between key structures and town plans-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Vernacular towns serving a specific industry-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Beautifying towns and villages-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Outlying settlements-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Developing the social life of a rural community-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Developing government towns-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Developing cultural institutions and ways of life-National Theme 8
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	work of stonemasons-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Designing making and using ecclesiastical furniture-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Applying architectural design to utlilitarian structures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Designing structures to emphasise their important roles-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Creating works of art-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Designing making and showing stained and coloured glass-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Building in response to natural landscape features.-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Designing in an exemplary architectural style-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Patronising artistic endeavours-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Architectural styles and periods - Victorian Gothic Revival-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Interior design styles and periods - Victorian-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Landscaping - Victorian period-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Landscaping - 20th century interwar-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Landscaping - Federation period-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	Adaptation of overseas design for local use-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Country estates - visiting, enjoying-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Ways of life 1900-1950-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Ways of life 1950-2000-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Ways of life 1850-1900-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Living in a bushland setting-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Living in a rural homestead-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Living on the urban fringe-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	musical gatherings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Tourism-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Going to talks and lectures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Developing collections of items-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Activities associated with relaxation and recreation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Visiting heritage places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Visiting places of romantic inspiration-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Gathering at landmark places to socialise-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Going to church or temple or mosque-
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	religion (in the country)-
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-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Community volunteering-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Belonging to an historical society or heritage organisation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Joining together to study and appreciate philosophy-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Belonging to an institution for self improvement-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Places of formal community gatherings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Places of informal community gatherings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Developing local clubs and meeting places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Providing charity-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Fund-raising activities for community charities-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Archbishop John Bede Polding 1835 - 1877, RC clergyman-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Augustus Welby N Pugin, leading English Gothic Revival architect-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with William Munro, well known Scottish builder become architect-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	St Francis Xavier's Church is of state significance as a comprehensive demonstration of its designer Pugin's ideals and theories as embodied in his writings. As the acknowledged father of the Gothic Revival his publications had a profound impact on the course of nineteenth-century design, particularly as applied to church architecture and furnishings. This impact is evident in the pattern across New South Wales towns and cities where the overwhelming bulk of church designs from the 1840s were in a Gothic idiom resulting from the powerful message of Pugin's equation of Gothic with Christian.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	St Francis Xavier's is of stste significance for its association with John Bede Polding OSB (1794-1877), the pioneering Catholic bishop in Australia and, from 1842, Archbishop of Sydney and founder of the Australian Catholic hierarchy. The Pugin design for the Berrima church was supplied by Archbishop Polding, one of a set of designs that he had obtained from Pugin in late 1842, and it reflects his maturing views on the nature and purpose of church architecture. It is also of star significance for its association with Pugin who was a key figure in the establishment of the Gothic Revival style for church buildings throughout the British Empire.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	St Francis Xavier's, Berrima, has the ability to demonstrate the creative brilliance of Pugin, England's greatest and most influential early-Victorian designer and theorist. The building, being intact and with his designed liturgical furnishings (except for its rood screen which may never have been constructed), fully exemplifies his ideal for the re-creation of a small English medieval village church. Its fidelity to the Early English idiom of the middle of the thirteenth century was, at the time of its design in 1842, well beyond the compass of any architect in the Colony of New South Wales.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Except for a short period from 1973 to 1984 when the building was closed it has always functioned as a Catholic church. It is highly esteemed by architectural historians as 'a near-perfect exemplar of Pugin's concept for the revival of a small medieval country church.' More general community esteem would be enhanced by increased awareness of the building's significance, following SHR listing.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	As the only intact and essentially unaltered Pugin building in New South Wales, indeed, in the whole of Australia, St Francis Xavier's has the potential to serve as a valuable educational resource for students of the built environment, of the Gothic Revival style in New South Wales and of the establishment of the Catholic church in NSW, particularly prior to the episcopacy of Cardinal Moran in the late 19 C.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	St Francis Xavier's, Berrima, is rare as the only intact and essentially unaltered Pugin building in New South Wales, indeed, in the whole of Australia. It is the only Australian church with an Easter sepulchre recess and with provision for a Doom painting.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	This church is a paradigm of Pugin's influential views that came to dominate church architecture. This impact is evident across New South Wales towns and cities where the overwhelming bulk of church designs from the 1840s were in a Gothic idiom resulting from the powerful message of Pugin's equation of Gothic with Christian.
Integrity/Intactness:	Intact and essentially unaltered
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.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Review 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	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

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		01771	25 Jan 08	10	180
Local Environmental Plan	St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church	I120	16 Jun 10
National Trust of Australia register	St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church	1438	31 May 76
Register of the National Estate	St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church	1567	21 Oct 80

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Wingecarribee Heritage Survey	1991	WI0120	JRC Planning Services	Jocelyn Colleran	No
National Trust Country Register	0	1438	National Trust of Australia (NSW)	Caroline Simpson	No
Berrima Conservation Study	1979				No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Andrews, Brian	2001	Australian Gothic
Written	Brian Andrews	2006	St Francis Xavier’s Church, Berrima, NSW, Conservation Management Plan
Written	National Trust of Australia (NSW)(Berrima District Branch)		A Church Ramble - visit four very different heritage churches in the southern highlands
Written	uncredited, in Southern Highland News, 28 September 2015	2015	'Berrima church is a Pugin design of heritage significance'
Written	Webb, Chris & Charlotte	2008	Conservation Management Plan, Coach & Horses Inn, 24 Jellore Street, Berrima

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:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5060063
File number:	H06/00162

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