A modest but internally attractive post-Vatican II centrally-planned church, built by Lanner of Wakefield to one of their standard designs.

The parish started as a Mass centre served from Our Lady Immaculate, Tolworth, and the first building on the site was the red brick hall, erected in 1938. The first parish priest was appointed in 1944. The present church was built by Lanner’s of Wakefield to one of their standard designs and opened on 29 November 1975.

Description

St Catherine’s is a centrally-planned church building. The main church space is rectangular with a tall pyramidal roof topped by a thin fleche. Around most of the perimeter is a lower flat-roofed addition which contains the main entrance set across one of the angles of the main building and other ancillary spaces. The walls are faced in red brick laid in stretcher bond; the pyramidal main roof is covered in tiles. The windows are of domestic pattern, made of timber and mostly rectangular, although there are strip clerestory windows in the walls of the main church space above the flat-roofed additions.

The main church space is constructed with glulam timber trusses, which are exposed internally below the boarded ceiling with several rows of timber purlins. The floor of the main space is covered with lino tiles, the walls are bare brick. The sanctuary is formed across one angle of the interior opposite the main entrance and is raised on two steps. To either side of the sanctuary are lower side chapels, of which the south chapel is separated from the main body of the chapel by a timber and glass screen. The fittings are simple, with timber altar, ambo and benches  presumably contemporary with the building. The windows are all clear-glazed.

Heritage Details