A large and characterful design of the early 1960s by David Brown, with a reinforced concrete frame and brick cladding. The copper roof, fleche and canted side windows lend the exterior some distinction, and the interior is light, bright and airy. 

In the 1950s and 1960s large council housing estates were built here by the City of Newcastle, on former agricultural land. A parish was erected in 1960 to serve this new population and in 1964 the present church was built, from designs by David Brown. In 1965 a new altar was designed by Brown, probably for the Lady Chapel.

Description

The church has ritual east at the northwest. It is an elegant, low-key modern design, externally clad in brick, and with a reinforced concrete internal frame; the roof and spirelet are clad in copper. The ritual west entrance front has projecting eaves over a tall seven-light window with concrete mullions; below the projecting concrete window sill a double door is recessed in projecting jambs. The five-bay nave has tall, narrow windows in similar style, their shallow pointed tops breaking through the eaves. At the ritual southeast, a circular attached baptistery has a shallow copper dome and a row of small clerestory windows. The sanctuary has one tall wide window at each end.

Inside, painted reinforced concrete posts support the shallow principals, the beams turning slightly to form shallow pointed vaults. The sanctuary is raised on two steps and a wide projecting step which forms an extra platform. In 1965 a new altar was designed by David Brown and a statue was to accompany it; this was probably for the Lady Chapel, south of the sanctuary, which has a marble altar. The sanctuary and side chapels have terrazzo floors. Behind the altar is a fine new icon of Christ in Majesty by Sister Petra Clare, a Carmelite nun, replacing a crucifix. 

Heritage Details