Was it faith or foresight that guided the establishment of St. Agnes’ Catholic Church Matraville? Today, we stand before a testament to both. St. Agnes’ Catholic Church Matraville has a story that stretches back to the early 20th century.
In 1907, the first Mass in this district was celebrated. It took place in the Bunnerong school-church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Archbishop Kelly blessed and opened it on land now known as 45 Perry St, Matraville. Bunnerong village became Matraville in 1936. At the time, the area was part of the Randwick Parish District.
The small Catholic population needed a church. It would ease the difficulty of attending Mass. It was also believed it would attract more settlers. The Freeman’s Journal described the wooden school-church as unpretentious. It was however serviceable and ample enough to meet present needs.
School began on January 29, 1907. Two nuns taught forty-six pupils. They came from the North Botany community of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
On March 1, 1907, a new parish of Botany was declared. Bunnerong village was included within the new Botany boundary. The Botany-Bunnerong area was an isolated outer reach of Sydney. New residents set up tents or makeshift homes in the open sandhills.
The History of the Australian Province circa 1911 mentions the Bunnerong School. Teaching at Bunnerong was hard in the early days. It was a mystery how all the children fit into the accommodation. One class was in a derelict shed without glass. Another was in the tiny sacristy. Still another was on the verandah. The rest were in the main body of the church. Cold winter winds swept around the exposed building. The Stations of the Cross swayed and the statues threatened to fall. The families did what they could to support the church and school.
In 1936, the church-school in Perry St changed its name. It became St Agnes to avoid confusion. This was because of Our Lady of the Rosary School in Kensington.
In 1939, the Archbishop announced a change. St Agnes church-school would come under the control of Malabar Parish. There was an urgent need for a new church-school in Matraville. World War Two delayed the project. The safety issues and inadequate size of the building were concerning.
On November 6, 1949, Cardinal Gilroy blessed the foundation stone. It was for a new brick church-school building in Perry St. It opened in May 1951. The nuns now had a modern, large building. It was designed for school purposes first. It was also for church purposes. This building was planned to serve the parishioners well. But it was abandoned within ten years.
In 1954, Father Maurice Roche became the Parish Priest of Malabar Parish. He decided to move the Catholic community building. He wanted it in a more central position. He chose the heart of the shopping center. The Perry St location was becoming isolated. Access by public transport was limited.
Father Maurice Roche secured a large site in the shopping center in Bunnerong Rd. In 1955, it was part of an old, disused quarry. Parishioners described the land as a swamp. It was a quarry, forty feet deep. It was full of water, slush, mud, dirt and rubbish. Land that couldn’t be given away.
In 1956, approval was given to dispose of the buildings in Perry St. They would establish similar buildings on a new site in Bunnerong Rd.
In October 1958, the Vicar-General blessed the new St Agnes Catholic School in Bunnerong Rd. The completion was a great achievement. The next priority was a church. Father Roche purchased a home for a future presbytery.
In January 1959, the Archbishop made an announcement. The Matraville area would be removed from the control of Malabar. It would become a separate parish. Father James Munday was appointed the first Parish Priest.
Father Munday and Father Roche agreed. Construction of the main church building on Bunnerong Rd must be deferred. This was to expand the school. In 1960, enrollment at St Agnes School had increased to 239 pupils.
A brick veneer building was erected at St Agnes School. It contained two classrooms and a hall. This building became the temporary church. The new building enabled the transfer from Perry St to Bunnerong Rd. Cardinal Gilroy blessed and opened it in December 1961.
On January 23, 1966, Bishop James Freeman opened and blessed the new St Agnes Church. It was designed to accommodate six hundred worshippers. It was dedicated as a war memorial church. It honored those who had served in both world wars.
St Agnes Church stands as a testament. It reflects the dedication of its parishioners. It also reflects their commitment to community and remembrance.