Saint Finbarr’s Catholic Church

The imposing brick facade of Saint Finbarr’s Catholic Church stands proudly on Waterworks Road. The church has seen decades of Ashgrove’s history, and it’s been a central part of the community since the beginning. Saint Finbarr’s is actually the second church to be built on that site. Construction of the original church began in 1921, when Archbishop Duhig purchased 23 acres of land in Ashgrove. He had the house renovated and made one of the large rooms into a temporary chapel. Only a few years later, the foundation stone for a wooden church was laid. The church wasn’t just a place of worship. It was also used as a school. In fact, a third of the funds needed to build the church were donated by parishioners. Saint Finbarr’s primary school moved to a new location under the elevated timber church in 1927. In the mid-1950s, the current church was constructed. It was finally opened on St. Patrick’s Day, 1957, by Archbishop Duhig, who had dedicated more than sixty churches in the Greater Brisbane area. The stained glass windows overlooking Waterworks Road are a special sight, displaying scenes from the life of Saint Finbarr, a 7th-century Irish bishop. The church has been a source of Catholic worship and education in Ashgrove for almost eighty years. Saint Finbarr’s is the embodiment of faith and community in Ashgrove.