St. Anne's, Park Orchards, is one of these. It all began in1943 when, under the supervision of the late Mr. Ted Sheahan, a builder for the Catholic Welfare Organisation. It was built as a chapel for Australian Army use at Camp Pell (Royal Park). This was the only chapel specially constructed for the C.W.O. during the war years. All other church buildings were converted army huts. Later it was used for a period by American Army personnel. (Camp Pell was a transit base for American Army personnel.)
The chapel, unnamed, was blessed by the late Archbishop Mannix the same day the C.W.O. canteen was opened by the then Governor of Victoria, Sir Winston Dugal. The late Father Joseph Quinn, who was a Vincentian (American Order of Priests) was resident chaplain at Camp Pell from the opening of the chapel in 1943 and lived in quarters behind the canteen in a C. W. O. hut.
In 1946 the Army establishment was being disbanded, and Father P. Power, Parish. Priest at Heidelberg, purchased the building from the C.W.O. for use as a church in Templestowe.
Templestowe parishioners had been anxious for some time for a permanent church to replace the temporary accommodation in the Memorial Hall, used during later war years.
The chapel was partly dismantled and arrived, via L. Arthur & Sons heavy lift trucks, at Atkinson Street, Templestowe, on 15th August, 1946, where it was reconstructed by its original builder, Mr. Sheehan, who added a front porch.
The new church was dedicated to St.. Kevin and was opened by Archbishop Mannix on 8th June, 1947. The total cost of the building and its reconstruction was £1,207/-/-.
As the Templestowe area developed, the chapel became too small for parishioners' needs, and a new church was built on a new site in Herlihys Road. The last Mass was celebrated in it on 28th July, 1968. As the Park Orchards area was in need of a church, it was given to them. History repeated itself when the erstwhile army chapel was again dismantled by the people of Park Orchards, jacked up, loaded to a heavy lift truck and moved to Park Orchards.
Renovated with a new roof and repainted it was re-opened and renamed St. Anne's in June, 1970.
Now the congregation it serves is growing fast. Perhaps one day soon St. Anne's will again be too small and renew its life of travel.
Brian Mullens writing in 1972 11 DTHS Newsletter
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