St Kevins Templestowe Parish - A Brief History
Early Days
Catholics have lived in Templestowe since the early days of white settlement. wood cutters, dairy farmers, hotel keepers and fruit growers. They came from Ireland and were The families drove in buggies to Mass at Heidelberg and children travelled there by horse drawn coach to St. Monica’s [later St. John’s] Primary School.
During the 1920s the orchards flourished and the families began to acquire trucks and cars. With the outbreak of World War 11, petrol was strictly rationed so Mass was celebrated each Sunday in the Templestowe Memorial Hall.
In 1946 an army hut, formerly used as a chapel by the American Forces at the Royal Park Military Camp was transported to two acres of land on the corner of Atkinson and Milne Streets which the Church had acquired in 1921. About fifty people attended Mass there but they retained strong ties to Heidelberg where Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Funerals and most Weddings took place.
Change
Orchards were being sub-divided during the 1950s and the descendants of the early pioneers welcomed new parishioners to the little church.
In 1960 Templestowe became part of the new East Doncaster Parish which also included Bulleen, Doncaster and Donvale. Father Spillane, the Parish Priest lived at Blackburn and the only church buildings in the entire parish of 36 square miles were a church school at East Doncaster and little St. Kevin’s.
Father Spillane introduced the first changes to the liturgy, he commenced a Catechetic Program and he set up a Sacrificial Giving Campaign. With the assistance of some local parishioners he purchased 17 acres in Herlihy’s Rd. This would become the site for future parish buildings.
Templestowe was part of the new Bulleen Parish which was formed with Father Fraser as Parish Priest in 1963. Archbishop Knox blessed and opened the Church Hall in 1968 on the new land and St Kevin’s Primary School commenced in 1970. The first Principal was Denise Morris, followed by Lindsay Castree. Social life in the sixties and early seventies revolved around parish activities: fetes and other fund-raising events, the choir and the Majellan and Reading Groups.
The New Parish
Templestowe became a Parish in 1971 and Father Charles McCann was appointed Parish Priest. The seventies were a time of tremendous growth with the building of the presbytery and the expansion of school buildings to cater for enrolments which reached a peak of 530 in 1975.
It was decided to put classrooms beneath the church and Jim Brazell who was in charge of building in the Archdiocese suggested that the school go into Open Education. 180 pupils were taught in this area which was built at the cost of $34 000.
Enrolments continued to increase and a new building was designed specifically to cater for the cooperative teaching methods used in the school’s child centred development program. This building cost $258 000, having escalated by $54 000, due to delays and the world monetary situation in 1973/74.
St. Kevin’s Primary School was grouped into three teams. Under the leadership of Kaye Fox, the junior team, who taught ages 5 to 6 used the converted basement beneath the Church. The middle team, with ages 7 to 8used the original single school building and the senior team, with ages 9 to 11 used the new senior building on the hill. In each team the teachers prepared together and shared responsibility for the whole group.
The 1980's
In the eastern section of the parish a unique venture was commenced. The Roman Catholic Church had bought 7.8 acres on Serpell’s Road in 1964. Father McCann was approached by the State Education office to build a shared school on land owned by the Church, the State and the City of Doncaster and Templestowe.
St. Charles Borromeo Primary School was opened in 1983, with Sister Pauline Nicholson as the first Principal. It was part of Australia’s first joint Catholic and State School. The State and the Catholic schools operated separately while sharing the Core Building. This building housed the Art Room, Library, Staff Room, Offices and Change Rooms. The building and its site were jointly funded by the State Government, the Parish of St. Kevin’s and the local council which uses the change rooms and oval on the week-ends.
A feature of the school was the multi-age groupings. This had social benefits as well as the educational learning environment created by mixed abilities and mixed age groups. This philosophy was continued under the leadership of Maria Kirkwood from 1986 until 1993.
In 1984 a second Mass centre was established in the chapel at Holy Cross. When Sheryl Roach became Principal at St. Kevin’s in 1988, the enrolments were around 200 so it was necessary to re-structure the school. The Middle school was converted into a Library and Administration area and the children were relocated in the Infant and Senior buildings. Child-centred Education remained the philosophy of the school During the seventies and eighties the vibrancy of the parish was manifested in a variety of ways: in the two parish schools, in the Youth Group, in the organisation of fetes and imaginative fund-raising events, in the Tennis Club whose members built six courts and a clubhouse and in the choir who led the congregation in innovative liturgies as well as performing at social occasions for parish and inter-church occasions.
The 1990's
The Renew Program initiated by the Archdiocese in 1988 led to a new direction in Parish activities. As a result of home discussion groups, Ministry Groups were formed, under the leadership of Tony Byrne to respond to the needs of the parish. These focus on the areas of Liturgy, Communication, Adult Education, Welcoming and Community Life and Care and Support. With the decrease in priest numbers these groups should provide a firm base for greater lay participation in the future.
To increase the loving spirit in the Parish Community, Family Groups were formed under the direction of the Passionists in 1993. Members in these groups develop new and deeper friendships through the enjoyment of simple social activities. At St. Charles Borromeo School, there was a challenge. It had been anticipated that the schools in the Serpell Community School would be approximately equal. However, Serpell Primary became much bigger than St. Charles and when Sheryl Roach became Principal in 1994 this brought some challenges in terms of a 50/50 sharing of the Core Building. It was a dream of Father McCann’s to cater for people “from the cradle to the grave” and this dream was fulfilled in April 1997 with the opening of the Pioneers’ Retirement Village. This is owned and operated by the Knights of the Southern Cross and is built next door to the Church on land donated by the parish. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the parish was celebrated on Sunday, February 18 1996, with Mass, followed by a picnic on the oval.
The 2000s
Father McCann retired in November 2001. A Mass and celebration to mark the occasion was held at 10.00 am on Sunday, November 18. Father Ross McKenny was appointed Parish Priest of Templestowe in November 2001. He resigned as a result of ill health the following January. From the time Father McKenny resigned until Father Toms came to St Kevin’s, Father Patrick Fitzpatrick, affectionately known as ‘Father Paddy”, travelled each day to celebrate Mass, attend meetings and plan and celebrate the Easter Liturgies.
In April 2002 Father Christopher Toms was appointed Parish Priest of St Kevin’s. Father Chris formed the Parish Advisory Board, held a Parish Forum and a Parish Conference, re-introduced the Sunday Parish Mass at the Holy Cross Monastery, introduced the Parish Annual General Meeting and re-formed the Finance Committee. Under his guidance plans were commenced to sell land at St Kevin’s and renovate the school and the church. At St. Charles Borromeo School, there was a challenge. It had been anticipated that the schools in the Serpell Community School would be approximately equal. However, Serpell Primary became much bigger than St. Charles. It was rebuilt in 2001/2002 and the staff moved out of the administrative area and the staff room. There was now pressure on St Charles in regard to outdated facilities; in response, two acres of land were sold and an up-to-date modern school was opened in 2006. This includes administration and staff areas and a multipurpose room. Father Chris resigned from the parish in July 2009.
The 2010s
Father Gerard McKernan was appointed Parish Priest in October 2009 Father Gerry has overseen the completion of the land subdivision commenced by Father Chris. In September 2014 he convened a working group to discuss and plan a refurbishment of St Kevin’s Church to include a gathering space. Church Renovations including a newly added Gathering Space and Community Kitchen all completed and opened in September 2016.
Source: St Kevins Templestowe Parish - A Brief History - Jan2025
Website: https://www.stkevinsparish.org.au/
Facebook: Templestowe Catholic Parish
ARMY STRUCTURE FIRST ST. KEVIN'S
(As reported by The Advocate, June 18, 1947)
A former army structure has been converted into a beautiful little church to serve the requirements of the Catholic people of Templestowe which forms part of the Parish of Heidelberg.
It has been erected on an elevated site overlooking a fine expanse of country. There is an area of over two acres to permit future Church ex-pansion.
The Blessing ceremony was performed on Sunday afternoon by Archbishop Mannix in the presence of a large attendance from all parts of Heidelberg and District.
With His Grace there were Rev. Fr. P. Power P.P., Rev. Fr. T. Power P.P., Rey. Fr. Rowan P.P., Rev. P. Lynch P.P., Rev. Fr. P. Lynch P.P., Rev. Fr. _F. Sullivan P.P., Rev. Fr. J. Scarborough, Rev. Fr. Hardy, Mrs. J. Fitzsimons and Mr. E. Sheahon.
Fr. P. Power said the Mass at the Templestowe, Memorial Hall for some time. He thanked the trustees for placing it at their disposal. The army structure had been obtained from Camp Pell and, it had been converted into a church. Messts, L. Arthur and Son had moved the building from the Camp to its present site and had given the cost of the removal of £100 to the Building Fund.
The Church had been dedicated to St. Kevin. In general outline the district could be compared to Glendalough, a famed place in Ireland.
The cost conversion and improvement was £1207 and £978/7/8 had been received towards reducing the debt. In a witty speech, the Rev. P. Lynch made the appeal to the Catholic families living in the district whose grandparents came to Templestowe many years ago. It was a pity there were not a greater many such land stickers in different parts of Australia.
The erection of the Church has been looked forward to for many years. Templestowe people were noted for their generosity and he knew they would be loyal and stand behind Fr. Power.
A long list of donations was read out by Fr. Power. Among the donors were Mr. E. Sheahan £105 and Fr. Power £50.
His Grace, The Archbishop, said:
With Fr. Power, I thank you all for your generosity today and I congratulate Fy. Power on this great day for Templestowe. The day has been awaited for many years past. You had Mass nearby for many years and with Fr. Power I am grateful to those who so gracefully provided for the needs of the Catholic people.
It was natural that the Templestowe people should wish to have a Church of their own and now this has been accomplished
"I cannot remember ever having passed through this part of the district before, he remarked. It reminds me of the many best parts of Ireland. I was not aware that good land such as that of Templestowe could be found so near Melbourne.
"While the city has many advantages it is surrounded by a good deal of rather poor and barren soil.
"Seemingly Templestowe is a very rich locality. I am happy today as I stand on the hill of Templestowe feeling at all events that you have made a step forward,
"Fr. Power stepped in at the right time to get this structure; he got ahead of several others who were anxious to get it and secured the prize. We are grateful to him for his foresight. The first day he came to Templestowe, Fr. Power had a desire to see a Church erected; now his desire has come to pass.
"It is a beautiful little Church: no doubt in time to come a large church will come, but a splendid beginning has been made and the interior of the little Church is something to kindle the devotion of worshippers.
"I congratulate you all on your great generosity. It is a great satisfaction to me to hear that a great many people have grown up in Templestowe and have stuck to the land. I wish the same could be said or Australian people generally. Too many have abandoned the land and drifted to the cities and lured by the theatres, the cinemas and the rest.
"This country has undoubtedly suffered by so many turning their backs on rural life. At any rate, Templestowe people have a reputation of sticking to the land and I hope they will never change.
"If the same spirit generally prevailed the outlook for Australia would be much brighter, We are constantly hearing that Australia must either populate or perish.
"It is true that if the population does not improve, The future outlook is very gloomy. There are teaming millions around us who would be very ready to take possession of this country. If Australia is to populate itself it must not be with the people in the cities but rather with those from the country. The country is really the backbone of the population.
"We have been told that city population can wilt and die in a few generations, and it is not necessary for me to go into the causes today. The only people who can hope to maintin and increase the population are those in the country. Progress in immigration is slow. The best inhabitants for this country are the children. It gladdens me therefore to find that you here are sticking to the land.
"This is a very happy day for me. I am delighted to be here and survey the countryside. The view would scarcely be surpassed in any other part of Australia.
"I congratulate Fr. Power upon his excellent work and you all on the realisation of your hopes, and on the way you seconded the efforts of the parish priest. I hope God's Blessing will rest on you all. It is upon people like you that the future of Australia must depend.""
Source: The Mirror 1968-07-24 p10
PIONEER FAMILIES BUILD CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Pioneer families arriving in Templestowe more than 100 years ago were the beginnings of the parish of Templestowe... The Sheahans, Finns, Mullens, Fitzsimmons, Cashens and Mangens were some of the early settlers. Names well known in Templestowe today ...
Sheahans
Typical of the era, would be the story of the Sheahans. Pat Sheahan arrived from Ireland in 1861. On arrival in Melbourne, he took public transport to the Sarah Sands Hotel on the comer of Sydney and Brunswick Rds, where the transport system ended. From there, he walked to Templestowe to meet his sister who had arrived previously. He used to relate that when he arrived at the end of his long walk, he sat under a small gum tree at Greenslopes to rest. That tree is now a large imposing gum that has looked down on history.
He worked for a number of years on the roads and as a woodcutter, saved his money and bought the Templestowe Hotel for £150-£300. He ran a dairy farm as well as the hotel. He married and raised a large family most of whom were born in what is now the hotel saloon bar.
Finn's Pub
Another Irishman, Jim Finn came to the area, bought a wine shop near the hotel, married one of the Sheahan girls. He obtained a licence and, after extensions opened the "Upper Yarta Hotel".
The hotel was delicensed in 1924 and was destroyed by fire recently, after a considerable amount of publicity about its rating by the National Trust. It was the subject of many paintings by well known artists,
A newcomer by the name of Mullens arrived in the area in 1890 and worked a forge at the corner of Thompsons Rd. and Foote St. He also married one of the Sheahan girls and settled on the land.
In 1900 there were 20 families in the parish and by 1942 the number had increased to 26.
Up to 1942, Templestowe was part of the Heidelberg parish and people walked, rode or drove to St. John's Church in Heidelberg for Mass.
Walked to town
One well known Irish spinster, Joannie Wood, who lived opposite the present Anderson St. shopping centre, regularly walked to Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral,
The Sheridan family were also well known residents.
Popular radio and Television pianist Margot Sheridan is a descendant.
The O'Briens settled-near the Banksia St, bridge and later moved to what is now O'Briens Lane.
Other early members of the parish were the Stevens and Tierneys of High St.. and the McNamaras.
Two acres of land was acquired on the corner of Atkinson and Milne Sts. in 1920. Half the cost was donated by the Fitzsimmon family and the balance purchased for £120. Parishioners cleared the land for future use.
In 1942 wartime conditions closed the Banksia St. bridge and there was severe shortage of petrol.
Father Norris, the parish priest at Heidelberg, decided to hold Mass for the Templestowe folk in their own area. A Mission was held at the Templestowe Memorial Hall and a weekly Mass was arranged. The first mass was celebrated on a Sunday morning in 1942 using a plain wooden table as an altar. Saturday night dances were held at the hall so it was necessary for it to be cleaned after midnight in preparation for the morning Mass. The organist was Mrs. Fitzsimmons, who kept the organ at her home and transported it on the bumper bar of a car to and from the hall. A portable altar was built by the late Edward Sheahan and after Mass, the vestments were packed into it and stored in the ticket box.
From This Beginning
It was a historic day for Templestowe, when on a Sunday afternoon in 1947, the Archbishop of Melbourne, the late Archbishop Daniel Mannix, blessed Templestowe's first Catholic Church, ... once an army church during wartime. He said: "It was natural that Templestowe people should wish to haye a church of their own and now this has been accomplished". On Sunday, a new St. Kevin's will open its doors to cater for the expanding community of Templestowe, and another landmark will be passed in the growth of this city of Doncaster and Templestowe.
In 1946 Fr Power PP of Heidelberg discussed with the Templestowe people the idea of their own church. Edward Sheahan had built a church on behalf of the Catholic Welfare Organisation for the American Army a Camp Pell in Parkville, The camp was now deserted and an approach was made to purchase the building.
The purchase completed and arrangements were made to shift the building to its new site in Atkinson Street. Lou Arthur arranged the cartage at no cost to the Parish. The job took all day and as the load could not be taken over the Banksia St, bridge the driver detoured via head wires on the way.
A meeting of parishioners unanimously decided to call the church, St. Kevin's after the Irish Saint and in memory of young Kevin Sheahan who was killed during the Second World War.
The official opening took place on June 6, 1947. The opening ceremony was performed by the late Archbishop Mannix.
In 1960, it was decided to form a new parish of Doncaster-Bulleen-Templestowe and Father Spillane was appointed Parish Priest. He stayed with Fr. Ryan at Blackburn for two years and then rented a house in Beverly Street beside the Church.
He said the First Mass at Templestowe on January 31, 1960 as the new Parish Priest of the area.
The number of families in the area at that date was 70 and the number rapidly increased to 83 with 84 children under 5 years of age. It became apparent that the Atkinson Street site was too small and a new site was required to cope with the expected growth of population. The first school building at Bulleen had already been completed by Fr. Spillane, and this was also used as a church, which is the case today.
Prior to the completion of the school, Sunday Mass for the Bulleen people was offered at the Penguins Dry Cleaners, Bulleen. It was popularly referred to as "St. Penguins"
Father Fra?? stayed with Fr. Spillane at the new Presbytery in Ross Street, East Doncaster until 1965 when he moved in to the new Presbytery in Bulleen. In 1966, Father Dillon was appointed
Curate for the Bulleen-Templestowe Parish.
Source: The Mirror 1968-07-24 p09
New Church Impressive
The completion of the new church-hall structure initiates the first stage of a fully master-planned parish development for St. Kevin's on the Herlihy's Road site.
Projecting out from the northern hillside, a 500-seat capacity upper level structure is supported on concrete columns over an excavated lower level which, one day, will be developed to accommodate club rooms, kitchen and staff room. A small meeting room and toilet blocks have been incorporated in this lower level area with the construction of the square shaped upper level hall structure which is, in turn, capped by a flat steel frame and tile sheeted pyramidal roof mass terminating with a copper sheeted apex cross.
Rough textured natural brick surfaces have been used internally and externally with deeply raked out joints. Stain inished rough sawn structural timber members are exposed throughout and the site-poured
and precast exposed concrete surfaces have been left in an off-form condition before receiving a painted finish.
Floors surfaces have been finished with a pigmented granolithic paving with the exception of the timber framed and carpet finished sanctuary around three sides of which the nave seating is arranged.
The change in floor texture and the color of the sanctuary carpet have been used to emphasise the importance of this element within a nave area
primarily designed for ultimate use as a parish hall.
The confessionals, work sacristy, book room, entrances and sacristies all project beyond the square nave perimeter and the same wall, floor and ceiling surface finishes continue throughout these areas to unify and complete the design theme..... MISSING TEXT..... gical actions to present pastoral directives.
The simple austerity of an unbroken nave is centred on the textural richness of the sanctuary - the baptismal font is placed with isolated emphasis at the entry to the nave the priest approaches the altar through the People of God assembled, from the sacristies at the front entry to the Church, the simple altar table is placed for Mass to be celebrated facing the people, and woven into the wall texture at the rear of the sanctuary is the enriched tabernacle.
A 124-car capacity off-street paved car park, providing for present and future requirements, has been integrated into the valley traversing the site.
From this paved area, ramped and stairway access is provided to the upper level church-hall forecourt and the nave.
Smith and Tracey Pty. Ltd. were commissioned as architects for this project, using Wearing-Smith and Gloury as consulting structural engineers. J. O. Hannon Pty. Ltd. were awarded the building contract, and Little and Brosnan acted as consulting engineers for earth works and car parking layout.
When the landscaping of the many levelled and man-made embankments which wind around between the building, the hillside and the car park is completed, God will be with His people in the serenity of a new environment where short years ago onchards and market gardens enriched placid hillsides far removed from the spreading spines of an encroaching metropolis.
Source: The Mirror 1968-07-24 p12
