Our Church History

1850   Arrival in the area of Bishop Serra and his band. Initial plans underway for Benedictine foundation, which he named Subiaco.

1859   June 2: Completion of 2-storey Benedictine Monastery on the hill.

1859   July: Bishop Serra departed for Rome and did not return. Rome had decreed against another Benedictine foundation besides New Norcia.

1864  Last of the monks left Subiaco for New Norcia.  A few chose to join the Perth Diocese, including Fr. Anselm Bourke, Vicar General.

1869   Bishop Griver became Bishop of Perth.

1872   The old Benedictine buildings occupied as an Orphanage for Boys (initially a very small group of Catholic lads from the Government “Home”) under the sponsorship of the St. Vincent the Paul Society, managed by Fr. Matthew Gibney with the help of a     laymen’s Committee and lay staff.

1874   Printing press set up on the strong upper storey of the Subiaco Boys’ Orphanage and on July 6, the first issue of THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC RECORD was published.

1879   April 23: Huge storm struck the Orphanage building and, sadly, one lad was killed by a lightning strike. The building was badly damaged.

1880   Sufficient money could not be raised in the Diocese to repair the Orphanage, so Father Gibney received permission to visit the Eastern Colonies to beg for funds. He embarked on a series of what were called “charity sermons” in various parishes. On the morning of June 28 at Kilmore, Victoria, he boarded the train for Sydney via Albury; the train stopped at Benalla where the passengers heard the startling news of Ned Kelly and his “stand” at Glenrowan. The train moved on to Glenrowan and Fr. Gibney moved into the history books for the outstanding help he rendered at the site, and for his ministrations to the injured Ned Kelly. (The incident is covered fully in Fr. Bourke’s History of the Catholic Church in W.A.)

1881   Fremantle-Guildford Railway completed and platform erected at “Subiaco” (no township yet).

1886   The Jones family, first family to settle in the area, built and occupied their home opposite the little platform.

1887   Bishop Gibney appointed Bishop of Perth.

1893   Jan 22 : New School/Chapel opened at the Orphanage.

1895   St Kevin’s Industrial School, Subiaco (now Glendalough) opened in the care of the Oblate Fathers. In 1895, the site was part of the Subiaco Church land; since 1921, the original building still stands as part of the Little Sisters’ Home.

1896   Subiaco Road Board established.

1897   Local Governing body changed to “Subiaco Municipality”.

1897   Sisters of St John of God arrived, occupying, on their present site, a tiny cottage-convent and a 10-room hospital, with a small stone “Convent Church”, which doubled as a school. (Formally blessed the next year by Bishop Gibney and opened by the Premier, Sir John Forrest.)

1897   Christian Brothers accepted responsibility for the Boys’ Orphanage.

1901   St Joseph’s Parish, Subiaco, created. Fr.P. Verling [later, Monsignor] first Parish Priest; the Presbytery, 11 McCourt Street. The Church, the 1897 Church/School built by the St. John of God Nuns.

1901   Sep 8: Christian Brothers, with the orphan boys, left Subiaco for their new establishment at Clontarf.

1902   Sisters of Mercy returned to the orphanage site, this time with orphan girls (for whom they had cared at Victoria Square since 1868).

1902   The big St. John’s Convent we remember, was opened (demolished 1983).

1904   First section of the Home of the Good Shepherd opened on the hill at the top of McCourt Street (foundation stone laid the previous year), and occupied by the Sisters and girls from the first Convent in Adelaide Terrace.

1907   Church-School built in Henry St., Rosalie (Shenton Park) by Fr. Verling and dedicated to St Aloysius.

1908   St Aloysius School opened and staffed by St. John of God Sisters, who remained in charge until the Easter of 1912, when the Sisters of Mercy took over.

1908   February 7: Home of the Good Shepherd building (a second one). Foundation Stone laid by Hon. Newton Moore, Premier of WA. (This building later occupied by the Catholic Pastoral Institute of WA, currently by the Catholic Education Office)

1910   Bishop (later Archbishop) Clune appointed.

1912   Sisters of Mercy took over administration of St. Joseph’s School.

1912   October: Foundation stone, new St. Joseph’s (private).

1912   December: St John’s Hospital wing opened (the old one nearest Salvado Road and now demolished).

1913   February: New St Joseph’s Church building and classrooms opened at corner of McCourt St and Salvado Rd. Some classes still in old stone building.

1914   September 10: Foundation stone of St Vincent’s Foundling Home laid by Bishop Clune.

1924   Three new wards opened, St John’s, facing Cambridge Street, and now demolished

1925   Blessing and opening, new Chapel at St Joseph’s Orphanage with Sisters’ accommodation above.

1925   Additions to St Aloysius’ School (still in Subiaco Parish).

1932   St. John of God Hospital main building completed (demolished 1983).

1933   Archbishop Prendiville appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Perth.

1933   November 5: Foundation stone laid, new St Joseph’s Church (present).

1934   August 12: Blessing & Opening of new St Joseph’s Church.

1935   Archbishop Clune died and Archbishop Prendeville succeeded him.

1936   August 1: Monsignor Verling died.

1937   Monsignor Bernard Fagan appointed Parish Priest.

1937   March: Rosalie created a separate parish, with Fr. P.M.F. Doddy first Parish Priest.

1937   Presbytery next to the new Church blessed and opened (builders: Berry Bros.).

1939   January: F. Doddy, Rosalie, died and Mons. Fagan administered the Parish until Dr Collins’ appointment.

1942   Arrival of Brigidine Sisters, who took responsibility for the Parish school from first term.

1947   August 26: Monsignor Fagan died.

1947   November 1: Monsignor Edmund Kennedy appointed Parish Priest.

1948   New Convent wing blessed and opened for Brigidine Sisters, Salvado Road.

1952   Bell installed in St Joseph’s Church tower and blessed May 4. “Bell of pure copper and tin, note G, weighing 12 cwt. 2qrs 19 1b, imported from England on M.V. Taranaka.”

1952   Subiaco raised to status of a City.

1953   December 6: New secondary school blessed and opened by Archbishop Prendeville for the Brigidine Sisters at Convent site.

1954   The first little Church of St Joseph’s was demolished.

1954   February 7: St Joseph’s Marist Brothers Boys’ School blessed and opened by Bishop Goody. The Marist Brothers occupied a cottage at 6 Salvado Road, improved and enlarged for their Monastery. A chapel and extensions were added later. (Buildings now occupied by Catholic Education Commission.)

1954   May 25: Extensive fire in Sacristy of the Church- Insurance payment of cover four thousand five hundred pounds received. (Mr. Ross Yates, a young man returning home from his job with WA Newspapers in the early hours of the morning, raised the alarm, which resulted in the fire being confined to the Sacristy.)

1955   March 20: Mass said for the first time in Mass centre established in private home at 11 Daglish St, Wembley.

1956   October 7: Blessing and opening of new Chapel for the St. John of God Sisters.

1956   December 16: New Church (Chapel of Ease) blessed and opened by Bishop Rafferty at Scadden & McKenzie Streets, Wembley,  and dedicated to the Holy Family.

1962   May: St Joseph’s Brigidine Primary School transferred to Station St/Salvado Rd site (vacated by Brigidine Secondary School which moved to Peebles Rd, Floreat).
Two new primary classrooms blessed and opened on May 16. Three building blocks (with house on one) fronting Cambridge St had been purchased by the Parish for extra space.

1962   St. Joseph Hall and School (built 1913) sold to the Sisters of St. John of God, and later on demolished.

1964   September: New marble altar and reredos imported from Italy and installed in St Joseph’s Church. The altar is of white Carrara marble, yellow Siena panels and pillars of red Franchia.

1968   Archbishop Goody appointed Archbishop of Perth, following the death of Archbishop Prendeville.

1969   Holy Spirit Institute (Provincialate and Novitiate) opened for St. John of God Sisters on the old 1913 St Joseph’s site.

1976   Monsignor Kennedy retired.

1976   Father Michael Ryan took up his appointment as fourth Parish Priest of Subiaco.

1981   September 13: New Parish Centre blessed and opened by Bishop Healy.

1981   October 19: Monsignor Kennedy died.  He had lived at the Presbytery since his retirement.

1983   Archbishop Foley appointed Archbishop of Perth, on the retirement of Archbishop of Goody.

1984   New Convent for St John of God Sisters opened on old 1902 Convent site.

1984   Extensive repairs and renovations to St Joseph’s Church.

1984   August 12: Celebrations to mark the Golden Jubilee of the building of St Joseph’s Church.