Dardanup Parish – History

Dardanup. a small town in the South West of Western Australia, is a centre for the dairy industry.

The first settler came to Dardanup about 1848. The first Catholic priest to visit Dardanup was Fr T. Donovan in 1851.

On 19th October 1852 Thomas Little drew up a deed in which he donated 50 acres of his holding at Dardanup Park for the purpose of building a church and a monastery, also with a request that a resident priest be appointed as soon as possible. He added a further donation of 100,000 bricks and 50 bushels of calsomine with an approximate value of One Hundred Pounds. The sole condition was that two Masses be offered annually for his intention.

At this time, visits by Catholic priests to the area had been spasmodic. Bishops Brady and Serra from Perth had made occasional visits, as did Bishop Salvado who was the first prelate to pay a pastoral visit to the district on horseback. Bishop Griver also paid periodical visits as did Bishop Gibney.

Bishop Salvado OSB of New Norcia, then acting Bishop of Perth, (Bishop Serra of Perth was away in Rome) laid the foundation stone of the church on 25th March 1854, on the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady. Canon Martelli preached nn the occasion and described the foundation laying ceremony: “it was in the midst of the woods under the canopy of heaven that the ceremony was accomplished, not with pomp but with great spiritual joy”.

Its title name, however, is its greatest glory The Immaculate Conception of Mary the Mother of God. Catholic Church, Dardanup (1854—1938).

The little church was named in honour of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception, a Dogma not proclaimed until 8th December 1854. (Although it was not opened until 1st April 1857). It had the distinction of being the first country parish church of Western Australia outside Perth and Fremantle, but also it supported the title of Church of the Immaculate Conception before Pope Plus IX confirmed that belief of the faithful by decree.

On Bishop Serra’s return in 1855, Fr Peter Aragon OSB was appointed as resident priest. Fr Aragon’s responsibilities included Australind, Bunbury, Dardanup, Vasse, Busselton and Augusta.

Fr Garrido arranged for a parish meeting to boost the drawn-out construction of the church building. A system of interest free loans was devised at a meeting in October 1857. He completed the church and blessed iton 19th April 1857.

When the new church was completed, the school transferred there. The first school examination was held in 1857 and in that year Mr Tom Clancey left Dardanup for Perth, his place being taken by Miss Anne McKinley.

The parish was very extensive, and Fr Garrido travelled often to the Vasse, to Augusta and to the Blackwood River. He states in his returns on lstJanuary 1858 that the population of Dardanup was 130, of whom 100 usually attended Sunday Mass. Fr Garrido was also responsible for helping establish the first school in the district. He introduced a system where each Catholic fanner in the district gave a portion of grain per harvest to support the church and the pastor.

This also was made possible by the generosity of Thomas Little, for he donated extra land and a small school was built in front to the east side of the church which opened on 15th September 1857 with 25 children. The parishioners came to have a deep affection for Fr Garrido, which he reciprocated. This idyllic existence came to an end on 26th April 1858, when Bishop Serra abruptly ordered him to leave the Colony. He left on 29th July 1858. From Ceylon he kept in touch with his friends, eventually he returned at the request of Bishop Salvado, arriving on 31st December 1859. He spent the rest of his days at New Norcia, where he died in 1870.

Fr Garrido’s place was taken by the colourful Belgian, Fr Adolphus Lecaille. He arrived in Dardanup on 17th July 1858. In spite of the attractions of the Little household, he found it more convenient to have a presbytery of his own; he built one in Bunbury about March 1860. Fr Lecaille was of small stature, but of bounding energy He threw himself body and soul into the work of his priesthood and the life of his people. He had great organising ability; he was a man of learning and attainments. He left Bunbury early in 1865 to take up his life’s work in the north at Geraldton. He died in 1908, and was buried in Perth. However in 1936 his remains were re-interred in the mortuary of Karrakatta cemetery. A stained glass window in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Geraldton is dedicated to him. Fr Lecaille was succeeded by several other priests who worked in the South West district: Fr Donovan, Canon Raffaele Martelli, Fr Thomas Lynch, Fr Patrick McCabe, Fr Brady, Fr Delaney and Dean Luigi Martelli (nephew of Canon Raffaele Martelli) who came at the turn of the century. Followed with Dean L.J.Smyth who succeeded him in Bunbury.

In 1883 the Sisters of Mercy came to Bunbury and established a convent and school, and in their mission visited Dardanup to instruct the children in their catechism and visit the people — no doubt travelling by horse and cart.

In 1920 three Sisters of Mercy leased the local residence known as Prinsep Park in Dardanup to establish a Catholic school. Srs Columba, Finian and Berchmans were the first Sisters. The people were very receptive to the Sisters and set about raising funds to build a convent and school.

The school and convent buildings commenced on 22nd May 1921 and was completed on 6th February 1922. The new two storey convent and school was officially blessed and opened by Archbishop Clune on 2nd April 1922 as the Convent of Mercy.

With the Catholic population ever increasing, the need for a new church was imminent. The foundation stone of the new Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was laid on 12th December 1937 by Archbishop Prendiville. It was completed and officially blessed by Archbishop Prendiville on 1st May 1938. Not only was a new church erected at this time, but a much needed presbytery was built. In 1938 the old church was deconsecrated. The old church was now used as a classroom by the Sisters of Mercy due to the ever increasing number of enrolments and convent facilities overflowing.

Meanwhile the contours of the Dardanup parish had changed considerably. In 1929 it was extended to cover Harvey, Wokalup, Mornington and Brunswick. Two years later, Brunswick stayed with us, but the rest returned to the Harvey parish. In 1935 Australind and Picton were added to Bunbury and Donnybrook became a separate parish in 1937. 

In 1954, a Marian year, Dardanup had many celebrations. The centenary of the old church 1854 – 1954. 

The Sisters of Mercy continued to teach and occupy the convent building until 1972, having celebrated their Fiftieth Jubilee with a Thanksgiving celebration from the Parish for their tireless work at the school for so many years. In December 1974, the Sisters of Mercy withdrew from the school.

For just over fifty years the parish has been blessed with the Sisters of Mercy teaching the children of the parish.

In 1975 Our Lady of Lourdes School commenced being entirely staffed by lay-teachers.

In 1979 for the 125 year celebration of the foundation of the Immaculate Conception Church in memory of the devout Catholic man who gave the church its Birthplace, the church was renamed the “Thomas Little Memorial Hall”.

1990— Our Lady of Lourdes had 60 enrolled students, of which over 25% come from Boyanup area. Earlier that year, the Education Ministry granted our own school bus.
On Sunday, 28th May 1991, Sister Rita Mary celebrated her golden jubilee as a Sister of St Joseph. Over 200 family and friends gathered at the church to celebrate her 50 years of loving service to God and those around her. After Mass a light luncheon was served at the Shire Hall. Sr Rita left Dardanup to take a new position in Redhill, Canberra, to work under the Popes Apostolic Nunciature.

March 1992 — Father John Joseph McGrath was our next Parish Priest, having left the parish of Donnybrook.

In October 1994, to mark the 150th Anniversary of Catholic education, the parish had a re-union of past pupils and teachers of our school.

In March 1996 the first newsletter was sent out to all known Catholic persons in the parish. The small newsletter had developed into a spiritual newsletter as well as social, and many good reports have derived from this way of communication, especially for those who do not attend the Sunday services. Two are sent out each year, in March to include Easter Services, and October which includes the Christmas timetable.

Work commenced on connecting sewerage on 1st April 1996. Deep sewerage was put through the whole Parish grounds, school, “Hosea”, presbytery and church toilets.
On 12th May 1996, Bishop Quinn celebrated Mass at Dardanup to bless five new Special Ministers — three from Boyanup and two from Dardanup.