St. Mary of the Angels Basilica
Encyclopedia
St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, formerly St. Mary's Church, is a basilica
located in Yarra Street, Geelong, Victoria
, Australia
.
Since the completion of the current he Gothic revival bluestone
building in 1937 St Mary of the Angels has the tallest bluestone spire in Australia, at 150 feet and is the 4th tallest church (non-cathedral) in Australia. In 2004 it became Australia's fifth basilica upon gaining Vatican
approval.
It is the tallest building in Geelong at a total height of 210 feet from the pavement and a major landmark to the city.
The optimism the Victorian gold rush
brought to Geelong called for a cathedral-like landmark church for the city. The architects were Messrs Dowden and the foundation stone was laid in 1854.
However as Geelong's boom slowed, work ceased two years later leaving Geelong with an incomplete landmark for over a decade.
Construction was revived in 1871 when Archdeacon R. S. Downing contracted builder Mr Clement Nash to continue works until 1872.
Work on the spire did not commence until 1931 and was completed by June 1937.
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
located in Yarra Street, Geelong, Victoria
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Since the completion of the current he Gothic revival bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
building in 1937 St Mary of the Angels has the tallest bluestone spire in Australia, at 150 feet and is the 4th tallest church (non-cathedral) in Australia. In 2004 it became Australia's fifth basilica upon gaining Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
approval.
It is the tallest building in Geelong at a total height of 210 feet from the pavement and a major landmark to the city.
History
The first St Mary church was a small wooden chapel built in Yarra Street on 27 November 1842. The congregation quickly outgrew the chapel and a stone replacement was constructed in 1846.The optimism the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
brought to Geelong called for a cathedral-like landmark church for the city. The architects were Messrs Dowden and the foundation stone was laid in 1854.
However as Geelong's boom slowed, work ceased two years later leaving Geelong with an incomplete landmark for over a decade.
Construction was revived in 1871 when Archdeacon R. S. Downing contracted builder Mr Clement Nash to continue works until 1872.
Work on the spire did not commence until 1931 and was completed by June 1937.