St Ignatius Roman Catholic Church and Convent, Bourke, Victorian Carpenter Gothic church in Bourke, Australia.
St Ignatius is a small Catholic church built from timber with pointed arch windows and colored glass panes located on Meek Street. The structure features a central entrance porch and displays the typical characteristics of Victorian Carpenter Gothic design.
The church was completed in 1874 and remains the oldest documented structure in Bourke from that period. The convent arrived two decades later, showing how the Catholic community grew in the area.
The church opened in April 1874 and the wrought-iron convent followed in 1896, both serving the Parish of Bourke under the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes. In 2015 a $150,000 state grant funded work to return the convent to its 1924 appearance, removing later additions and balcony infill and repairing deteriorating woodwork.
The building and its adjoining structures are located in an accessible spot within the town center and are visible from the street. Local authorities maintain the property for visitors, so you can expect it to be in reasonable condition.
The convent was built in 1896 in wrought iron, and in 2015 a $150,000 state government grant paid to return it to its 1924 appearance, removing later additions and balcony infill and repairing deteriorating woodwork. The same grant weatherproofed both the church and the convent.
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