Mandurang South: St John the Evangelist

Situated near the junction of Wattle Creek and Sheepwash Creek, the former Catholic Church at South Mandurang is on the very western edge of the Campaspe catchment.Although this church was still operating in the early 1970’s, there is surprisingly little information pertaining to it. Reports on the date of construction are conflicting. One Diocesan record gives 1868 as the year of construction, but records from another source (LLF) suggest that the land was purchased in 1871 and the church built in 1875. The later date would seem to be correct since a certificate of title was issued to Bishop Crane in 1875, the land previously belonging to Dr Backhaus. In fact, Dr Backhaus had previously purchased two allotments at South Mandurang in 1871, both of which were subsequently transferred to the Catholic Church. One of these was used for the church site and the other subsequently sold in 1958. Part of the church site was sold in 1975 and, in the mid 1980s, the existing church building was removed/demolished.

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Whether this church also served as a Catholic School is unclear, although there are certainly early references to a Catholic school in Mandurang. In the Irish-Australian Almanac and Directory of 1875 ‘St John’s Mandurang’ is listed as a school and ‘St John Evangelist’ as a church. . This suggest they refer to the same building. However an account of early church history published by the Advocate in 1947 (26 March) lists Mandurang as having a Catholic Church without reference to any dual purpose in its early history.

During the early years at the Mandurang church, Priests came from St Kilian’s in Bendigo, but when Quarry Hill Parish was erected in 19, Mandurang was then serviced by Priests from St Joseph’s, Quarry Hill.

Early in 1888, the church site was involved in what has been described as a ‘miniature gold rush’. Early in that year, Mr W. Kearns recovered 50 oz gold within the church area (a total of some 10 acres). One wonders whether the church foundations suffered as a result!