The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1936. It is an impressive church, built in Gothic style. Buttresses between the front doors are an unusual feature. INDEX
2. A DIFFERENT VIEW
The Church is built from Boor’s Plains limestone taken from the walls of Elder’s Pumping Engine House, Wallaroo Mines, which was demolished after the Mines closed in 1923.
3. SIGN BOARD
The Church sign board shows the close links between the three towns of the Copper Triangle: Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta. There is also reference to St Mary MacKillop’s (Catholic) School at Wallaroo. The title ‘Sacred Heart’ refers to the heart of the resurrected Body of Christ as the representation of the love of Jesus Christ to God and the world.
4. THE WEST WALL
The Church was opened by the Archbishop of Adelaide (Dr. Killian) on May 23rd 1937. The building cost approximately £4,439. It was built in 1936 to replace the earlier church, now used as a hall. The Church still uses the pews from the original church.
5. FOUNDATION STONE
The Foundation stone of this Church is found by the right West door. It was laid on Sunday 18th October 1936 by the Most Reverend Andrew Killian D.D. Archbishop of Adelaide.
6. MEMORIAL STONE
On the other side of the West doors is another stone – this one a memorial stone remembering James Williamson, and laid in 1936 by his wife Mary Anne Williamson. James Williamson died at age 61, and was interred in the Roman Catholic section of the Kadina Cemetery in 1916.
7. ACROSS THE PARKING LOT
As we make our way around the Church, we have this North view across the parking lot. The small extension on this side has windows but no external door, so I assume it is a confessional. ••• The Kadina Catholic Church has had a long association with the St Mary MacKillop School in nearby Wallaroo, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year (2019). The School is run by the Josephite nuns.
8. CATHEDRAL HALL
Almost directly behind us, and facing Hallett Street is the first Kadina Catholic Church. This Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened in 1866 and closed in 1937 when the new Church was opened. The old Church then became the parish hall. [Right photo credit: Denis Binnion]
9. EAST WINDOWS
We continue our circuit around the new Church. There are three high windows in the East wall, facing out from the sanctuary. ••• Copper was discovered at Wallaroo Mines in 1859 and adjacent land north east of the site was surveyed in 1861 to house miners and became the Government Town of Kadina. Exceptional amounts of copper were found in the following years.
10. VINNIES
The former Sacred Heart Catholic Parish School room was built in 1890. It is now an Op Shop for Vinnies opposite the Catholic Presbytery on Doswell Terrace. I picked up a key to the Church from here! ••• Curiously, the Wallaroo mines are not in Wallaroo. They are in Kadina — just a mile out of the town. Why is this? ...
11. SOUTHEAST VIEW
To the main rectangular nave of the Church, there is added a smaller Eastern sanctuary, and a single South transept. Adjoining the transept is a lean-to roof covering a South porch. ••• ... When the Wallaroo Mines were named, there was no township nearby, and their site was part of the old Wallaroo sheep station. Hence the name.
12. THE SOUTH WALL
We complete our circuit of the Church with this view of the South wall of the nave. ••• From 1873 to 1875 the Kadina Catholic Parish included the whole of Yorke Peninsula. In 1876 Yorketown became the headquarters. In 2003, The Southern Yorke Peninsula Parish and the Central Yorke Peninsula Parish were merged to form the Yorke Peninsula Parish with eight churches.
14. ORGAN
The Church has a KAWAI E600H Theatre Organ. It is unusual in that the normal model was straight in styling. The organ has a Leslie Speaker system built in. As well it has both theatre tibias and drawbar flutes for full organ registrations plus a built in rhythm section and automatics. There are two 61 note manuals and a 25 note pedalboard.
15. NAVE LOOKING WEST
Standing in the nave we now look back to the West wall. There is a tall three-light window at centre above a balcony, and a smaller Western facing window on either side. Stairs to the balcony are at left. The space beneath the balcony leads to the West porch, and the front doors open into this.
16. PLATE IN THE WEST PORCH
Looking out into the front porch we see the two exterior doors with a brass plaque in between. This has a list of 14 names of people, without dates, who were remembered by the old Church. Also recorded are the facts that the East altar window was given by James and Mary Anne Williamson, and the baptismal font was given in memory of the Fennescey family.
17. ST MARY MACKILLOP
Also hanging on a side wall in the front porch is a portrait of St Mary MacKillop who founded the Sisters of St Joseph. Attached is a small plaque in appreciation of the support given to the Sisters by the Kadina Community since 1869.
18. WEST PORCH WINDOWS
These small but colourful slit windows are placed in the West wall on either side of the entry doors. The windows appear to have been given by a member of the Pannei family.
19. DISPLAY BOARD
On the other side wall of the porch is a notice board. At the top are photographs of Catholic Bishop Greg Kelly of Port Pirie, and Pope Francis. The Kadina Church lies in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie.
20. TABLE DISPLAY
Coming into the nave from the West porch we pass by this utilitarian table.