Churches and Religions - Araluen Valley History

Religious institutions and churches were places of gathering, both spiritually and socially, for the population in the Araluen Valley. In June 1853 the Goulburn Herald reported ‘The diggers at Araluen are very honourably putting up a good bark hut in which Divine Service may be performed.’¹ In 1855 services of differing persuasions were offered on the goldfields, under a calico tent (fly), and later more permanent structures were erected.

St Patrick's Catholic Church — ^{St Patrick’s Catholic Church}

These included:

a Protestant Church at Deep Creek,
a Baptist Church at Bourketown,
a Wesleyan Chapel at Newtown, and
there were Roman Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian Churches at Redbank.

In addition, a Union Church was built on donated land in 1911 for the use of all denominations.

The building of the St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church opened in 1941.

On the Goldfields

Richard Kennedy, (1848-1923) JP of Reidsdale,² although only very young when Araluen was in the zenith, had many anecdotes of the roaring days of the field. He shared these under the non de plume of Old Hand, through a series of articles written in 1907 for the Braidwood Dispatch. He wrote, in the beginnings of 1855³ two clergymen (Rev Mr Rich [Church of England] and Rev Father O’Brien [Roman Catholic] from Braidwood) would come down and offer service on the field, held under a calico fly erected for that purpose. In 1857, or around this time the first church was built⁴ by Dean O’Brien and made of slabs with a shingle roof. This Church was built at Crown Flat, on the hill beside Greenwood’s pub, and opposite to the McDonald’s bakery.

Mr Matthews was the Lay preacher at the Protestant Church at Deep Creek.

In 1871

The 1871 Census⁵ details:

in East Araluen (Redbank, Mudmelong, Merricumbene, Favourite Flat and Crown Flat) there were 2,900 residents (1,606 males, and 1,294 females),
in West Araluen (Upper Araluen, Bourketown and Newtown) had 1,339 residents (752 males, and 587 females), and
with the religions of the population as detailed in the table.

In Newtown in 1871 the Anglican Church still functioned, however the Wesleyan Chapel had no stated Minister relying on Braidwood.⁶

Denominations

Baptist
Wesleyan (Methodist)
Presbyterian
St John’s Anglican Church
St Patrick’s Catholic Church
St Brigid’s Deua River, Merricumbene

Locations

^{Map as detailed in the book by Lindsay and Roger Thwaites. The History of Araluen. National Capital Printing. 2001 Back Cover. Sketch map identifies location of churches and includes coloured lines to define roads and creeks.}

Union Church

In 1911 a Church was built on donated land on the condition that a Union Church be built for the use of all denominations.

Anglican services are now held alternately with the Uniting Church in the Araluen Union Church.⁷

References

1
Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848-1859), Saturday 25 June 1853, p 2.
2
Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal (NSW : 1888–1954), Friday 1 June 1923, p 2.
3
Richard Kennedy. Braidwood Goldfields. 1850’s – 1860’s. Compiled by Roslyn Maddrell. 4^th Reprint. Bayprint, Batemans Bay, NSW. 2010, p 17.
4
Kennedy, Braidwood Goldfields. p 23.
5
Historical and Colonial Census Data Archive (HCCDA) Dataverse (ANU) p 140. https://dataverse.ada.edu.au/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.26193/MP6WRS. Accessed 14 February 2023.
6
Barry McGowan. The Golden South. A History of the Araluen, Bells Creek and Majors Creek Goldfields. Capital Fine Print, Canberra. 2000. p 76.
7
Anglican Parish of Braidwood, Union Church Araluen. www.anglicanparishofbraidwood.com/id4.html Accessed 18 February 2023.