Gundaroo Parish
Gundaroo Church of St Joseph
According to ‘Chords from the Harp - A History of Bungendore Catholic Community’
pp 46 & 47 (released by Rev. Brian Maher in November 1986) the census of 1828 for Goulburn Plains makes it evident that settlement in the Gundaroo district was well underway. Early Catholic settlers both land owners and managers of rural properties were, Peter Cooney, Captain Maurice Barlow, William Guise, Richard Guise, James Booth and James Hughes (whose residence at Mugwell was used as a Mass centre in 1838).Priests who ministered to the early Catholic settlers were Father John Therry (as early as 1833), Father Charles Lovat also traversed the area in 1839-40 but in the next few years is seems that Gundaroo was cared for from Queanbeyan by Reverend Michael Cavanagh. In the 1859 Almanac, Gundaroo is listed as having Mass every second month. In 1867, the Gundaroo district fell to the care of the Yass Parish and later to Gunning.
St Joseph’s Church
The foundation stone of St Joseph’s Church was laid by Bishop Lanigan on 9 March 1879. The author of the district history “Gundaroo”, records the following:
The reservation of the church site in 1873 took into account the convenience of a central spot for the Irish concentration at Tallagandra and along the Yass River downstream from Booths farm (Willowgrove) … the district had only lately become part of the Goulburn diocese when local ministrations were transferred from Queanbeyan to the Parish of Yass… the opening ceremony did not take place until 13 November 1881. After a High Mass, it was announced that only 121 pounds debt remained on the church construction. This evoked a spontaneous gesture from a Mr P.J.B. Donnelly who instantly wrote out a cheque for that sum.Gundaroo Pioneer Cemetery
On the southern approaches to Gundaroo (on the right hand side of the road before the bridge) is an early cemetery. It contains in one portion the graves of the Massy family with elaborate monuments and in the Catholic portion many of the pioneer families such as Leahy, Booth, Donnelly and Hughes.
The cemetery was gifted to the Catholic community by Donald Macleod (a Presbyterian) because the burial ground at Upper Gundaroo was attached to the Anglican church of St Luke and there was unwillingness – perhaps on all sides – to share that site. By 1860 the Rev. Galliard Smith refused burial to non-Anglicans. The earliest burials in the Catholic pioneer portion were Mary Hughes of Mugwell and Bridget Donnelly of Bywong; both in 1857. By 1869, a general cemetery was provided on the village perimeter and is now the only cemetery used for local burials.
The cemetery has recently been refurbished by volunteers from the Gundaroo district. Joe Zabar – can you elaborate please.
