The History of St Michael’s Church, Springbank
During colonial times, the Ormond-Springbank district was settled by predominately Irish immigrants. Mining in and round Ballarat and surrounding districts, as well as the opening of lands for agriculture contributed to the growth of the district.
The settlement of Ormond-Springbank followed a familiar pattern of church, school and convent.
As the population grew during the late 1800s and early 1900s, the wooden church, convent and school were rebuilt.
The foundation stone of the Springbank Church was laid by Archbishop Carr D.D. 25th March 1900. The sum of £450 was collected from the crowd of more than 1,000 assembled for the occasion. The Church was opened on December 15th by Rev. Dean Phelan of Melbourne. The cost was £2,500 and the architect was T. A. Payne.
On May 8th 1961 the Sanctuary and Sacristy of the Church, was blessed by Bishop A. Fox, marking the completion of the Church. The renovations were paid for by 80 local families, who contributed £7,000 over 12 months. The architect was J. McCarthy and the builder was S. J. Weir.
Fund raising among the community contributed to the repairs and maintenance of the Church over the past 125 years. During the early and mid-1900s locally organized sporting events provided a valuable means for raising funds. By the 1960s, new avenues for supporting the church were introduced.
While the school and convent have now closed, St Michael’s Church continues to be an important part of the Springbank community.
We invite you all to our Anniversary Mass to celebrate the 125th years of St Michael’s Church on the 29th March 2025 at 6.30 pm.
Ref: https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/springbank-vic-st-michaels-catholic