The Warburton community has lost an iconic institution after the old Warburton Sacred Heart Catholic Church building was demolished on Monday 8 December.
Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society (UYVHS) president John Bramley said it was a big loss for the Warburton community.
“Personally I think it’s a shame, especially seeing that the building I believe could have been saved and possibly moved elsewhere, it was a shame to see it go,” he said.
The church held its final mass on 12 April before it was closed down by the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, which prompted a petition, gathering 896 signatures as of publication.
“For over a century, since its establishment in 1912, this cherished church has served as a cornerstone of spiritual and community life. Its impending closure, sale, and demolition threatens to tear the heart out of our community and erase a precious part of our shared heritage,” the petition read.
Warburton locals expressed their shock and dismay on Facebook.
“What a disgrace it is to demolish such a blessed place of worship that has been in our town for over 150 years. I am so sad to watch my beautiful town being vandalised,” local Marian McDonald commented.
“It was our intention to use the building for people with hardships. Fr. Cerini would have been pleased about that.It never reached fruition. Without any warning, to us, it was sold,” she said in her comment.
A letter showed the permit to demolish the building which was issued on 19 November.
Warburton local Robert Windsor submitted an article to the Star Mail in November sharing the story of one of the church’s most cherished pastors, Father Charles Cerini.
“The archdiocese sent Fr Cerini to Warburton to become their Parish Priest. The Sacred Heart Parish was based in Warburton, covered a large area, but was relatively poor. The parish needed a school, so he built one. The nuns needed a covenant, so he built one,” Mr Windsor wrote in his article.
Mr Bramley said the reasons for why the church was demolished were unclear.
“I haven’t heard the reasons for it. I know there’s different conjecture and stuff like that. I really don’t know. I don’t know if the building was unsafe or what it may have been.”
He said there should’ve been a “complete heritage overlay” for the building.
“It’s been around for many many years. It probably should have had an overlay because of the age of the building. Of course, there was a church and lots of different congregations, so there’s a lot of feelings there.”
