Our Parish History
In the early days of Mullumbimby, settlers dotted the green countryside with their dairy farms and banana plantations beneath the shadow of a mountain called Chincogan. There were no resident priests and the Eucharist had to be celebrated in a room at the Railway Hotel by a visiting priest.
The foundation stone of the Roman Catholic Church, Mullumbimby was laid on May 12, 1906, by the late Bishop Doyle. Dean Welsh oversaw the district.
In 1910 a cottage near the Railway Station was acquired for a convent and the first community of 3 Sisters of St Joseph arrived to teach 28 children in a room adjoining the new brick church. A new wooden convent was built on the hill above the church about 1915, and the sisters moved in. Unfortunately, the convent burnt.
Mr Dan Buckley gave his house and three blocks for the Parish. St John’s Primary School was built and opened in 1912. On April 18, 1920 Rev Monsignor McGuire V.G. laid the foundation stone of the new brick convent. The Presbytery was also erected and opened in 1920. All three buildings were constructed under the direction of Rev Richard (Dick) Williams (1917) the first Parish Priest of St John’s Parish Mullumbimby.
There was no bridge across the Brunswick River and Mass times had to coincide with the tide so the people could get across on foot or their buggies.
