St Mary Star of the Sea

About

St Mary Star of the Sea is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Peppermint Grove, Western Australia. Located in the Archdiocese of Perth, it is dedicated to Our Lady, Star of the Sea.

The church building is located on Stirling Highway, between McNeil and Forrest streets in Peppermint Grove, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. [ full citation needed ] [ self-published source ] [ full citation needed ] Given its proximity to Cottesloe, it is sometimes said to be in Cottesloe rather than Peppermint Grove. [ full citation needed ] [ failed verification ] [ better source needed ] The Presbyterian Ladies' College is located behind the church.

The church building was built in 1904 on land donated by Daniel Kenny (1860–1915). [ self-published source ] It was designed by Australian architect Michael Cavanagh (1860–1941) in the Gothic Revival style. [ self-published source ] The wrought iron fence and entrance gate, also designed by Michael Cavanagh, were added in 1937. [ self-published source ] It is made of local freestone and tiles from Marseille in France. It cost nearly £ 2,000 to build, equivalent to A$ 352,000 in 2022.

It was the second place of worship built in Peppermint Grove after St Columba's Presbyterian Church Hall, which was built on Venn Street in 1896 and later replaced by St Columba's Presbyterian Church on the corner of Venn and Keane Streets. [ self-published source ] The first service took place on 18 December 1904, when it was blessed by Bishop Matthew Gibney (1835–1925). In the beginning, the church building was used as a school on weekdays.

The church building was restored in 2013 for $120,000, equivalent to A$147,600 in 2022.