St Joseph's Church

The present Church is situated on the corners of Raglan Parade, Kepler Street and Lava Street. It was completed in 1889. Until 1849 there was no permanent place of worship for Catholics in Warrnambool. Initially a small wooden building erected on the corner of Kelp and Timor Streets served as the Church for the Catholics of Warrnambool. Dean Thomas Slattery, the first Parish Priest of Warrnambool, came to live permanently in the city in 1853. In 1856 the foundation stone of the present parish hall on the corner of Kepler Street and Raglan Parade was laid by Bishop Goold from Melbourne.

The building was used as a school and Church for the increasing Catholic community of Warrnambool. By 1867 it was becoming apparent that this building was also too small for the congregation and plans for a new Church were made. The Church was built in two stages and the present St Joseph’s was finally completed on the 23 September 1889. In 2002 a Gathering Space was built on to the Church. This Gathering Space has certainly complemented parish life.