St. Patrick's Parish

St Patrick’s Church was blessed and opened on November 24, 1872. The priest who formulated, planned and supervised its building was buried behind the altar. He was Dr. Michael McAlroy, Albury’s parish priest from 1868 to his death in 1880, and was known as the “Apostle of the South”.

Dr. McAlroy built the church when Albury had a population of around 2600. The gothic arches he preferred pointed upwards like a pair of hands in prayer, a reminder that the church is a working building dedicated to the worship of God.

The church is truly international, with a strong Irish influence. It honours the patron Saint of Ireland. A chancel window depicting St. Patrick is matched by one showing St. Brigid, to whom the first Albury church and convent were dedicated.

Dr. McAlroy and his builder, James Walsh, were both Irish; the architect, John Gordon, was English; and the original stained glass windows were made by John Falconer, a Scot. As for the rest of the church, the west window has an Aboriginal theme, much of the timber came from North America and the roof tiles were from Wales. The marble altar and the present day organ were from Italy.

St. Patrick’s was Albury’s second Catholic church. The first church, St. Brigid’s, was built in 1858 as a brick schoolroom. It continued as a school after St. Patrick’s was completed and was demolished in 1938.