cyclones

The Catholic Church in Innisfail is dedicated to Mary, Mother of Good Counsel (‘Mater Boni Consilii’), a title of Mary, Mother of God, closely associated with the Augustinian Order of priests, who served this parish from the 1880s to 1993. The present church on the corner of Grace and Rankin Streets was the third built in Innisfail. In 1885, the land was purchased in Owen Street for a church that was built in 1891. It stood on the hill facing Owen Street, approximately where the storage shed adjacent to the presbytery carport now stands. Beside it on the Grace Street side of the hill was a separate bell tower. This church was dedicated to the Mother of Good Counsel. It suffered significant wear and tear in a short time, the result of termites, etc, and of severe heat and heavy rain. A cyclone in 1906 caused such further damage that it was decided to build another church. A second church was built, larger and stronger than the first, of silky oak and cedar, on the other side of the bell tower which survived the cyclone intact. On Sunday, March 10, 1918, a cyclone of unimagined ferocity caused enormous damage to the town and district and, although not completely destroying the church, making it irreparable. The church was rebuilt and reinforced several times as cyclones in this area were very destructive. On March 20, 2006, severe cyclone ‘Larry’ caused havoc in and around Mother of Good Counsel Church: windows were shattered, the church structure was weakened and in many places ruined as some of the roofing and the silky oak rafters were torn away. Flying debris from within and without made the church unsafe for the duration of the cyclone and for some time afterward. In 2009, the church was repaired and renewed; there has been a transformation – a death and resurrection. The severe damage provided the opportunity to redesign in particular the altar and sanctuary, to accord with liturgical requirements. This has been done by Architect, Steve Gleeson, who has highlighted theological insights of Vatican II using the best of modern methods and technology while preserving the integrity, simplicity, and harmony of the original design of the church. Bishop James Foley provided much helpful advice in the redesigning. Source: www.gcparish.org.au/Pages/History.html

From www.genevany.org/50/ '1912 Cyclone hit SW edge of Geneva on September 1; razed huge barns on White Springs Farm. ' And from www.belhurstcastle.com/whitehistory.html 'Sunday, September 1, 1912, was a day of disaster for White Springs Farm and the immediate vicinity. A cyclone wrought havoc, leveling the main group of dairy barns and uprooting most of the beautiful elms on the farm. A three-quarter ton dinner bell from one of the barns was found a half-mile away. Miraculously, there was no loss of human life, though four or five calves were killed. Clean-up operations were extensive, and tree experts were brought in to salvage what trees could be saved. Mr. Lewis sold the Guernseys, rather than replace the barns. By 1920 the cattle business was over.' Since then, the farm has apparently been a poultry farm, an orchard, a home for the elderly, and is now a hotel and winery.

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Foundation stone records: St Andrew's - Presbyterian Church - To the Glory of God - This stone was laid by - The Rt Rev Richard Bardon BA - Moderator-General of the - Presbyterian Church of Australia - on the 16th August 1952 - Rev GD Whitney, Minister - 'Worship the Lord in the - beauty of holiness. Source: www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/...

The first committee meeting was held in January 1914 and during 1916 the present church site was purchased from Mary Graham. After a £500 bequest was left by Peter Margach for the building fund it was decided that a church should be built. The church construction was commenced early in 1918 but the framework was flattened during a cyclone in March. The building contractor, Frank Robson, replaced the framework, and the church was completed and officially opened in November 1918. In 1925, the ground under the church was excavated and a concrete hall was built by Peter Van Leeuwen, made possible from another bequest of £499 from Mary Kate Margach. This hall 36'x 26'was later enlarged by an additional 24 feet (7.3 m) and formed the foundation of the new building.[1] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Presbyterian_Memorial...