The Priests

In 1862 Bishop James Quinn of Brisbane, recognising this growth, sent two Irish priests, Fathers James Scully and Patrick Duhig (not to be confused with the later bishop), to preach a fortnight’s mission. The congregation at the first Mass, celebrated in the Court House on May 4 1862, numbered fewer than 50. Before they left Rockhampton on May 19, Fathers Scully and Duhig had appointed collectors to raise funds to build a church.

This church, on the corner of Derby and Alma Streets, was designed by Mr James Laing. Tenders for its erection were called on November 12 1862 and, less than two months later, it was blessed and opened on January 4 1863 by Father J Moynahan who had come from Brisbane to minister to the Catholics of Rockhampton. The church was dedicated to St Joseph.

Soon after the opening of the first church, Bishop Quinn paid his first pastoral visit.

Late in 1863, Bishop Quinn appointed Father Charles Murlay, a young French priest, as Parish Priest of Rockhampton. The parish extended north to Townsville, south to Maryborough and westwards to Blackall.

The new church became too small for a fast-growing congregation, and extensions costing 500 pounds were built in 1865. But, as the population increased, the building did not grow, and accommodating the increasing number of worshippers became very difficult.

In 1876, Bishop Quinn instructed Dean Murlay to purchase a site suitable for the building of a cathedral, and to initiate a building fund.

The deeds of the land, on which the cathedral and part of The Cathedral College now stand, were secured on February 3 1877. The land was previously a football ground. An architect, Mr Sidney Williams, was engaged in November 1880 to prepare a design for a cathedral. The estimated cost was 8100 pounds.

In a report to Rome in 1881, Bishop Quinn suggested the subdivision of the Brisbane diocese into four parts – Brisbane, and the new Sees of Maryborough, Rockhampton and Townsville.

The imminence of the establishment of a new diocese, and the death of Bishop Quinn on August 18 1881, ended any definite plans by Dean Murlay.