Sacred Heart Church

 

This wooden church was relocated here from the Old Cooma Road in 1988.

How to get there?

From The Railway Border walk continue south on the Monaro Highway and turn the next right into Johnson Drive then immediately left at the roundabout into Tharwa Drive. Take first right into Were Street and first left into Casey Crescent. The church is on your left.

From the Visitors Centre continue south over Commonwealth Bridge. Take Capital Circle around Parliament House, turn left into Canberra Avenue for 4km. Turn left onto the Monaro Highway. Turn right into Johnson Drive then immediately left at the roundabout into Tharwa Drive. Take first right into Were Street and first left into Casey Crescent.

Why is this interesting?

This heritage-listed building is just one of two wooden churches still in the ACT. It was built with volunteer labour in eleven weeks and cost £200. When it opened in 1902, each family worshipping at the church planted a Radiata Pine to provide shade. This led to the church becoming known as 'the cathedral in the pines'.

As the first church built in the Tuggeranong Valley, Sacred Heart played an important religious and social role for the Catholic pioneers. Although regular Mass ended in 1974, the church is still used for special occasions. It was moved from the Old Cooma Road to this site in 1988 because of the development of the new suburbs of Tuggeranong.