St Joseph’s Church Perenjori

The foundation stone for St Joseph’s was laid by Bishop O’Collins in June 1937 and the official opening occurred in December 1937.

The building is tall, thin and surrounded by bush and agricultural land. It has a corrugated iron roof and a clerestory of round windows which look like little portholes. St Joseph’s is considered today a unique and remarkable example of the modernist style of architecture that Hawes refined during the 1930s. His design for the interior was heavily influenced by the book by Fr Benedict Williamson, ‘How to Build a Church’. The neo-Egyptian stone baldachino was inspired by Fr Williamson’s illustrations.

The Church underwent repair and conservation work in 2022/23 following damage by Cycone Seroja in 2021 and was re-opened by Bishop Michale Morrissey in November 2023.