St Brendan’s Church

This plaque is located at 67 Curdie St.

Tenders were called on January 1st 1887 for the erection of a Catholic chapel (labour only) and, seven weeks later, further tenders were invited for the painting of the building.

“The chapel which has been recently erected at Cobden by the Roman Catholics was used for the purpose of public worship for the first time on Sunday last (6/3/1887) when the Rev Fr Fitzmaurice conducted a service. There was a large congregation present. The new edifice is a very comfortable structure and, when properly finished off, will no doubt answer all requirements for a few years at any rate.” (Camperdown Chronicle 9/3/1887)

Nearly forty years later, in 1925, the church building was moved to Darlington where it was used as a Catholic church for ten years before it was transported away for the same purpose in Timboon from 1935 until 1960.

It was then moved to a farm and used as a hayshed. It was once dubbed ‘the church-on-wheels’.

For about ten years, until the new red brick church was built and blessed in 1936, church services, religious instruction for children, the annual Christmas tree, kitchen teas and other and social functions were held in the Hibernian Hall, directly behind the present church.

Up until the late 1920s, people would arrive in their horse-drawn vehicles. Cars became more common from 1930.

In 1987, Cobden became part of the Simpson Parish. In 1990, an extensive new brick front was added to the church by builder Michael Hinkley and the Hibernian Hall, no longer needed for social functions, was demolished.

In the early 1990s, Cobden returned to the Camperdown Parish once again, together with Lismore and Derrinallum.