42. Catholic Bishop’s Residence - 1887

The Bishop’s residence and presbytery was built in 1887 when the Very Rev. John Dunne was appointed as Broken Hill’s first Catholic Bishop.  

Bishop John Dunne was a priest of the Goulburn Diocese before he was named Bishop of Wilcannia in 1887, a Diocese covering the far west of NSW from the Murray River near Tocumwal to the Queensland border near Lightning Ridge. 

Bishop Dunne arrived at Silverton in September 1887 to bless the church erected by Father Black, the first resident priest on the Barrier. He then went to Bathurst, appointing more priests to Broken Hill, and visited Bourke, Cobar, Wilcannia, Milparinka, and Wentworth by the end of 1887.  

Returning to Broken Hill in mid-1888 he blessed the church and presbytery in early 1889 and welcomed the first group of Sisters of Mercy from Singleton. He opened the new Cathedral at Broken Hill in 1905 and continued to expand the Diocese, establishing parishes, convents and schools until his death on Christmas Day, 1916. 

Audio transcript available.