Sacred Heart Church, Beagle Bay, Western Australia

I love small country churches. There is something so special about them. You can feel the community's heart especially when they have a long history and the community have been involved in the building of the church.  Whatever your religion or belief, places of worship are quiet sanctuaries to sit and feel peace settling over you. 

On our recent trip to the Kimberley we went camping up along the Dampier Peninsular north of Broome with local friends. On the way they took us to visit the Sacred Heart Church at Beagle Bay, 170 kilometres north of Broome via the dirt Cape Leveque Road. We had never visited this church before, so I was very glad we were able to take this short side trip on our way north.

Beagle Bay is the traditional home of the aboriginal Nyul Nyul people, who call the area Ngarlun Burr, Place Surrounded by Springs. 

European connection to Beagle Bay began in 1838 when Her Majesty's ship, "The Beagle" was used to make a survey of the north west coast of Australia. JC Wickham, the surveyor, named the bay Beagle Bay.

Central to the Beagle Bay community is the heritage listed Sacred Heart Church.  Beautifully decorated inside with pearl shells, the church is an amazing fusion of traditional aboriginal and Christian symbols, local materials and European techniques.

The first church in Beagle Bay was built by French Trappist Monks from bush timber, paperbark and iron sheets.  In 1917 the German Pallottine Missionaries, brothers and local people, under the guidance of Father Thomas Bachmair, began to build the present church, modelled on a photograph of a German village church.  Officially opened on 15 August 1918, Fr Bachmair died two weeks later from septicemia. 

The missionaries experimented with different clay mixtures to achieve the correct proportions of white clay and black mud to make the 60,000 bricks for the church and 30,000 bricks for the bell tower.  They were unable to obtain cement, so lime for the mortar and plastering was extracted from seashells gathered from the beach in bullock carts and fired in the kiln. 

Fr. Droste worked with a team of local women to decorate the inside of the church. The main altar is decorated with mother-of-pearl and coloured shells embedded into the plaster. Cowrie shells were used to frame the tabernacle. Shells are used for decoration throughout the church, along the alter rail, around the window frames and along the central isle. The result truly is unique and beautiful and the detail and crafting is exquisite.

The original ceiling over the sanctuary was constructed from strips of mangrove wood plastered with lime.  The plaster was painted dark blue and inlaid with mother-of-pearl shells to represent the stars. Unfortunately white ants attacked this ceiling and it eventually collapsed. The ceiling was replaced with flattened kerosene tins. 

There are three bells in the twelve metre bell tower. The smallest is the original French bell which came with the French Trappist Monks. The other two bells were a gift from a German parish.  

Cyclones, white ants, heat and damp have taken their toll on the church. Over recent years preservation work has been carried out including rebuilding the bell tower which collapsed in 2001. 

The French Trappist Monks came to Beagle Bay in 1890. In 1900 the monks left their Australian missions and were replaced at Beagle Bay by Pallottine Missionaries from Germany.  The German missionaries were placed under internment at Beagle Bay during World War 1. In 1907 the Sisters of St John of God arrived from Ireland. They dedicated themselves to teaching and caring for the Stolen Generation children brought to Beagle Bay under government orders. 

The Beagle Bay community became independent from the Church in 1970 and became self-governing, however the Sacred Heart Church remains the centre of the Dampier Peninsula Parish.

The Sacred Heart Church is not a museum, but you are able to visit. Please leave a donation to help them with their ongoing work. 

Beagle Bay Church and school

 Where is it:  Beagle Bay is on the Dampier Peninsula, north west Western Australia, 170 kms north Broome via the dirt Cape Leveque Road. 4WD recommended. You can see a view of the road below. Please reduce tyre pressures and drive to the conditions. Allow 5-6 hours return. 

The Cape Leveque Road - reduce your tyre pressures and drive to the conditions.

For more information: Beagle Bay Church History
Dampier Peninsula Parish 

Two more churches you might like to visit with me:

St Werburghs Chapel, Mount Barker 

Mourambine Church 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little look at the Sacred Heart Church at Beagle Bay. Do you have a favourite country church? 

 I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
 

Seen at Beagle Bay

Mosaic Monday 
Life Thru the Lens 

Lifestyle Fifty Monday Linkup 
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Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Worth Casing Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday
The Weekly Postcard