St Patrick’s, Tamborine

Now standing at the three-way intersection at Tamborine, St Patrick’s was originally situated near the south bank of the Albert River on Mr Michael Yores, property ‘Spiddal’ in the early 1870s.

The first Catholic Cemetery was located near the church but was subject to flooding, and land was later allocated by the Plunkett Family on Plunkett Road. This is still in use today for the Catholic congregation of the district.

On Saturday January 20^th 1883, His Lordship the Right Reverend Doctor Dunne visited the Logan District commencing his visitation with the settlers at Logan Reserve and the township of Waterford. After his arrival at Reverend Father Scortechini’s residence Bishop Dunne heard confessions at Logan Village and Tamborine. The Bishop’s visit was covered by a journalist with “The Australian” who reported, “On Sunday morning, the Bishop drove from Logan Village to St. Patrick’s and at the junction of the Upper Logan and Albert roads was met by a cavalcade of some 80 residents, representing the Catholic farmers from Wilson’s Peak to Waterford Bridge. His Lordship stopped his carriage, and standing, addressed a few words of thanks to the deputation and congratulated them on “being settled in so very beautiful a district”. The Church was described by the journalist as being “Very picturesquely situated on the crest of the ridge forming the watershed of the Upper Albert and distant not more than 50 perches from the Albert Bridge The building being 40 feet x 20 feet with its Gothic windows, pointed roof and ornamental fascias, giving it quite a handsome ecclesiastical appearance approaching from the bridge”.

The Mass was celebrated by the Bishop, assisted by Fr. Scortechini and Fr. Corrigan. The number of communicants was 97, not including some two dozen who communicated at an aura Mass at Capravale, near Logan Village, nor some 20 who presented themselves for the same Holy Sacrament at a second Mass in St Patrick’s, celebrated by Fr. Corrigan After the second Mass his Lordship conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 65 candidates.

Messrs Yore and Plunkett were instrumental in the starting of a provisional school that used the St. Patricks church building from 1874 until 1905. On June 4^th 1905 Fr. Enright held the first service in the new chapel on the original site.The building was moved to the present site, that of the old Railway House, and renovated under the direction of Monsignor Steele. In June 1966 Archbishop O’Donnell of Brisbane, dedicated the Church of St. Patrick’s in honour of the pioneer Irish settlers of the Logan and Tamborine Districts.

Mass is not currently celebrated in St Patrick’s due to the churches age and non-compliance with workplace health and safety standards. The difficult decision was made in mid-2024 to close the church. Over 2024 the Beaudesert Parish applied for grants and held a fundraising event, but are struggling to reach the amount needed for St Patrick’s to be workplace health and safety compliant.  If you would like to donate towads the restoration of St Patrick’s or would like more information, please contact the Parish Office.