The Maitland Regional Museum and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle are calling on the community to help them tell the story of the diocese’s first bishop.
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Reverend James Murray, an Irish immigrant, was nominated Bishop of Maitland in 1865, taking possession of St John the Baptist Church West Maitland as his Cathedral on 1 November 1866.
2016 marks 150 years since Bishop Murray entered his post.
Murray made an immediate impact on his diocese.
His enormous jurisdiction stretched from coastal Newcastle, beyond the Darling to the west and north almost as far as Brisbane.
Despite the diocese’s reach, it was served by only six priests and a tiny community of nuns.
For years bishop Murray was virtually a bush missionary.
He established convents at Maitland, Newcastle, Singleton, Tamworth and Gunnedah, and founded an orphanage, an institution for deaf girls, a boys' college and many denominational schools.
By 1887, when his diocese was reduced to cover only the Hunter, Manning and Hastings valleys, he had reorganized his mission on a proper parish basis.
His charitable work in the community made him well liked, though he has been described by biographers as authoritarian and prone to favouritism when it came to his clergy.
Despite this he was a hugely influential figure in the Australian Catholic church.
Bishop Murray died in Maitland in 1909 and was buried at Campbell’s Hill cemetery in Telarah.
A pop-up exhibition will be held in the St John’s Hall in Cathedral Street, Maitland from Monday June 20 to Sunday July 10.
The museum and diocese are inviting the community to recollect the stories of people, families, groups and institutions within the Church or as part of the Church’s relationship with wider society, with particular emphasis on Maitland.
Specifically they are seeking stories, photographs, items and artifacts to be part of this exhibition.
“While items may not be of great value or historically significant but, if they can be linked to a person or community with a story, they will be of interest or relevance to our community and integral to the exhibition,” a joint statement by the organisations said.
The organisations stressed that an early response would be allow time to curate the items and organise the exhibition.
If you think you have something that may be suitable for display, or would like to know more about the exhibition contact: michael.belcher@bigpond.com or janece.mcdonald@newcastle.edu.au or phone 0249334450
