History of St Joseph’s Shirley King, 1991 St Joseph’s Church was built in 1841 and opened and blessed by Father Therry early on Christmas morning 1841. The church is built of local sandstone and was designed by James Thomson, a former convict. Convict labourers were employed to carry out the work. The tower, 60 feet high, was finished in 1843 and the church building has not changed greatly since. In 1856 the sanctuary was improved, small sacristies behind the altar and a choir gallery above…