About Our Parish

Parish History

St Anthony’s Parish Toowoomba stands on the traditional lands of the Giabal and Jarowair peoples of the Wakka Wakka Nation.

St Anthony’s grew from the former Parish of Toowoomba West, established on 15 July 1951 with Fr Patrick (‘Paddy’) McMorrow (1909-1999) as Parish Priest. In its early years, services were held in two Mass Centres (a location other than a Catholic Church where the Eucharist is celebrated): one in Newtown, which later became the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the other in Harristown.

The Mass Centre in Harristown was a former army hut, relocated to Diocesan land on what was then Memory Lane. It was blessed and opened on 12 July 1950 and served as the spiritual home of Harristown’s growing Catholic community.

In 1953, Fr McMorrow invited Mother Jarlath Treacy of the Presentation Sisters, to bring a community of sisters to Harristown to establish a school. The construction of a convent began in 1954 and the school opened in February 1955, with classes initially held in the army hut church. Building of a presbytery followed in 1959, and on 1 May 1960, the Parish of St Anthony’s was formally established.

From army hut to church

Following the creation of the parish, Fr McMorrow was determined that the ‘eyesore’ of a hut be replaced with a church.

The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 1 August 1965. Funded through parishioner support, government assistance, and extensive fundraising, the church building was completed in early 1966 and consecrated on 8 March 1966.

The army hut was moved to Stephen Street, where it later became the School Hall. It has since been relocated to the town of Felton.

convent and school

As the Parish grew, so too did the school and its community. By the end of the 1960s the school had over 200 enrolments with some fourteen Presentation Sisters on staff.

The Presentation Sisters led St Anthony’s School until 1985 when administration passed to lay leadership through the Catholic Education Office (now the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools). By 1991, the school’s continuing growth saw its administration facilities move to the original convent building, with a new residence for the nuns opened on 25 July 1993 at 1 Memory Street.

church building

The church at St Anthony’s is known for its light-filled, mid-century design, created by architect Brian Hodgen with striking stained-glass windows by John McMahon.

Parishioners supported the church’s construction by contributing their labour, donating materials and fittings, and assisting with fundraising efforts, ensuring that it was a truly community-driven endeavour.

Between 2006 and 2008, under Fr Peter Dorfield, the church layout was significantly reconfigured, with the altar moved from the sanctuary to the central aisle and the recently restored wooden pews rearranged to face inward.

A detailed guide to the church (coming soon) can be found in the church foyer.

Further details of the Parish’s history can be found in the publication by Doreen O’Sullivan, St Anthony’s Parish and School, Harristown, Toowoomba, 1950-1999 (St Anthony’s Parish Council, 2000), held in the Diocesan Archives and the National Library of Australia.

parish priests at st anthony's 1960-2011

Fr Patrick McMorrow (1960-92)

Assistant priests: Fr Michael Carroll (1963)

Fr Jim Madden (1971-72)

Fr Rod MacGinley (1974)

Fr Derick Furness (1976)

Fr Peter Mulder (1976-80)

Fr Brian Murphy (1980-82)

Fr Tom Sweeney (1983-92)

Fr Tom Sweeney (1993-95)

Relief priest: Fr Des Coates (1995)

Fr Peter Dorfield (1995-2008)

Fr Jack Peard (2008-11)

parish priests at st anthony's 2011-2020

There was no parish priest in this period, with the role instead filled as follows:

Priest-in-Residence: Fr Joe Kelly (2011-12)

Priest Director: Fr Hal Ranger (2011-15)

Priest Director: Fr Hermi Rafada (2015-17)

Priest Director: Fr Roque Maguinsay (2017-19)

Priest Director: Fr Peter Dorfield (2019-20)

parish priests at st anthony's 2020-present

Fr Jamie Collins was Parish Priest of St Anthony’s and Parish Director of Our Lady of Lourdes from 2020-26.

Fr BJ Perrett was Deacon from 2024 until his ordination in May 2025, then Associate Pastor from June 2025 until March 2026.

Fr Bony Abraham was appointed Priest Director of St Anthony’s and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in March 2026.

*If you are aware of any errors or have any additional information for these sections, please contact the Parish Office. Thank you!