Originally, Queen of Heaven Parish was part of St. Felix de Valois Parish Bankstown. After Berala Parish was formed from Bankstown in 1937, a priest from Berala used to come out to Georges Hall for Sunday Mass in a hall located where Coleman Park is today.

After the formation of Sefton Parish in 1948, Georges Hall became a part of that parish.

In that same year a "Princess Competition" was held. Four local girls raised £153 which was used to buy three blocks of land in Beale Street.

Occasionally a Polish priest said Mass in the area for the Polish migrants staying at the hostel which at that time was part of Bankstown Aerodrome.

In 1955 Bass Hill parish was formed, Georges Hall being included in it. 1959 saw the erection of a hall on the property in Beale Street, and a priest said Mass in the hall each Sunday.

1965/66 saw the land on which the present parish plant is built purchased, and the hall on the Beale Street property moved and re-erected on the new site. On 15 September 1967 the three blocks of land in Beale Street were sold to Bankstown Council.

The new parish of Georges Hall was formed in 1973, Father John O’Keefe being appointed by Cardinal Freeman on 27 November 1973 as the first Parish Priest. Being a sister parish to Christ the King at Bass Hill, the parish was named Queen of Heaven.

 

In 1975 a presbytery was built on the site — the total cost being $42,000.00. The following year the old church hall was extended to cope with the increasing size of the parish.

The first two stages of the school were built in1978 and in 1980 respectively. The school cost a total of $400,000.00 and is a single stream K-6 primary school.

The first Parish Debutante Ball was held on 26th June 1982 at Bankstown Trotting Club Function Centre. Cost $15.00 per person.

In 1983 it was decided to build a new church and, in the weekly bulletin of 6 March 1983, a tear-off section was added inviting parishioners to become active in the Planned Giving Envelopes.

The parish bulletin dated 20 March 1983 advised that the Parish Council had decided not to call for tenders for the new church; but, instead, had appointed a builder on a fixed contract fee. This brought about a saving of some $14,000.00. Forecast cost of the new church was $420,000.00. It was estimated that $1400.00 per week was needed in the parish envelopes to pay for the new church.

On 27 May 1984 the new church was blessed and opened; the old church being in future used as a school library.

The new school library, named the O’Keefe Library, was blessed by Fr O’Keefe, and opened by Muriel Hission. In the same year the old church hall was demolished.

1992 saw the sealing of the car park during May, and the Emmaus Room opened in June.

On 27 May 1994, just ten years after the new church, the Parish Centre, an extension to the presbytery, was completed, blessed and opened.

In July 1994 a computer was purchased for the parish office and in February 1996 the Archdiocesan Computer software was installed — enabling all parish data, finances, planned giving records, and administration to be maintained within the office.

This year, 1999, saw the completion of an extension to the school administration area. It was be blessed by Bishop Cremin in mid-June.

Currently, modernisation of the church facilities is being undertaken. The baptismal font will be remodelled to allow the full immersion of babies if desired. This will also better accomodate the baptism of adults. The ambo (lectern) will be relocated nearer to the font. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel will be altered to allow for quiet devotion at all times. The ceiling will be repaired, new carpet fitted and air-conditioning installed in the near future.

 

Parish Priests:

Fr John O’Keefe November 1973 - September 1989 

Fr Kevin Fitzpatrick September 1989 - September 1995

Fr Peter Neville October 1989 - current

 

 

School Principals:

Sister Edwardine O’Connell RSJ   1979 - 1980

Mr Tony Logue   1981 - 1987

Mr Bill Nolan   1988 - 1996

Ms Mary Nixon   1997 - present