St Gerard's

Lands Department records show a purchase grant of a town allotment of one rood allocated to Daniel Frances Xavier Beechinor and Matthew John Clarke for the purpose of the Roman Catholic Church, registered on 20th July 1897. The description i as follows:

On the North West by one chain North Eastly along George Street commencing at a point thereon distant three chains one link and one quarter link North Easterly in two bearings from the angle of that street with Dobson Street on that North East by two chains and fifty links South Easterly along Crown Land on the South East by one chain South Westerly along a Gravel Reserve and thence on the South West by two chains and fifty links North Westerly along Crown Land to th point of commencement.

The foundation stone for the new St Gerard's Catholic church was laid by Archbishop Murphy assisted by Dean Beechinor on Sunday 3rd January 1897. The church was formally opened on Sunday 5th September 1897.

The Lands and Surveys Department in 1900 records a block of land between George, Myrtle, Dobson and Percy Streets with the names (Dean) D F X Beechinor and M. J. Clarke, this would have been the location of the Catholic Church.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper in March 1904 reports that an evening was held in aid of funds for St Gerard's Roman Catholic Church at Lefroy. Again in February 1906 the Examiner newspaper reported the depressed financial condition of the church and that a social was being held in aid of the building fund.

Father Terry Southerwood wrote the following about Lefroy:

By 1900, Lefroy was well on the down turn, although the field had yielded £7000,000 in gold.

Delany visited Lefroy and Lilydale in 1920, He was annoyed that debts on the church properties has still had not been paid off ...

No trace of this structure has survived to the present day, and the fate of the church remains lost to history.