The Roman Catholic Church

There have been three churches built in Inverleigh. Little has been written about the early days of the church because there has never been a resident priest in the town  and records tend to have been brief, official and kept elsewhere (St. Mary's West Melbourne.) The parish was run from Moriac.

The first church was built somewhere near the Anglican church in the vicinity of the cemetery, probably during the 1850's. It was burnt down sometime during the late 1860's or early 1870's. Children from the nearby Anglican school were blamed for the fire. William Dalton donated the land for the second church which was built soon afterwards. In 1882 William Dalton and his wife Mary were burnt to death in their house. Their remains were taken to Mrs Milwardts Hotel (Lawsons) where an inquest was held. The funeral left later from the same hotel. Local residents carried the coffins from the hotel to the cemetery while school children wearing black arm bands walked in front.

In 1933 the second church was sold (to Messrs Phillips and Farrell) and demolished for building material. Part of the original town reserve was purchased and the new church built on its present site. Father Hehir became Parish Priest in 1914 and retired in 1934. The new church - Sacred Heart -was opened on 19th November 1833, by Dr. Mannix. Although the church and furnishings cost 1,050 pounds, at the time of consecration the debt owed by the congregation amounted to only 100 Pounds. Due to ill health Father Hehir, who had worked so hard for the new church, was never able to celebrate mass in the new building.

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