The new St Mary’s Catholic Church in Myrtleford, Victoria, seats around 450 parishioners, and is set in the picturesque hilly countryside. It boasts a simple beauty with a strong sanctuary focus, highlighted by a stunning sculpture of the resurrected Jesus. The space features a new marble altar, tabernacle, lectern, and glass baptismal font. It is well-lit, thanks to a glass roof over the centre aisle, which enhances the natural light and complements the white porcelain floor tiles.

The modern church features a fan-shaped plan that fosters a community-based atmosphere for Catholic liturgy. The church has a steeply sloping roof culminating over the sanctuary and includes an external focal point in the form of a simple steel cross mounted on a brick tower facing Lawrence Street. The building’s form, materials, and colours reflected the character of the beautiful alpine landscape and complemented the adjacent historic church.

Care was taken to preserve the integrity of the existing historic church, which was retained as a community building, by separating it from the new modern building with an articulated fully glazed pedestrian link.