Port Fairy’s Catholic Church, dedicated to St Patrick, was built to replace the school chapel in William Street. Even in 1846 it was realised that a Church was needed and by June 1847, £317 had been collected for the proposed building.In 1844, James Atkinson donated two acres in William Street and £100 towards building the first Church. He gave it “as a landlord desirous of encouraging his tenantry”, the great majority of his tenants being Irish Catholics.
In March 1849, Port Fairy – then known as Belfast – welcomed its first resident priest, Fr Thomas Slattery. He was succeeded by Fr Shinnickin 1853 who collected another £1,000 towards the new Church. Early in 1857 Atkinson gave another 1.5 acres at the present site.
In this year Fr Shinnickin, along with his three lay trustees, prepared for building. The design was prepared by Nathaniel Billings from plans from the English architect Hansom, secured by Dr James Alipius Goold, Bishop of Melbourne.
Bishop Goold, returning from Portland to Melbourne, laid the first stone on 23 July 1857. The blessing of the Church was performed on 17 January 1861.
Various additions to the nave and chancellery of the Church where completed over the subsequent decades of its existence.
In 2021 St. Patrick's Port Fairy was incorporated into the Star of the Sea Parish, South-West Coast.
St Patrick’s Church is open each Tuesday from 8am-11am and Sunday 9:30am-12:30pm.
