Parish History

Although Alstonville was not designated as a separate parish until 1981, its Catholic history goes back to 1887, when the first Church was blessed and opened by Bishop Doyle, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Grafton. (The Diocese was transferred to Lismore in 1900.)

Alstonville was added to the Ballina parish in 1903, the Ballina parish having been established in 1890.

The new church in Alstonville also served as the first school when the Sisters of St Joseph arrived in 1919.

In 1953, Monsignor O'Rourke, then parish priest of Ballina, called tenders for the erection of a new brick church in Alstonville, to replace the wooden structure that had served the community since 1887. This church of St Lawrence O'Toole was later dismantled and moved to Lennox Head.

Bishop Farrelly opened the new church of Our Lady of the Rosary on 22 August 1954.

Following rapid growth on the Plateau, Alstonville was made a separate parish in 1981, with Fr Darcy McCarthy appointed first Parish Priest. Fr McCarthy and the parish became widely known for Fr. Mac's Heavenly Puddings.

Fr McCarthy died in 1991 and Fr Frank Mulcahy became parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary Alstonville.