The history of St Augustine's Catholic Church in Keilor is as old as Keilor itself – even older!

Both Keilor and St Augustine's celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2013; but for the genesis of St Augustine's Church we need to go back even further.

A large proportion of the population in the area now known as Keilor were Irish Catholics, and as they settled down to a life far from their homeland and loved ones, they sought spiritual as well as physical comfort.  Thus it was that the first Parish Priest, Father Matthew Downing, came to Keilor in July 1854 to set up the Keilor Mission.  Matthew Downing was born in County Kerry in 1810, was ordained in 1837, and spent time in Italy and Ireland before coming to Hobart in January 1849 to serve as a penal chaplain.  Much of his time there was spent at the convict prison in Port Arthur.  By August 1852 he had moved to Victoria and in November 1852 the goldfields of Ballarat, where he remained until July 1854, when he came to Keilor.

The new Keilor Mission initially took in Flemington, Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Broadmeadows, Keilor, Sunbury, Mickleham and Darraweit Guim, and was then joined by Bulla Bulla in February 1855.

In those days Father Downing celebrated Mass in a number of venues, but it was his vision to build a Church at Keilor in honour of St Augustine, the patron saint of his order.  In January 1855, five trustees of the Keilor Church Reserve were approved – Father Downing, Bishop James Goold (first bishop of Melbourne), Patrick Phelan, Owen Connor and George Dodd (who became a key person in the development not only of the Church but of the Keilor area in general).

Building work commenced in 1857, with Mr Dodd appointed Foreman of Works.

The bluestone for the Church was quarried locally, but construction was slow, in part due to financial recession in the times, but also due to the lack of labour (as many men were attracted to the goldfields at Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine).

It would take six long years before St Augustine's was finally completed.

By then Father Downing had transferred to Williamstown, to be succeeded by Father Patrick Madden and then Father James Moore.  Father Moore was in residence when the Church was finally completed and on Sunday, 15 November 1863 St Augustine's Church was opened and blessed by Bishop Goold.