St John's Catholic Church - Former

The former St John's Catholic Church, Kapunda was the first Catholic church built in the area, about four miles southeast of Kapunda [exact location not known]. The church building was erected on land given by the government for use by the church in 1849, and was opened for worship on 30/4/1854 by the Bishop. After the St Rose of Lima church building was erected in 1862 (see separate entry - 5373) St John's ceased functioning as a church, and was used as a school until 1897, when under the supervision of St Mary MacKillop, it was made a girls reformatory, which operated under the Sisters of St Joseph until 1909. The building was demolished in 1946. More historical information/photographs of the former church/congregation are invited. Photograph uploaded 23/9/2026.

St. John's Church - building on extreme left is Girl's Reformatory. According to a researcher, this was the first Catholic Church in the area. The foundation stone was laid in 1850 and it was officially opened in 1854. It was demolished in 1946. After the St. Rose's Church was built in Kapunda, St. John's was used as a school and then in 1897, under the supervision of Mary MacKillop, was made into a girls' reformatory which was operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph until 1909. The church was built on twenty acres of Glebe land given by the Government for church use in 1849.