About

Harvey is the name given to the South West town when it was originally surveyed by Major Harvey in the 1830s and is situated 140kms south of the state’s capital city, Perth.

The town’s major enterprises are dairying, cattle and fruit growing. A large abattoir, juice and milk factory in the town services domestic and export needs and provides employment for many in the area.

There are many families of Italian origin in the district, and on outskirts of town is a shrine to the Italians who were interned there during World War II. Other nationalities prominent in the area are Filipino, British and New Zealand.

Our church is located on the corner of Hester and Young Streets in Harvey. Our parish is called Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, in honour of our Lady. The name was taken after our first church which was built in 1932. However, in 1972 a new and larger church was built and to recognise the contribution of the immigrants who first came to Harvey, our church was placed under the patronage of Mary under the title of “Our Lady of the Immigrants.”

To celebrate and honour the history of our parish, we celebrate two Festa’s each year, In December, a Festa day is celebrated in honour of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception has been celebrated each year since 1991.

In October each year, the parish also celebrates a Festa honouring Our Lady of the Immigrants. This celebration was inaugurated in 1954 and is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of October.

Our Lady of the Immigrants Church has a twofold purpose as the parish church and as a shrine for all immigrants. The parish welcomes families from all denominations and our Catholic population has grown to more than 350 families.

The parish now includes a newly completed parish hall named The Kinsella Parish Centre. By way of serving the Harvey community, this multipurpose venue can be hired for celebrations such as Baptisms, Funeral wakes, Wedding Receptions, Conferences and much more. Furthermore, the sacristy was recently refurbished to add a unique chapel, designed and built for smaller gatherings such as prayer groups, rosaries, baptisms and school masses.