Our Lady of Victories Basilica
Our Lady of Victories Basilica
37°50′02″S 145°03′24″E / 37.8338°S 145.0566°E / -37.8338; 145.0566
Address	Burke Road, Camberwell, Victoria
Country	Australia
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.cbdparish.org.au/about/our-history/history-of-camberwell-parish-our-lady-of-victories/
History
Status	Minor basilica
Founded	25 May 1913 (1913-05-25)
Founder(s)	Archbishop Thomas Carr
Dedication	Blessed Virgin Mary
Consecrated	6 October 1918 by Archbishop Daniel Mannix
Architecture
Architect(s)	Augustus Andrew Fritsch
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque Revival
Completed	1918
Administration
Archdiocese	Melbourne
Parish	Camberwell
Clergy
Priest(s)	Fr Brendan Reed

Our Lady of Victories Basilica is a Roman Catholic church located in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. Romanesque Revival in style, it was designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch^[1][2] and was completed in 1918. It is one of five churches in Australia with minor basilica status. Our Lady of Victories occupies an imposing site in Burke Road and, in a city where most churches of the era are built in the Gothic Revival style, has a distinctive copper clad dome completed with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary.

The current parish priest is Rev. Brendan Reed.

History

Augustus Fritsch, the diocesan architect, drew up original plans that were modified many times, most likely due to budgetary constraints. The builder was Robert Harper. The foundation stone was laid on 25 May 1913 by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Most Rev. Thomas Carr DD, in the presence of 45,000 people. On 6 October 1918, Our Lady of Victories was opened by Archbishop the Most Rev. Daniel Mannix DD, with 80,000 people in attendance. Special trains and trams had to be provided.^[3]