Woodcarver who was born in Spain. Cassellas was working in Barcelona about 1905 and arrived in Western Australia on the Catalina in 1907. He moved to New Norcia, Western Australia as a lay worker in 1909 and stayed some years before moving back to Perth where he lived in the Old Post Office with his wife and son Manuel.
Cassellas worked on three altars for the chapels of St Gertrude’s and St Benedict’s at New Norcia. He carved the Abbot’s throne, a prieu-dieu, a window seat and the elaborate bookshelves of the library now on display in the museum. They were removed from the Abbey in 1963 on the orders of the Second Vatican Council.
Cassellas died of consumption in 1927. In an exhibition in 1999 drawings dating from around 1905 of a table, bed sideboard and an apiary all in art nouveau style were displayed. The sideboard drawing was labelled “Construcion Meubles De John Castellas, Montjuich Del Obiseo 4, Barcelona”.
- Writers:
- Dr Dorothy Erickson
- Date written:
- 2010
- Last updated:
- 2011
