Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 139-140:

Devane, Daniel J., Very Rev., Irish
Good Brick Buildings to his Credit
Kerrymen were always proud of their County of origin and no one had such a pride more than Daniel J. He was born on 17 September 1856 and studied at Maynooth. Ordination was conferred on 9 August 1885 and he arrived in Victoria on the 'Austral' in June, 1886. First appointments were to Ballarat 1886-8 and to Smythesdale as pastor 1888-91.

Buggy journeys in that scattered parish of a dozen churches and more meant often a hundred mile journey for Sunday Masses. The journeys were just as long and dustier in Warracknabeal where he became the first pastor after an excision was made from Horsham in May 1891. ln the eight year stay, 1891-9, he displayed his mettle as a builder — a fine brick presbytery in 1899, and re-building in wood the parish church after the first had gone up in flames. From a wheat growing area he came to a more familiar type of agriculture that he knew in Ireland, that of potato growing. This was in the parish of Bungaree where the Irish, Fenian supporters in the field of politics, held many of the farms of rich chocolate soil. Apart from attending to six churches, catechising, _ preaching splendid sermons, and visiting the people, Devane established a reputation as an adviser to growers as to how to cope with the Irish blight in the "sphud". He replaced the old parish structures that had been built of wood with three handsome brick churches. The first was at Clarks Hill in 1900. Assisted by the generous Count O'Loughlin he built and furnished the second at Dunnstown, and to mark his Silver Jubilee in August 1910 he opened the parish church of St. Michael's at Bungaree. He had other wooden churches to attend to at Warrenheip, Navigator and Yendon, as well as four schools taught by lay teachers. Prior to his coming, two schools had been taught by the Josephites (Black) from Perthville, Bathurst, but in the days of indecision and decision as to where their allegiance lay the Sisters departed — leaving behind the harsh regulations imposed on them by the reigning bishop, Dr. James Moore. Devane's stay in Bungaree, with one trip to Ireland in 1907, lasted 17 years, 1899-1916. Reward for labour was to succeed the bishop-elect, Dr. Daniel Foley, in the 'plum' parish of Terang. Devane became a part of the autocratic Foley regime where the control of senior and unbending P.P.s, termed R.I.s, dominated the lesser P.P.s and curates, and where the word and work of the latter went for naught. Despite the autocratic mien of Devane he was a pious and zealous character. The 1916-42 stay in Terang, a strongly Catholic district, was an untiring one. While many curates came and went — often dismissed by application to the Bishop who was shy and afraid of his peers — Devane continued with his penchant for new buildings in solid brick. A splendid church at Noorat (1919) and a hall at Terang (1930) stand among other buildings as monuments to initiative. He died on 16 December 1941 at the age of 85 and is buried in the Terang cemetery. A golden jubilee had been attained and the memory of his impassioned yet instructive sermons still persists.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 8)