NEW research into Crossley's leading role in Australia's Irish-Catholic political struggle has prompted a fresh bid for heritage protection of St Brigid's church and hall.Melbourne-based historian Helen Doyle, who is planning to lodge a new submission to Heritage Victoria next week, said the buildings were important to the country's social and cultural history."Crossley represents the most geographically concentrated area of Irish-Catholic settlement in Victoria," Dr Doyle said yesterday. "A lot of people express a connection to the place and there is a strong resonance with the site."Her research has shown controversial calls for state aid for church schools reached a peak at St Brigid's in 1878 when the local parish built a school (now the hall) to serve the surrounding Catholic families.Up to 200 children transferred from the neighbouring state school, leaving just 11 students - prompting an unsuccessful call for government support for the new facility.The community came under the spotlight again in the lead-up to a national referendum on conscription during World War I.Dr Doyle said the residents were very loyal to Catholic Archbishop Daniel Mannix, who opened the church and had relatives in the district. Dr Mannix, who spent his holidays at Koroit, was rumoured to have written one of his anti-conscription speeches on the beach at Killarney.When Member of Parliament A.S. Rodgers arrived at the hall for a recruitment meeting in 1916, he was met by a hostile crowd. According to a report in The Argus at the time, Mr Rodgers could not be heard above the noise of the "Killarney yell" and eggs were thrown at both him and the police and several people were arrested.In the most overwhelming rejection in the country, polling records show all 195 people voting at the nearest booth at Killarney to reject conscription.Many years later, St Brigid's parishioners were strong supporters of the newly-formed Democratic Labor Party (DLP).From 1955 to the early 1970s, the Crossley booth recorded the highest poll for the DLP in Victoria, and possibly Australia.