St Joseph's Convent is a heritage-listed former convent and chapel at 232 Lane Street, Broken Hill, City of Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Mount St Joseph's Convent of Mercy. It was designed by E. J. Woods and built from 1891. The property is owned by Broken Hill Church of Christ Inc. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1][2]
| St Joseph's Convent of Mercy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 232 Lane Street, Broken Hill, City of Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°57′10″S 141°27′33″E / 31.9529°S 141.4591°E |
| Built | 1891 - 1909 |
| Built for | The Sisters of Mercy |
| Architect | E. J. Woods |
| Owner | Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes |
| Official name | St. Josephs Convent, Chapel & Site (former); St Josephs Convent; Chapel & Site |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 484 |
| Type | Convent/Nunnery |
| Category | Religion |
  Location of St Joseph's Convent of Mercy in New South Wales  St Josephs Convent (Australia) | |
History
editSix sisters of the Sisters of Mercy had come to Broken Hill from Singleton in 1890 after the Bishop of Wilcannia, John Dunne, asked the sisters there to send a community to Broken Hill "for the welfare of the children".[3][4] The sisters initially resided in a "very modest cottage" at the side of the present building, later removed.[5]
The foundation stone for St Joseph's Convent was laid by Bishop Dunne in February 1891. Adelaide architect E. J. Woods designed the building, and local contractor Mr. Kelly was responsible for construction of the initial west wing.[6] The first stage of the current building officially opened on 19 July 1891, although it was originally viewed as the "new wing" in conjunction with the original cottage, with further development planned as the growth of the town warranted it. The building would subsequently be completed in three separate contracts, the last c. 1907–08, with the original cottage demolished to make way for newer buildings in the 1950s to house the music rooms and Nun's Infirmary. The total cost of construction amounted to "just on £16,000".[7][8]
The first floor was destroyed by fire in 1979.[9] Following the fire, the Sisters of Mercy decided to sell the property and relocate the remaining nuns to the former Franciscan Friary in Murton Street, North Broken Hill.
It was purchased by a group of local property developers after the fire, who had plans to convert the complex into a private hospital. The heritage listing precluded external modification of the appearance of the listed buildings, so the plans fell through. The property was offered for sale again and in 1982, the Broken Hill Church of Christ purchased and subsequently refurbished the complex. The church used the former school rooms as a chapel for religious services and adapted the Convent as unit accommodation.[9]
On 9 May 2019, the Broken Hill Church of Christ sold the property at auction to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, who took possession on 11 July 2019.[10]
Heritage listing
editSt Josephs Convent was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "St. Josephs Convent, Chapel & Site (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00484. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- ^ "Mount St Josephs Convent of Mercy, Lane St, Broken Hill, NSW, Australia". Register of the National Estate. Department of the Environment and Energy. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Convent of Mercy, Broken Hill". The Catholic Press. No. 2226. New South Wales. 15 September 1938. p. 25. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Episcopate of the Bishop of Maitland". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. XLVII, no. 6641. New South Wales. 15 November 1890. p. 7. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Advertising". The Barrier Miner. Vol. 3, no. 879. New South Wales. 12 January 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF WILCANNIA". The Evening Journal. Vol. XXIII, no. 6378 (SECOND ed.). South Australia. 25 February 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Catholic Convent". The Barrier Miner. Vol. 4, no. 1039. New South Wales. 20 July 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Diocese of Wilcannia and its Bishop". The Southern Cross. Vol. XXIV, no. 1200. South Australia. 23 August 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "Contacts". Broken Hill Church of Christ. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Catholic Church claims convent". Barrier Daily Truth. 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019.
Bibliography
edit- "Broken Hill Heritage Walk". 2007.
- Attraction Homepage (2007). "Walking Tour".
- Heritage Office. (not stated).
Attribution
edit
This Wikipedia article was originally based on St. Josephs Convent, Chapel & Site (former), entry number 00484 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 1 June 2018.
External links
edit
Media related to St Josephs Convent, Broken Hill at Wikimedia Commons