Saint Joseph’s Convent (Broken Hill, Far West New South Wales)

            Six 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". The sisters initially resided in a "very modest cottage" at the side of the present building, later removed.

The foundation stone for Saint 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. The first stage of the current building officially opened on the 19th of 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 - 1908, 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".

The first floor was destroyed by fire in 1979. 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.

The property was owned by Broken Hill Church of Christ Inc. until the 9th of May 2019, when they sold the property at auction to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, who took possession on the 11th of July 2019.

Source: New South Wales Heritage Register, National Library of Australia, & Barrier Daily Truth.

Taken on: January 1, 2024

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Sets appears in: • Broken Hill, Far West New South Wales (Wilyakali Country)

Groups appears in: • Catholic Hospitals, Schools and buildings

Camera: Nikon D5600, f/8.0, 1/13 sec, 10mm (=15mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D5600
Lens:	TAMRON SP AF 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical IF B001N
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.077 sec (1/13)
Focal Length:	10mm (35mm equivalent: 15mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.2 (Windows)
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