Pallottine Mission Centre, Rossmoyne

Statement of Significance

The Pallottine Mission has heritage significance for the following reasons:
It is associated with the Pallottine Family called The Union of Catholic Apostolate, a group of Catholic fathers and lay people, who carry out religious and educational instruction, and have been established in Western Australia since 1901;
It has significance to the many Aboriginal young men and women who boarded there while receiving an education in the metropolitan area, who mostly who came from the Kimberley region; and,
The Chapel and St Vincent Pallotti Hostel built in 1955 has some aesthetic value as a Late Twentieth Century Perth Regional building.
All other buildings on the site are of no significance.

Physical Description

The Pallotine Mission complex consists of a number of buildings ranging in date of construction from 1955 to the 1980s.
The Chapel (1955) has dark coloured, face brick walls and a low pitched, tiled roof. Windows are projecting from the walls at an angle. The end that addresses Central Road has a glazed gable. The chapel roof steps down at the north end to the St. Vincent Pallotti Hostel and continues onto the former Villa Maria Hostel (1961) (now accommodation units), built in the
same materials.
The Pallottine Social Centre (1963) in the north western corner of the site is a painted brick building with a very low pitched metal roof. There is a high stone feature wall along the front.
The former Boys Lodge (1974) (now Luemann Lodge) has a tiled mansard roof form. Valentine Lodge (1986) is face brick and tile. Buildings have not been assessed internally.

History

The Pallottine Fathers are a regional branch of an order originally established in Rome by Vincenz Pallotti (1795-1850).
In 1835 Pallotti, recognising the problems and potentials of the Church, called for a new apostolate that had special emphasis on the participation of lay people. This concept was new at the time. The priests and brothers he called together in a community in 1846, known as the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, has more than 2000 members all over
the world.
The Pallottine priests and brothers came to Australia from Germany in 1901 to pastor to the Aboriginal people of Beagle Bay Mission in the Kimberley. From there they spread to other missions and parishes in Western Australia, and eventually to the Eastern States of Australia. The Pallottine Mission in Tardun opened a boarding school in 1948 before establishing a hostel in 1960 to accommodate boys and girls in dormitories who went to school at the mission.
With activities so widely scattered, the Pallottines felt that a centre should be established in Perth. In 1951 a rest and recreation centre for country mission workers was established in Rivervale. In 1955 the centre moved to Fifth Avenue, Rossmoyne with a concept to accommodate boys from Tardun of secondary school age who could take up apprenticeships, or attend nearby Catholic Schools, such as Aquinas (Manning) or St. Francis Xavier High School (East Victoria Park; now Ursula Frayne). Father John Luemmen was relocated from Tardun to be the Mission Superior as well as the local Parish Priest from 1956-1963.
At first the centre accommodated boys only and was called the St Vincent Pallotti Hostel. The model proved to be successful so, with the assistance of a Lotteries Commission grant and further financial aid, an extension was built catering for 19 girls, called the Villa Maria Hostel. Seven girls were in residence in 1961, and the unit had a full complement in 1962.
In 1963, further funds from Lotteries and the Native Welfare Department enabled for a Social Centre to be built. It was officially opened 15 September 1963, and held activities focused on assimilating the residents into ‘white society’ through dances, films evenings, indoor sports, music lessons, speech lessons and so on. At this time there were 16 boys and 17 girls at the Rossmoyne centre.
Additional small extensions were made between 1965 and 1968, with minor alterations to the chapel and administrative block. The next large development was in 1967 when additions were made to allow for 20 more girls. The Senior Girls Building officially opened 10 December 1967, for those who had finished high school and were in training or employment.
Since 1968, other improvements of a minor nature have been made, with funds provided variously by the government, the Lotteries Commission and Pallottine sources in Australia and Germany.
By 1971 the Pallottines controlled missions at La Grange, Beagle Bay, Lombadina, Balgo Hills, Tardun and Wandering. They also had St Joseph’s Hostel in Derby, and the Departmental hostels at Perth (Oceanview, Cottesloe) and Albany. The Rossmoyne Pallottine Mission accommodated some 70 Aboriginal students and workers and roughly a dozen resident lay workers, assistants and mission workers on leave. Its primary emphasis was on education, and most of its residents attended Catholic colleges in Perth. It was, in effect, a boarding school and Father Luemmen himself recognises this when he commented:
‘…it was called the Pallottine Training Centre – this name was chosen recently by the children because they said they felt ashamed of the name “Mission”. Today, I think if I had the choice, I would call it a college.’ (Wilson & Robinson)
In 1971 another Senior Lodge for girls was opened followed by a Junior Boys’ Lodge in 1974. In 1980, the Pallottine Centre at Riverton’s Superintendent was Fr Eddy Weirmarker, who succeeded the recently-retired Rev. Fr J. Luemmen. The Centre accommodated 60 Aboriginal children.
In 1986 Valentine Lodge was opened to provide more accommodation. It was named after Brother Valentine Ochseknecht. However, by then more schools and services were available in the Kimberley and Pilbara and Aboriginal students no longer necessarily needed to come to Perth for higher education.
By 1990 the Pallottine Mission accommodated only 20 students. The centre switched to serve as accommodation for tertiary students. It was named the Edith Little Centre, named after Edith Little (1938-1975) who started work at the Pallottine Mission in 1955 from the age of 17, after attending the Tardun school. She worked as housekeeper for twenty years. The Edith Little Centre operated for only a few years; closing in late 1994.
The Pallottine Mission has now been repurposed as The Epiphany Retreat Centre. It offers facilities for retreats and conferences, as follows:
• Chapel
• Grounds
• Three gathering rooms
• Valentine Lodge able to accommodate 14 persons plus self-contained unit for leader/teacher, two gathering rooms, dining room
• Luemmen Lodge able to accommodate 20 persons plus self -contained unit for leader/teacher, one large gathering room, dining room, prayer room and library.

Integrity/Authenticity

Condition - Good
Integrity - High
Aesthetic Value
The Pallottine Mission Chapel has some aesthetic value as a Late Twentieth Century Perth Regional building in an institutional and landscape setting.
Historic Values
The Pallottine Mission has close associations with the Pallottines and their mission school and agricultural school at Tardun, and their work in the Kimberley that focused on education for Aboriginal children.
Social Values
The Pallottine Mission is significant to the young Aboriginal men and women who lived at the place, and it represents memories and associations for those for whom it played an important role in their lives.
The Pallottine Mission contributes to the local and wider community’s sense of place through its association with both Aboriginal missions and the Catholic Church.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.