Presentation Convent (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The Presentation Convent Fmr has considerable historic significance for its long term association with the
Catholic Church, the Presentation Sisters and the delivery of educational services in the district. The building
forms an integral part of the Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church and School Precinct and makes an important
contribution to the built fabric of Mullewa. The building has high aesthetic value for its use of local stone,
decorative detailing and visual linkages to the adjacent church. The place is held in high esteem by the local
community and continues to fulfil an Important function in the town.

Physical Description

The Presentation Convent Fmr is located immediately to the west of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The building is set back from Doney Street. with access via a gate in a picket fence to a paved pathway
leading through a small garden to the front door. Designed in the Federation Bungalow style. the single storey
square building Is of local stone (weathered granite) construction with a steeply pitched corrugated iron
gambrel roof. The roof extends broken back to cover surrounding verandahs which are supported on pairs of
stop chamfered timber verandah posts. with three at the corners. mounted on rendered masonry piers to
approximately one metre in height. A small gable to the north facing verandah enhances the main entrance to
the building. A tall rendered corbelled chimney punctuates the roofscape to the south east comer. The
building frontage is symmetrical. featuring large timber framed windows either side of a central doorway which
has side light windows. Windows to the side elevations feature stucco rendered quoining. The west elevation
includes the apsidal chapel which extends beyond the line of the verandah and has a separate gable roof. In
the centre of the west wall the foundation stone is set just above window sill level and is carved out of Carrera
marble. It reads: "To the Glory of GOd.this stone was laid by the Right Rev. W.B. Kelly. DO. Bishop of
Geraldton 1915." The rear (south) wall has been rendered. a legacy of it having had an addition along its
length. Internally a central corridor runs the full length of the building with rooms to each side of It. including
the chapel in the north-west corner of the building. During 2009-10 considerable stone repairs were carried
out to alleviate the impact of rising damp and erosion

History

Monthly Catholic services were first conducted in the developing town of Mullewa from early 1910. In 1912 the
first Catholic church, a small hall-like structure, was constructed at the comer of Gray and Thomas Streets. By
1914, the population of Mullewa had grown to the extent that it could support a school. In August 1914, two
Presentation Sisters from Geraldton, Mothers Leila Russell and Brigid Kenny, visited Mullewa to ascertain the
possibility of establishing a branch house and concluded it would be a viable proposition. Subsequently in
early 1915, Mother Leila Russell and Brigid Kenny together with Sister Baptist Grogan arrived in Mullewa to
found the branch house. The Sisters found the accommodation to be 'poor and uncomfortable', but
commenced school classes in February in the church hall, with 50 pupils enrolled. Fund raising towards
building a convent in Mullewa commenced almost immediately. In 1915, Mother Brigid Denny, who was in
charge at Mullewa, is believed to have drawn plans for a six room convent to provide residential
accommodation for the Sisters and classroom facilities for their school. Bishop Kelly was to have laid the
foundation stone for the convent, and it was inscribed accordingly. However, in his absence, on 10 October
1915, it was laid by Dean Graber. Constructed by Bracken Bros., the convent was completed shortly
thereafter following which the Sisters took up occupation of the place. Following the appointment of Father
John Cyril Hawes as Parish Priest at Mullewa in 1916, Hawes painted a crucifixion scene on the wall of the
convent chapel behind the altar, and also painted religious figures on the glass windows at either side.
Unfortunately, over time the works on the windows were adversely affected by sunlight and faded while the
crucifixion scene was re-painted at some point in time, with the original colours altered. On 7 May 1950, the
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic School was opened in new purpose built buildings comprising three
classrooms and an office. Meanwhile the Convent continued in residential use for the Sisters, however the
cost of its upkeep was proving expensive with ongoing termite damage and fretting of the stone walls causing
problems. In 1970 a temporary convent was established in a pre-fabricated building on the opposite side of
the street. Meanwhile the old convent building was used as an annexe to the school, with some of the rooms
reorganised to provide accommodation for television education, a library and storage. In the early to mid-
1970s, the school continued to grow, with an additional classroom added in 1973, and two further rooms built
in 1975. A new brick convent was built at the comer of Bowes and Maitland Streets and it was blessed and
opened by Bishop Hickey in February 1987. However, with the Presentation Congregation dwindling as
serving members reached retirement and replacements declined, it was soon apparent that alternative
arrangements would need to be addressed. In 1989, 75 years of service by the Presentation Sisters to the
Parish of Mullewa was commemorated with a plaque at the former convent, which was unveiled by the Parish
Priest, Father O'Flaherty, on 14 September 1989. In the 1990s, a lay principle replaced the religiOUSprinciple
and on 8 December 1995, Our Lady of Mt Carmel School farewelled Sisters Dolores and Veronica, the last of
the Presentation Sisters to serve there. In the late 1990s considerable internal renovations were undertaken
on the old Convent building to facilitate its use as a school administration office - a function which continues to
the present day.

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.