The foundations of the Convent commenced on 11th June 1889. The first donation towards the building of the Convent was received from an old Irish woman of five shillings. Mr McCabe, a Catholic gentleman from Ararat, deeded a piece of ground on 30th June 1889.The start of the first Catholic school building in Ararat.Two storey Brigidine Convent built with red bricks. Building of the convent commenced on 11th June 1889. Convent was blessed by Bishop Moore on 18th March 1890.brigidine convent

White marble fireplace in the Parlour of Brigidine Convent.

Photograph of The Brigidine Convent taken in 1913 featuring a group of finely groomed pupils on the balconies. The Convent was home for the Brigidine Sisters and the Boarders who attended their St. Josephs School. The Bridgine Convent is now known as 'The Old Priory' and is privately owned , it currently operates as accommodation in Beechworth.Sepia rectangular photograph printed on card.Reverse: Historic Beechworth / THE BRIGIDINE CONVENT / 2573 (in pencil) brigidine convent, brigidine sisters, old priory, beechwoth

Formerly the home of Henry Hopwood. Apsley House, No. 1 Echuca. This was purchased for the Bridgine nuns to establish a catholic co-education school in Echuca. Extensions were made to the original structure (to the south of this building) with outbuildings and brick stables converted to school rooms during the late 1886 and opened as St Joseph's in 1887. The front section of the school was built in 1888. At the time of this photograph the upper floor of the building was the boarding house. The school building holds historical, social and spiritual significance to Echuca being the former home of Echuca's founder, Henry Hopwood. The diocese purchased the original building for 1,000 pounds. The school opened as a co-educational school on 22/3/1886 with 16 boys and 7 girls. It's first enrolment was a non-Catholic boy. By the end of 1886 there were 30 pupils. The boarding school opened on 4/5/1886 with 6 students. The chapel (to the north of this building) was built in 1889. For 60 years the school provided both primary and secondary schooling but in 1960's it changed to secondary schooling. The boarding house closed around 1986 and the school continued as a co-educational catholic college.Colour photograph (post-card size) of Bridgine Convent, Echuca (St.Joseph's College), showing arched facade over the verandah and the upper louvred windows of the boarding house.On front above the entrance "Brigidine Convent A.D. 1886.. Printed on the reverse:" this paper manufactured by Kodak"echuca- secondary schools, st joseph's college, echuca, brigidine convent, echuca

2 girls from Tatura (Joan Nyhan, nee McNamara (with plaits) and Mary Quinn nee McNamara, with 2 girls from internment camp 3. All were boarders at the Echuca Brigidine Convent. Photograph taken by Father Owens. Black and white photograph of 4 girls in a field picking mushrooms. Photograph is in a dark brown frame with dark tan mat.echuca brigidine convent, father owens, internment camp 3 children, joan nyhan, mary quinn, joan mcnamara, father arthur owens

Carla Hreglich interned with her Italian parents and brother Giuliana in Singapore, transported to Camp 3 on the "Queen Mary" 1940. Both children released to attend Catholic schools. Carla & her friend Marissa Georgio attended Brigidine Convent in Echuca. Carla School Captain, musician, post war interpreter for Italian Opera Company.Black and white photograph of two girls with sheep dog, tree lined fence behind.Carla, Hreglich & friend Joan Hands at Moira Station, NSW. 1947italian families, singapore group, camp 3, brigidine convent echuca, carla hreglich, giuliana hreglich, marissa georgio

Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite were all nuns of the Brigidine Order in Beechworth in the second half of the twentieth century. They had backgrounds in teaching and office work. As nuns, their contributions to the community included teaching, running camps, being there for community members wishing to talk to them or pray, and visiting prisons and hospitals. During their time in the order, the role of the nuns in Beechworth shifted due to the closing down of the Priory School, and changes in where housing for nuns was provided. The oral history also includes stories of boarding at the convent in the 1950s, and reflections on how the experience of being a nun has changed due to increasing immersion in the modern world, and the move from convent to house. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite's interview with Jennifer Williams is revealing of the history of the Brigidine order in Beechworth, and the role religion and nuns played in the wellbeing, education, and life of the community in the latter half of the twentieth century. It is significant both for what it illustrates about the lives and motivation of the Sisters, and for what it tells us about how the role of religious education and figures shifted in Beecjhworth from 1950 onward. It is especially illuminating about the experience of women in education. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a series of digital recordings that were originally recorded on multiple cassette tapes. The cassette tapes are black with a horizontal white strip and are currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. They up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, Sister Gerardus Thistlewaitelisten to what they say, listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century beechworth, nuns, brigidine sisters, brigidine convent, school, religion, prison, boarding school, modernization, food, women's history, teaching, teachers, education, hospitals, beechworth hospital, charity, old priory, father stockdale, easter, beechworth 1950s

Colour negative portraying the former Coffee Palace at Mentone, now Brigidine convent, with a view down Mentone Parade. There are children standing in a group out the front of the convent.

Original organ located in the Parlour of Brigidine Convent.Original pieceElaborate carved wooden organorgan

The first Brigidine Sisters to arrive in Victoria.The original Sisters of the Brigidine Convent.Photograph of Brigidine Sisters taken in 1888.Named black and white photographbrigidine sisters

1.Photocopy of letter dated 24/12/1914 handwritten by William Thomas Byrne of Docker's Plain whilst at training camp - 3rd light horse brigade train - to his sister. 2.Photocopy of brief summary of W.T.Byrne's life to when he was discharged in 1918 - photocopied from Docker Plains School Honor Book William Thomas BYRNE was born on 21/9/1890 at Docker Plains to William and Johanna Byrne. He was educated at Docker Plains and Wangaratta State schools. A farmer when he enlisted on 13/10/1914. He trained at Broadmeadows and embarked on Hororata on 17/4/1915. He served with the 3rd Light Horse and 12th and/or 27th ASC - Army Service Corps as a Driver. Newspaper article dated 7/11/2003 states letter was found inside second hand book and the writer of the letter identified as the uncle of local Wangaratta resident and historian Bill O'Callaghan. The letter written prior to embarking overseas was addressed to Mrs Connell Ford Street Wangaratta but intended for his sister Nora, a Nun at Brigidine Convent, Albert Park. Photocopy of handwritten letter and life history summary in black ink on white paper 3rd Light Horse Brigade train 24/12/14william thomas byrne 5692, docker's plains

Black and white image of the double storey convent titled "Carmelite Convent, Port Melbourne". This building is actually on the corner of Beaconsfield Parade and Foote Street, Albert Park. In 2019 it is a convent of the Brigidine Sisters after previously being used as Kilbride Girls Secondary College. It is the home of the Brigidin Asylum Seekers Project. carmelite priory, port melbourne, albert park, beaconsfield parade, foote street, brigidine sisters, albert park