Things to
see and do
buzz
September. October 23(^1) Exploring New Norcia
One of the best ways to gain an overview
of New Norcia is to follow its two short
heritage trails, which, combined, take about
three hours. Guided tours of the town allow
you to see the stunning interior murals
in many of the buildings firsthand.
Tours depart most days from the Museum
at 11am and 1.30pm. For details call
08 9654 8056. On select Saturdays it’s
possible to visit the Monastery Parlour,
enjoy some New Norcia hospitality and
meet a Benedictine monk.
(^3) Museum
and Art Gallery
Showing what daily life
involved for the monks, the
museum includes medical,
agricultural and Aboriginal
artefact displays. The art gallery
has collections of European and
Australian religious art and botanical
drawings by Charles Gardiner. A shop sells
New Norcia produce including olive oil, ale,
wine, liquers, bread, biscotti and Dom
Salvado Pan Chocolatti. The museum and art
gallery are open 9.30am–4.30pm most days.
6 St Ildephonsus’ College
As imposing as St Gertrude’s, St Ildephon-
sus’ was designed by Abbot Torres, and
its style is Byzantine influenced.
It was opened in 1913 by
Governor Strickland and
originally staffed by the
Marist Brothers. The statue
in front of the building is of
Blessed Marcellin
Champagnat who founded
the Marist Brothers in France.
The Benedictines took over
teaching at the college in 1965.
(^5) Salvado Statue
This statue of Dom Rosendo Salvado was
presented to New Norcia by the Spanish
government in the 1960s. Salvado was the
founding father of New Norcia. He arrived
in 1846, was forced back to Rome in 1849
and then returned in 1853 (with three
priests and 37 artisans) to then remain
at the monastery until 1900.
(^2) St Gertrude’s College
Built in 1908 as a convent college for girls
and administered by the Josephite Sisters,
St Gertrude’s is a fine example of Gothic
revival architecture. In 1974 it merged with
St Ildephonsus’ to become coeducational
but was closed in 1992. As a college it
appealed both to students from surrounding
wheatbelt towns and from overseas.
Today it can accommodate 200 people
and is used for workshops, retreats,
conferences and school camps.
PHOTO CREDITS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: AG; COURTESY BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY OF NEW NORCIA; COURTESY BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY OF NEW NORCIA; AG; AG
Since 1988 Bruce Elder has travelled to every town in Australia. He has written more than
10 travel books including the Globetrotter Guides to Australia, Sydney and Queensland;
1015 Things to See and Do in Australia; and Explore Queensland and Explore NSW.
He worked as a full-time journalist and travel writer with The Sydney Morning Herald and
The Age from 1996 to 2012. Visit aussietowns.com.au
Before the arrival of Europeans,
the area was home to the
Yued Aboriginal people.
In February 1846 Dom Rosendo
Salvado and Dom Joseph Serra
- accompanied by French monk
Leander Fonteinne, English monk
Dom Denis Tootle and an Irish
catechist – set out to travel north
of Perth. They established a
mission for local Aboriginal people
beside a spring about 8km north
of the present site of New Norcia.
In 1847 the settlement was
moved to the banks of the Moore
River and named New Norcia.By 1848 the mission covered
more than 1000 acres (404ha)
of land and both sheep and cattle
were being grazed there.The mission grew in importance in
the 1860s and 1870s as the
monks established a series of
wells in the area and bred horses
and produced silk.In 1867 it became an abbey and
Dom Rosendo Salvado was
appointed Abbot.In 1900 Dom Rosendo
Salvado died and
was replaced by
Dom Fulgentius Torres,
who was responsible
for much of the design
and supervision of
the new buildings.St Gertrude’s College
was completed
in 1908.St Ildephonsus’ College was
opened in 1913.New Norcia timeline
4 Abbey ChurchAbbey Church is a wonderful example of
bush architecture combining stones,
mud plaster, rough-hewn trees and wooden
shingles. Originally built in 1861 in typically
Georgian style, the abbey was given a
Mediterranean feel by Abbot Torres’
additions in 1908. One of its paintings,
Our Lady of Good Counsel, was the subject of
a miracle in 1847. As a bushfire bore down
on New Norcia, Dom Salvado pointed the
artwork at the fire, after which the wind
direction changed and the abbey was spared.Abbey Church