33-698: The New Norcia Hotel is a historic building in New Norcia , in Western Australia 's Wheatbelt region. Part of the Benedictine Monastery Precinct, it opened in 1927 as a hostel for travellers and families of boarders at the New Norcia colleges, but later opened to the public. It closed in January 2020. New Norcia, Australia's only monastic town, was founded by Spanish Benedictine monks in 1847. Since
66-656: A number of colleges situated in the town associated with the monastery, situated on the west side of the current main road alignment which passes through the town. St Gertrude's College was completed in 1908. St Ildephonsus' College was opened in 1913. It operated until 1964 as St Ildephonsus' under the Marist Brothers order. From 1965 onwards, it was run by the Benedictines as St Benedict's College. In 1972, St Benedict's and St Gertrude's become co-educational, with student from both colleges sharing classes, and in 1974
99-689: Is in the Museum & Art Gallery. The Benedictine monks continue to occupy the monastery and are involved with most of the enterprises in the town. The last Spanish monk of New Norcia, Dom Paulino, died on 18 January 2010, aged 99. He had worked in the monastery bakery, as a shoemaker, and "in retirement" in reviving the production of olive oil. . New Norcia is respected in Australian culinary circles for its quality bakery (built in 1886) offering bread, nutcake and biscotti . Also maintaining olive oil production and locally made wines, port and ale can be purchased at
132-497: Is located in the oratory chapel. This organ was built in 1983 by Bellsham Pipe Organs. The New Norcia Station , a ground station for the European Space Agency , is located 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the town. Notable people associated with the town include filmmaker Warwick Thornton , who attended Salvado College. Notes References Rosendo Salvado Too Many Requests If you report this error to
165-543: Is pronounced / ˈ n ɔː s i ə / Nor-sia . A significant diversion of the Great Northern Highway completed in 2017, known as the New Norcia Bypass, diverted heavy traffic away from the buildings and town. The abbey was founded by two Spanish Benedictine monks, Giuseppe Serra and Rosendo Salvado on 1 March 1847. After two years spent among the local Aboriginal people , Serra and Salvado came to
198-594: Is situated next to the banks of the Moore River , in the Shire of Victoria Plains . New Norcia is the only monastic town in Australia, with its Benedictine abbey founded in 1848. The monks later founded a mission and schools for Aboriginal children. A series of Catholic colleges were created, with the school that became St Benedict's College in 1965 later gaining notoriety for being the site of sexual abuse that took place in
231-401: The 1960s and 1970s. Brother Dominic "Goofy" Benedict allegedly took indecent photographs of boys and measured one student's penis with a tape measure. Bishop Max Davis , who was acquitted by a jury, said Brother Dom would hit boys or push them up against brick walls. The town of New Norcia has buildings in a Spanish style of architecture, along with some other historical sites. Among these are
264-483: The 1960s, 29 per cent of the clergy at New Norcia had allegedly molested or abused children at some point during their career. There were 65 claims of abuse made about New Norcia, of which 26 were about a single perpetrator. The Catholic Church paid victims $ 869,000 in compensation. In 2016, a trial in the District Court of Western Australia was told about perverted behaviour by monks at St Benedict's College during
297-825: The Devil and Me , Alf Taylor (1945–2023) recounts the horrific verbal and physical abuse meted out to Aboriginal boys living in the mission by the brothers and nuns during the 1950s and 1960s. The book was short-listed for the 2022 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards , Indigenous Writers' Prize. St Joseph's Native School and Orphanage was founded in 1861 by the monks. Benedictine Missionary Sisters sent from Spain took over in 1904 and ran it until its closure in 1974. Aboriginal girls and young women lived and attended school there, sometimes sent by their families, and sometimes placed there as government policy if they were children of single mothers. The school and orphanage were rebuilt in 1909. There were stories of physical and emotional abuse of
330-661: The National Estate and classified by the National Trust of Australia WA: There are two pipe organs located within the abbey buildings. In the Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity is a large German organ, built in 1922 by Albert Möser of Munich , with 34 speaking stops. The organ was designed in consultation with the abbey organist, Dom Stephen Moreno. The second pipe organ, of 11 speaking stops and much more modern in style,
363-583: The New Norcia Hotel functioned as a pub . It closed in January 2020. In early 2021, Andrew Forrest 's company, Tattarang , via its subsidiary Harvest Road, acquired the land that the government had sold to the monks in 1949, with over A$ 17 million changing hands for it this time. The new owners said that they were planning to meet with the traditional owners of the land, the Yued people, and discuss opportunities for training and employment. There has been
SECTION 10
#1732859136108396-514: The active use of historic buildings a way to maintain them. There were few changes evident at the hotel by the 1990s. The hotel received a permanent entry on the Register of the National Estate on 21 October 1980, and was classified by the National Trust on 3 November 1991. Its condition is described as "good". In the first week of January 2020, the monks made a sudden announcement that the hotel
429-474: The closure would have a significant impact on the local community, due to the hotel's popularity with tourists, and because it was the only place within 50 kilometres (31 mi) for meals and social contact. New Norcia, Western Australia New Norcia ( / ˈ n ɔː s i ə / ) is a town in Western Australia , 132 km (82 mi) north of Perth , near the Great Northern Highway . It
462-458: The community or from special outlets. Much of the New Norcia farm has been sold off to pay the costs of damages resulting from the sexual abuse of children who were residents in the boarding colleges by the Benedictine monks. The New Norcia Museum and Art Gallery is located in the converted buildings of St Joseph's Native School. Beside displaying many Christian relics and historical paintings,
495-430: The conclusion that they could be more easily converted by establishing a mission rather than following them on their journeys. Salvado was appointed the first abbot of New Norcia on 12 March 1867. In 1886, 13,000 acres (5,300 ha) of land was leased to Salvado, in order to fulfil his aim of encouraging local Aboriginal people to settle there, become farmers, and eventually own the land. However, after Salvado's death,
528-443: The early 20th century, there have been boarding colleges associated with the monastery in New Norcia – St Gertrude's opened in 1908 for girls, and St Ildephonsus' opened in 1913 for boys. By 1926 the existing hostels were barely able to cope with the crowds of visitors coming for Easter reunions. Construction of a new, more elaborate, hostel began in 1926, and it opened in 1927, along with a modern motor garage. The two-storey structure
561-677: The gallery hosts an exhibition of finalists for the Mandorla Art Award , the only Australian award solely for Christian religious artworks based on Bible scripture themes. In 1985 the first winner of the prize was Theo Koning with Re-creation based on the theme Creation from the Book of Revelation 15:3. In 1986, 26 paintings were stolen. Several weeks later, all but one of the stolen paintings were returned. They were badly damaged, but were eventually repaired. Marc Fennell 's 2023 three-part documentary The Mission for SBS Television revisited
594-421: The girls at St Joseph's. The monks Latinised the children's Aboriginal names, making it hard to trace who they were later. From the time of Abbot Fulgentius Torres onwards, the focus changed and tensions arose in how the "orphanages" were being run. Adults were prevented from visiting their children, and in 1907 an incident occurred in which 32 Aboriginal fathers were arrested by police when they tried to storm
627-464: The hostel had electricity, but the supply was turned off at 9 pm, with candles provided to guests. In 1955 the hostel was turned into the New Norcia Hotel, with fifteen rooms, as well as a bar and a restaurant. The monks were the first religious organisation in Australia to have a hotel licence. The tourist experience at New Norcia was promoted since the 1980s as a niche-interest, promoting cultural traditions, and historical and spiritual experiences, with
660-456: The investigation into the theft, and spoke to former students at the schools. With decreasing numbers of active colleges, and changes in the organisation of the town, some buildings and sites have been restored and incorporated into a heritage trail within the town. The following buildings are among the heritage buildings situated on the site of the monastery, which is registered on the Register of
693-406: The late 1960s and 1970s. The town has many heritage sites and places of interest. New Norcia Station , a ground station for the European Space Agency is located 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the town. Since a road bypass was complete in 2017, heavy traffic bypasses the town. On 1 March 1846, a Benedictine mission to the local Yued Aboriginal people was started about 8 km (5 mi) to
SECTION 20
#1732859136108726-464: The mission to see their children. In 2001 there was a reunion of former residents of New Norcia Mission. A post office was opened as Victoria Plains in April 1857. A telegraph line was erected through to Victoria Plains in 1873 and the position of postmistress was created. Mary Ellen Cuper was appointed to that position in January 1874. The post and telegraph offices were combined on 4 March 1874, on
759-498: The new abbot, Fulgentius Torres, turned the focus of the mission away from Aboriginal children, and was more concerned with the education of children of Catholic settlers. In 1949, the Benedictines applied to the government to purchase the land, which the government eventually permitted, despite other competing interests, in order to honour the 1886 agreement with the monks. However, the agreement did not include any ongoing obligation on
792-657: The north, led by the Spanish Benedictine monks Giuseppe Serra and Rosendo Salvado . Within a year the mission was moved to where the town is today and on 1 March 1847 the foundation stone of the monastery was laid. The place was named New Norcia after Norcia in Italy, the birthplace of St Benedict , home to the Monastery of Saint Benedict . Unlike the Italian town, which is pronounced [ˈnɔrtʃa] , NOR-cha , New Norcia
825-472: The part of the Benedictines to ensure that Aboriginal people could use and benefit from the land. Abbots at the monastery include: There were also two institutions for Aboriginal children: St Mary's (for boys) and St Joseph's (for girls), collectively known as New Norcia Mission. The children were taught mainly practical skills, and after leaving school they often worked at the Mission. The New Norcia Mission
858-479: The required skills. Ninak took increasing responsibility for the duties, and by 1876 was acting in charge of the office. Cuper died in January 1877. Originally known as the New Norcia Hostel, showcasing neo-classical architecture , the multifaceted New Norcia Hotel was opened in 1927 and was used for the parents of boarders at the town's colleges. It later opened to the public, and by the late 20th century,
891-458: The same day that the name of the offices was changed to New Norcia. Cuper was appointed as the first post and telegraph mistress of New Norcia – thus becoming the first Aboriginal person to be appointed to such a position in any of the Australian colonies . Her health started to deteriorate in the last part of 1875 due to tuberculosis so she trained Sarah Ninak – another Aboriginal woman - in all of
924-461: The two became known jointly as Salvado College. Each building was still referred to individually as St Benedict's and St Gertrude's. In 1986 Salvado College became New Norcia Catholic College, which closed at the end of 1991. The colleges were among those investigated by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for historical accusations. The colleges were among
957-436: The two old boarding schools , St Ildephonsus' and St Gertrude's (both now used for accommodation and various social functions), the abbey church (containing the tomb of Rosendo Salvado), an old mill, a wine press, and the monastery itself. The town has attracted interest and tourist visits for most of its existence and as a consequence a number of guide books and histories have been produced. The visitor and information centre
990-482: The worst for historical accusations of child sexual abuse of any Catholic institution in Australia. Of the 53 priests who were at New Norcia between 1950 and 2010, the proportion accused of sexually abusing children was 21.5 per cent. That compares with 7 per cent nationally. The figures were contained in a report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in February 2017. During
1023-406: Was built in a neo-classical architectural style from stone. A large stairway, several metres wide, leads to a passageway, with guest rooms on both sides. The windows overlook several hectares of the monastery's farm, while from a colonnaded balcony there are views of St Gertrude's College, St Joseph's Orphanage, and the public chapel. The verandah is tiled in a traditional Spanish style . By 1952
New Norcia Hotel - Misplaced Pages Continue
1056-597: Was closing, as it was "not part of [their] strategic plan". A letter sent to local residents stated: We regret to inform you that after long consideration, the Board of the Benedictine Community has reached a decision to permanently close the New Norcia Hotel. As a Community we understand the New Norcia Hotel has been of significance to generations of locals and the decision to close it has not been taken lightly. The Shire of Victoria Plains ' president Pauline Bantock said
1089-479: Was scheduled under the Industrial Schools Act 1874 , meaning that the abbot had "complete control" over the children living there. Both schools closed in 1974. St Mary's Mission, also known as St Mary's College, was founded in 1848 as a boarding school for Aboriginal boys. Some boys, including wards of state in the 1960s, were place there by the state government. In his 2021 autobiographical book God,
#107892