HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Sisters of Mercy Convent (now renamed Mercy House in honour of the heritage the Sisters have left us), in Mary Street Woodend is situated in the St. Mary’s precinct and was completed in 1884 to house the Sisters of Mercy.

 The Sisters had come to Ipswich on request of the Catholic community to set up a school.  On arrival in 1863, the Sisters first lived in a house in East Street Ipswich. The foundation stone for the first convent was laid 1864 on land adjacent to the then St. Mary’s church.

 The foundation stone of the present Convent building was laid 24th May 1874.  The Convent was finished on the 15th June 1884 and dedicated on 17th August 1884.  The Mercy Convent was built on land purchased in 1874 by Bishop James O’Quinn from Joseph Foote upon the arrival of Fr Andrew Horan the newly appointed Parish Priest of St. Mary’s. 

The Convent served as a boarding school until the 1974.  The Sisters of Mercy occupied the building until 1997 when St. Mary’s Catholic Parish purchased it.  The Sisters remained there until 1997 when due to declining numbers it was no longer practical for them to remain in such a large complex. 

Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full-sized photo

 

The Ugarapul territory was from north of Ipswich to the border ranges south of Boonah and from the Flinders Peak area on the east to Mt Walker on the west. The Ugarapul people moved through this area, hunting and food gathering. 

WHITE SETTLEMENT IN IPSWICH

In 1827, a convict outpost was established on the banks of the Bremer River.  The convicts were employed digging limestone, burning it in a kiln and sending it by river to main settlement in Brisbane.  Later, a farm was established nearby and sheep and cattle were grazed.  The outpost was named Limestone. The Convict outpost closed in 1839.  The region was then surveyed and free settlers were allowed to take up residence in 1842.  The first land sales were held in 1843 and the settlement was renamed Ipswich.   In February 1842, Surveyor Henry Wade was directed from the Colonial Secretary’s Office in Sydney to furnish two copies of the Proposed Plan of the township of Limestone ( later to become Ipswich).  On this map is shown an area of two acres in Elizabeth Street between now Roseberry Parade and Mary Street reserved for the Catholic Church, Parsonage and School.  This area was to be a grant from the New South Wales Government. The settlement became a municipality in 1860 and a mayor and municipal council were elected. 

HISTORY OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY IN IPSWICH 

 When the first Sisters arrived in Brisbane from Ireland in 1861, Ipswich was thriving.  The Catholics were primarily born in Ireland or of Irish descent.  The subsequent arrival of the Sisters in Ipswich was the beginning of an educational institution that has had a significant cultural impact on the history of Ipswich over 140 years.  When the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Ipswich in May 1863 it was a significant event not only for the Catholic Community of Ipswich but for the City. 

1861

Several Sister of Mercy came to Brisbane with Bishop O’Quinn.  A few days later several Ipswich townsmen, including Patrick O’Sullivan and Christopher Gorry “waited on the Sisters” to ask if some could come to Ipswich to run the school at St. Mary’s.  “The Ipswich men offered to provide a convent to which they had collected Pounds” (O”Donoghue: 1967).  There were not enough nuns to provide for Ipswich at that time.  

1862

Money had been collected in Ipswich for an organ for the church (St. Mary’s) and a convent for the Sisters.  The Bishop demanded that the money to be handed over to him and conflict ensued between the Parish Priest, Father McGinty, and the Bishop.  Finally Mr. Gorry and Mr. O’Sullivan who were on the fund-raising Committee and in charge of funds gave the money to Bishop James O’Quinn

St. Mary’s buildings circa 1872

1863

In early 1863 Jane Gorry (daughter of Christopher Gorry) entered the Order of the Sisters of Mercy.  The Bishop and the Sisters from Brisbane visited Ipswich to discuss the possibility of building a new school. 

On 1^st May, 1863, a group of Mercy sisters, arrived to teach in Ipswich.  The Sisters at first rented rooms from Mr. Gorry.  A meeting, presided over by Dr. Quinn, reversed the decision to erect a temporary residence for the Nuns.  Instead, “a fine presbytery” was to be built, which the Sisters could use until a convent was erected.

In October the allotments which the Church wanted to purchase (for the Convent) were withdrawn from sale.  

Bishop O’Quinn then began to acquire land further up the hill behind the then St. Mary’s Church. 

1864

At last the foundation stone for a Convent was laid on 27^th July, 1864, by the Right Reverend James O’Quinn D.D. 

1865

The Convent with a boarding school at the rear was officially opened and blessed.  It was situated near the corner of Mary and Elizabeth Streets. 

 1866

Bishop James O’Quinn acquired another three parcels of land on the hill behind the church.  He continued to acquire parcels of land in the area for many years.

 1874

By this time Bishop O’Quinn had realised the existing convent was too small.  He began planning a larger convent on the hill overlooking the city and acquired two more large parcels of land high on the hill encouraged by the newly appointed Parish Priest Andrew Horan.

 1881

The foundation stone of the new Convent was laid.  This was on the present site, the land purchased by Bishop O’Quinn years earlier.

 1884

The new Convent building was completed.

After the completion of the new Convent of Mercy the Bishops continued to purchased more land in the area surrounding the convent

Convent circa 1904

 

1899

The first convent was demolished to make room for new larger church. 

1900

October 11 – Separate music rooms were constructed near the Convent, using the stone from the first convent.  These rooms are still in use by St. Mary’s College today, although not as music rooms but for administration and counselling.  

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1911-1914 - A chapel was added to the Convent on the side nearest Mary Street.  Over the Chapel additional rooms for the growing population of sisters were also added.

 1928

The Convent land was passed over to the Corporation of the Trustees for the Sisters of Mercy Queensland. 

1931

The Centenary of the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland was celebrated in Ipswich. 

1948

A new three-storey school building was built for St. Mary’s to accommodate both the primary school and the growing secondary school population of girls in the parish.

 1963

St. Mary’s Parish celebrated with the Sisters, the arrival in Ipswich of the Mercy nuns on 1^st May, 1863. 

1964

The remainder of the land associated with the Convent was passed over to the Corporation of the Trustees of the Sisters of Mercy Queensland.

 1967

St Mary’s College (for girls) was blessed and opened by Archbishop James Duhig.

 1975-88

In 1975, the Monsignor Molony Library opened on site of the Convent Tennis Court.  Also during this period two new classroom blocks and an extension to the classroom block built in 1967, were built.  This was as a result of continued growth in the College and as a response to the changes in curriculum.

 1988

A Celebration of 125 years of service in Ipswich by the Sisters of Mercy was held.

 1988-1996

The number of Sisters living in the convent became less and less.  By 1996 the last of the Sisters of Mercy remaining in Ipswich vacated the Convent

 1997

St. Mary’s Catholic Parish negotiated to purchase the Convent from the Sisters of Mercy.  The former boarder’s dormitory is being used by the Secondary Colleges for Business Centre and the Music and Drama department of St. Mary’s College is located on the ground floor.  A temporary change in classification has been obtained from Ipswich City Council enabling the schools to use these premises for educational purposes.

2002

The Convent is purchased by the College for its exclusive use.

ST. MARY’S HERITAGE PRECINCT 

In 1847 the Catholic Church in Brisbane acquired the two acres of land in Elizabeth Street between Roseberry Parade and Mary Street.  This land was bounded on the west by Little Street (later closed by Fr Andrew Horan).  This began the process of land purchases and erecting buildings that developed one of the most impressive precincts in the City of Ipswich.  The prime usage of the land has never changed – Church and Education.

 In 1863 Bishop O’Quinn purchased the twelve allotments and then four allotments on the northern side of Arthur Street, allegedly using the money he had demanded from Father McGinty the year before.  The money had been collected for the establishment of a convent in Ipswich.  The history of this land is important for on this land the present infant school, primary school and secondary school, hall and Convent were erected. 

From 1864 until after the turn of the century Bishop O’Quinn, and then Bishop Robert Dunne purchased land in the area bounded by Elizabeth St, Mary St, Arthur St and Roseberry Parade (formerly River St) through to O’Sullivan St and Ballow St (formerly Real St).  In the process Little Street and part of Arthur Street were closed.  Land was purchase on both northern and southern sides of Mary Street to the west of Arthur Street, through to O’Sullivan Street and Roseberry Parade.  These parcels of land together make up what we referred to as the St. Mary’s Precinct although over the years the titles have passed through the hands of the Catholic Church, The Corporations of the Trustees of the Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brothers.  The Christian Brothers purchased land to establish their school on the southern side of Mary Street and later developed playing fields on the land the Church had acquired. 

The Catholic Church in the later part of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century in Queensland acquired land and established schools and Churches as part of their mission of education.  The St Mary’s Precinct as it is today is a realisation of that mission.  It has been ongoing for one hundred and fifty years, growing, changing and meeting the need of education and Church. 

The buildings that have been established in this precinct are a reflection of the time both architecturally and economically.  Many were built under the constraints of limited funds, some taking many years to be completed and changing over time to met the needs of the Catholic community of St. Mary’s.   

 

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