IN 1928 BISHOP O'FARRELL MADE A REQUEST TO THE PRIORESS OF ST MARY'S PRIORY MAITLAND TO OPEN A BOARDING SCHOOL FOR JUNIOR BOYS IN BATHURST. THE BISHOP'S THINKING WAS CLEARLY TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS WITH LITTLE ACCESS TO SCHOOLS IN THEIR LOCAL AREA. THOUGH THE DOMINICAN SISTERS AGREED IT WAS NOT TO BE UNTIL 1931 AFTER BISHOP NORTON HAD OBTAINED THE FIFTY-SIX ACRE PROPERTY OF 'HAWTHORNE' THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCEDE TO THE REQUEST. THE COLLEGE, WHICH WAS DEDICATED TO ALL HALLOWS SPECIFICALLY AT THE REQUEST OF BISHOPS O'FARRELL AND NORTON IN HONOUR OF ALL HALLOWS COLLEGE DUBLIN, PROVED TO BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN ITS MISSION. THE ORIGINAL CONVENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 'HAWTHORNE' WHICH WAS LATER EXPANDED INTO AN IMPRESSIVE RESIDENCE FOR THE SISTERS AND BOARDERS. IN 1941 A SECOND CLASSROOM AND DORMITORY BLOCK KNOWN AS THE 'NEW BUILDING' WAS ERECTED BESIDE IT. FOR FORTY YEARS THE SISTERS PROVIDED AN EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN DENIED CONVENIENT ACCESS TO SCHOOL. BY THE 1970's CHANGES TO EDUCATION INCLUDED A DECLINE IN THE DEMAND FOR BOARDING FACILITIES AND A RATIONALISATION OF THE COMMITMENTS OF MANY RELIGIOUS ORDERS. IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THESE CHANGES THAT ALL HALLOWS CLOSED IN 1975 AND THE SISTERS DEPARTED. PART OF THE LAND WAS PURCHASED BY THE DIOCESE FOR THE NEW ST PHILOMENA'S PRIMARY SCHOOL AND THE CONVENT AND SCHOOL WERE LATER DONATED TO THE BATHURST INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY. IN MORE RECENT TIMES THE FORMER SCHOOL BUILDINGS WERE RETURNED TO EDUCATIONAL USE WHEN THEY WERE LEASED OUT TO THE BATHURST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

THE DOMINICAN CONVENT WAS OPENED IN A MAGNIFICENT COLONIAL HOMESTEAD NAMED 'HAWTHORNE' WHICH HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1880's (BELOW). IN 1950 AS THE SCHOOL EXPANDED THE HOMESTEAD UNDERWENT A FACELIFT AND MAJOR EXTENSIONS WHICH INCLUDED A LARGE SOUTH WING AND A NEW CHAPEL WERE MADE TO ACCOMODATE THE BOARDERS (ABOVE). THIS BUILDING SERVED AS THE CONVENT AND BOARDER'S HOME UNTIL THE SCHOOL CLOSED. FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE SISTERS THE BUILDINGS WERE GIFTED TO THE ABORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BY DEED OF TRUST IN 1984. THROUGH MOST OF THE 1990's THE CONVENT BUILDING WAS USED AS A HOSTEL FOR ABORIGINAL STUDENTS ATTENDING CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY. IN 2005 THE PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED TO INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AUSTRALIA WHO LATER LEASED THE PROPERTY OUT TO THE BATHURST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

HAWTHORNE, THE HOUSE PURCHASED FOR THE SISTERS FOR AS THEIR CONVENT AND BOARDING SCHOOL WAS AN IMPRESSIVE PROPERTY ON LLOYD ROAD IN SOUTH BATHURST. BUILT IN 1880 AND SET IN LOVELY TREE-FILLED GROUNDS IT PROVIDED AN ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH SISTERS AND BOARDERS. THE NEED FOR MORE SPACE LED TO THE MAJOR RENOVATION AND EXTENSION OF THE BUILDING IN 1950.

IN 1950 THE OLD HOMESTEAD BUILDING UNDERWENT A MAJOR EXPANSION. IN ADDITION TO THE RENOVATED BRICK FACADE (ABOVE LEFT) THE BUILDING WAS EXTENDED BOTH TO THE EAST (ABOVE RIGHT & BELOW LEFT) AND SOUTH (BELOW). THE LARGE SOUTHERN WING ADDED DORMITORY AND CLASSROOM SPACE WHILE THE EASTERN EXTENSION MUCH ENLARGED THE CONVENT AND ADDED A NEW CHAPEL. NEXT TO THE CONVENT WAS A LOVELY WALLED ROSE GARDEN MAINTAINED BY 'TIM' THE COLLEGE HANDYMAN FOR THE SISTER'S TO HAVE A PLACE OF MEDITATION AND REFLECTION. THE SOLE REMINDER OF THIS TODAY IS THE CRUCIFIX ON THE WALL WHICH ONCE SURROUNDED THE GARDEN.

ABOVE LEFT CAN BE VIEWED THE EASTERN EXTENSION OF 1950 SHOWING THE APSIDAL CHANCEL OF THE CHAPEL AND THE PARLOUR ABOVE. ABOVE RIGHT IS THE GARDEN CALVARY WHICH, THOUGH SADLY NEGLECTED, REMAINS AS A MEMORIAL TO THE PRESENCE OF THE SISTERS. BELOW IS THE REAR OF THE CONVENT WHICH SHOWS THE DORMITORY AND CLASSROOM WING WHICH WAS ALSO CONSTRUCTED DURING 1950.

UNTIL THE TRANSPORT REVOLUTION OF THE POST-WAR PERIOD SCHOOL FOR MOST RURAL CATHOLIC FAMILIES MEANT BOARDING SCHOOL AND THIS APPLIED EVEN DOWN TO THE PRIMARY LEVEL. ALTHOUGH BATHURST AS A MAJOR EDUCATIONAL CENTRE WAS EQUIPPED WITH TWO HIGH SCHOOLS FOR BOARDERS AND SEVERAL DAY SCHOOLS FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS THERE WAS A REAL LACK OF BOARDING FACILITIES FOR PRIMARY BOYS. IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT BISHOP NORTON INVITED THE DOMINICAN SISTERS TO COMMENCE A BOARDING SCHOOL FOR PRIMARY BOYS IN SOUTH BATHURST. THE MAIN SCHOOL BUILDING AND CHAPEL (ABOVE & BELOW) WAS RENOVATED AND ENLARGED IN 1950 WHILE THE 'NEW BUILDING' NEXT TO THE CONVENT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1941. DUE TO THE DECLINE IN DEMAND FOR BOARDING SCHOOLS AND THE RATIONALISATION OF COMMITMENTS BY THE SISTERS THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED IN 1975. THE BUILDINGS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY GIFTED BY THE SISTERS TO THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY AND LEASED BY THE TOWRI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN THE EDUCATIONAL TRADITION OF ALL HALLOWS HAS BEEN RESTORED THROUGH THE ESTABLISHING OF THE BATHURST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

THE ABOVE PHOTOS WHICH WERE KINDLY PROVIDED BY FRANCIS FOY, AN 'OLD BOY' OF ALL HALLOWS SHOWS THE CLASS OF '48 IN FRONT OF THE NEW BUILDING (<<) AND THE SAME CLASS ABOUT TO SET OUT FOR THE FISH RIVER ON THE TRADITIONAL ST DOMINIC'S DAY PICNIC (>>).

THE ORIGINAL CONVENT SCHOOL BUILDING WAS OF COURSE 'HAWTHORNE'. IN THE 1950's IT UNDERWENT A MAJOR FACELIFT TO PRODUCE THE IMPRESSIVE FACADE SEEN ABOVE. ROUND THE SAME TIME A DORMITORY AND CLASSROOM WING WAS ADDED TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.

THE 'NEW BUILDING' WAS ERECTED IN 1941 AND COMPRISED ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS DOWNSTAIRS AND THE SENIOR DORMITORY UPSTAIRS. THE BUILDING IS NOTABLE FOR ITS ATTRACTIVE DECORATIVE BRICKWORK AND ITS ROUND STAIRCASE TOWER (BELOW). ALSO OF INTEREST IS THE LYCH GATE SEEN IN THE PHOTO ABOVE LEFT WHICH HAD BEEN REMOVED BY THE TIME THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT ABOVE WAS TAKEN. FOLLOWING THE GIFTING OF THE SITE TO THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY THE NEW BUILDING WAS USED PRIMARILY BY THE TOWRI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION FROM 1985 TO 2005 (BELOW). IN 2008 THE UNITY OF THE WHOLE SITE WAS RESTORED IN THE BATHURST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL CARRIAGE AND HARNESS ROOM ALONG WITH THE HAY LOFT. IT HAD SEVERAL ROOMS USED FOR TEACHING, PLAY, STORING BOOTS AND, OF COURSE, THE SCHOOL HANDYMAN'S ROOM.

THE WEATHERSHED WAS A NISSAN HUT ERECTED IN 1948 TO PROVIDE A WET WEATHER PLAY AREA. IT WAS DONATED BY THE ARMY AT THE SPECIAL REQUEST OF THE SCHOOL'S PRINCIPAL, MOTHER ST JAMES.

IN 1872 BISHOP QUINN OF BATHURST REQUESTED THE DOMINICAN NUNS AT MAITLAND TO TAKE ON THE EDUCATION OF A YOUNG DEAF GIRL FROM HIS DIOCESE FOLLOWING ON FROM THE WORK WITH DEAF GIRLS WHICH HAD BEEN COMMENCED BY THE DOMINICAN SISTERS IN CABRA IRELAND IN 1846. THE SISTERS AGREED TO HIS REQUEST SUBJECT TO THE ARRIVAL OF A SISTER FROM CABRA TRAINED IN THE TEACHING OF THE DEAF. IN 1875, SISTER M GABRIEL HOGAN, HERSELF DEAF, ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA AT THE REQUEST OF BISHOP MURRAY AND MOTHER M AGNES OF MAITLAND AND COMMENCED A SMALL SCHOOL FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED AT NEWCASTLE. QUICKLY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INCREASED BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF THE LITTLE COTTAGE AT NEWCASTLE AND THE SISTERS, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BISHOPS AND AFTER MUCH FUNDRAISING OBTAINED A LARGE BLOCK OF LAND IN THE THEN LARGELY RURAL AREA OF WARATAH. IT WAS HERE THAT IN 1888 THE INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, LATER THE ROSARY CONVENT SCHOOL FOR DEAF GIRLS WAS COMMENCED. AT THE TIME, AND FOR MANY YEARS AFTER, IT WAS THE ONLY SUCH SCHOOL IN THE WHOLE OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND COMBINED. FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS THE SISTERS CONTINUED THIS SPECIALISED WORK UNTIL THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED IN 1993. AS THE SUBURB GREW THE DOMINICAN SISTERS ALSO BECAME ACTIVE IN HELPING THE LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. IN 1913 THEY MADE AVAILABLE THE CONVENT CHAPEL AS A MASS STATION AND CONTINUED TO DO SO WHEN THE PARISH OF WARATAH WAS FORMED IN 1917. THE SISTERS ALSO RAN A PRIMARY SCHOOL UNTIL THE 1930's WHEN THEY TOOK ON THE WARATAH PARISH SCHOOL. AFTER THE SCHOOL'S CLOSURE THE CONVENT GROUNDS WERE USED TO CONSTRUCT JOHN XXIII CLOSE AND ST MARTIN DE PORRES HOSTEL WHILE THE CONVENT ITSELF WAS CONVERTED INTO A NURSING HOME. TODAY THIS COMPLEX OF CATHOLIC BUILDINGS STILL STAND AS A FIRM TESTAMONIAL TO THE DEVOTED WORK OF THE SISTERS IN WARATAH.

THE CONVENT OF THE HOLY ROSARY WAS BUILT OVER SEVERAL STAGES INTO THE IMPRESSIVE STRUCTURE STILL TO BE SEEN TODAY. THE INITIAL BUILDING WAS BEGUN IN 1886 WITH THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE BY CARDINAL PATRICK MORAN AND IT WAS LATER ADDED TO IN 1913 AND AGAIN IN 1934. FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL IN 1993 THE CONVENT WAS CONVERTED INTO THE DIOCESAN RUN ST CATHERINE OF SIENA NURSING HOME FOR SOME 10 YEARS AND THEN LATER SOLD TO THE PRIVATELY-OWNED BETHEL NURSING HOME. THE PHOTO ABOVE SHOWS THE CONVENT ON THE RIGHT WITH THE 1934 CHAPEL ON THE LEFT AND IN THE FOREGROUND JOHN XXIII CLOSE.

THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS LAID IN 1886 BY CARDINAL PATRICK MORAN AND THE CONVENT OPENED IN 1888. IT WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE SOUTH WING OF THE IMPOSING TWO-STORIED BUILDING. THE CORRESPONDING NORTHERN WING CONTAINED THE DORMITORIES AND THE SCHOOL. THIS MADE UP THE COMPLETE STRUCTURE TILL THE 1913 EXTENSION.

THREE VIEWS OF THE CONVENT. THE COMPLETED CONVENT IN THE 1950's (TOP LEFT), THE CHAPEL (BOTTOM LEFT) AND THE CENTRAL SECTION (BELOW) WHICH FORMED THE ORIGINAL CONVENT OF 1888

RELOCATED IN THE COURTYARD OF THE ST MARTIN DE PORRES HOSTEL, THIS STATUE AND THE RECONSTRUCTED LOURDES GROTTO WERE ERECTED AS MEMORIALS TO MOTHER M. COLUMBA DWYER AND SISTER M GABRIEL HOGAN TO HONOUR THE PIONEERING WORK CARRIED OUT BY THEM IN THE AREA OF THE EDUCATION OF THE HEARING IMPAIRED AND ONCE GRACED THE LAWNS OF THE CONVENT. TOP CENTRE IS THE MEMORIAL STONE FOR THE 1934 EXTENSIONS WHICH WERE OPENED AND BLESSED BY BISHOP DWYER OF MAITLAND. BELOW IT CAN BE SEEN THE INTRICATE BRICKWORK TRACERY WHICH REPLACED THE LOVELY COLONIAL VERANDAH DURING THE ADDITIONS MADE TO THE CONVENT.

THE ORIGINAL DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTE WAS LOCATED ON A LARGE SITE IN WHAT WAS THEN A RURAL SUBURB OF NEWCASTLE AND SHARED THE SAME BUILDING AS THE CONVENT. IN ITS BEGINNINGS IT CATERED FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS, UNTIL THE OPENING OF THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS SCHOOL FOR DEAF BOYS IN CASTLE HILL IN 1922 WHEN IT BECAME THE ROSARY CONVENT SCHOOL FOR DEAF GIRLS. DURING 1913 A NEW WING WAS ADDED ON THE NORTH SIDE WHICH SERVED AS A DORMITORY FOR BOYS UPSTAIRS AND A SENIOR GIRLS SEWING ROOM AND SUNDAY CHAPEL DOWNSTAIRS (BELOW RIGHT). DURING 1934 A FURTHER WING WITH A NEW CHAPEL WAS ADDED TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CONVENT. THE CONVENT SCHOOL WAS CLOSED IN 1993 AND THE STUDENTS TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW ST DOMINIC'S SCHOOL IN MAYFIELD.

AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL THE SISTERS WITHDREW FROM THE CONVENT WHICH WAS THEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE DIOCESE OF MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE WHICH CONSIDERED THE BUILDING TO BE SUITABLE FOR A NEW NURSING HOME TO COMPLEMENT THE ST MARTIN DE PORRES HOSTEL WHICH WAS ALSO BEING BUILT ON FORMER CONVENT LAND. FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS THE DIOCESAN RUN ST CATHERINE OF SIENA NURSING HOME, NAMED FOR THE GREAT DOMINICAN SAINT TO HONOUR THE WORK OF THE SISTERS, PROVIDED A MUCH NEEDED SERVICE TO NEWCASTLE'S SENIOR CITIZENS. IN 2002 THE DIOCESE WITHDREW FROM THE DIRECT MANAGEMENT OF THE NURSING HOME WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD TO A PRIVATE COMPANY EMPOWERED LIVING SUPPORT SERVICES LTD. THE NEW FACILITY, NOW RENAMED THE BETHEL AGED CARE FACILITY, HAS SINCE CONTINUED THE INNOVATIVE TRADITION OF SERVICE TO THE AGED WHICH WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED BY ST CATHERINE OF SIENA'S NURSING HOME.

IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE DOMINICAN SISTERS SHOULD BE DRAWN INTO PROVIDING FOR THE GENERAL PRIMARY SCHOOLING OF LOCAL CATHOLICS AND SO IT CAME TO PASS THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONVENT A SMALL WEATHERBOARD THREE-ROOM COTTAGE WITH A VERANDAH WAS PURCHASED IN ALFRED ST OPPOSITE THE MAIN GATES TO THE CONVENT GROUNDS AND THE NEW ROSARY CONVENT SCHOOL (INCORRECTLY REFERRED TO AS ST JOSEPH'S IN A 1933 SENTINEL ARTICLE) ESTABLISHED. THE HOUSE WAS FITTED WITH MOVEABLE WALLS TO DIVIDE THE LARGER ROOM INTO SEPARATE ROOMS AND CLASSES WERE OFTEN EXTENDED OUT ONTO THE VERANDAH. UNTIL THE BUILDING OF CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL IN 1933 THIS HUMBLE STRUCTURE PROVIDED FOR THE CATHOLIC EDUCATION OF WARATAH.

BY THE 1930's HOWEVER THE OLD ROSARY CONVENT SCHOOL WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMODATE THE GROWING POPULATION OF WARATAH AND IN 1934 A NEW PARISH SCHOOL WAS ERECTED ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE CHURCH IN PLATT ST. IT BECAME THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE PRESENT PARISH SCHOOL WHICH REPLACED THE CONVENT SCHOOL. THE DOMINCAN SISTERS TOOK ON THE STAFFING OF THE NEW SCHOOL IN THAT YEAR. IN 1954 THE SECOND STORY WAS ADDED AND SINCE THEN FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND EXTENSIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE SISTERS WITHDREW FROM THE SCHOOL IN 1987 AND TODAY IT IS FULLY LAY STAFFED WHILE HOLDING TO THE CHARISM OF THE DOMINICANS.

WITH THE AGING OF MANY RELIGIOUS THE DOMINICAN SISTERS AT WARATAH DECIDED TO DEDICATE A PORTION OF THEIR HOLDINGS TO CONSTRUCT SEVERAL SMALL RETIREMENT VILLAS TO ACCOMODATE THESE RETIRED SERVANTS OF THE LORD. SET AROUND A PEACEFUL COURTYARD AND APART FROM THE BUSTLE OF LIFE OUTSIDE, THIS RESTFUL ENCLAVE OF DOMESTIC BUNGALOWS PROVIDES A HAVEN FOR THOSE SISTERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIFE TO DO THE LORD'S WORK - THUS PROVIDING A FITTING CONCLUSION TO THE BUSY AND ACTIVE LIFE LED BY THE RELIGIOUS IN THE CARRYING OUT OF THEIR APOSTOLATE OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL.

MUCH HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS GLEANED FROM DOMINICAN PIONEERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES BY SISTER M. ASSUMPTA O'HANLON OP. THOSE SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE DOMINICAN SISTERS HISTORY ARE REFERRED TO THIS PUBLICATION. I AM ALSO INDEBTED TO THE CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVIST, SISTER ELIZABETH HELLWIG, FOR ADDING MANY OF THE HISTORICAL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE AND HER ASSISTANCE IS HERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH GRATITUDE. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF ALL HALLOWS BATHURST WERE KINDLY PROVIDED TO ME BY MR FRANCIS FOY.