Our Lady's College & Old School Buildings, Mercedes College Group, Perth

Parent Place or Precinct

04327 Mercedes College Group, Perth

Statement of Significance

Our Lady’s College (fmr) and 1929 classrooms are an integral part of the Mercedes College Group and is highly significant for their pivotal role in the establishment and development of Catholic education of girls in Western Australia.
The place has aesthetic and historic significance as part of the development of Mercedes Convent and schools and Victoria Square by the Roman Catholic Church and by the Mercy Sisters in particular.
The place represents the development of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia from the 1840s. Mercedes College Groups has social significance to the Sisters of Mercy, former and current student and staff of Mercedes College and members of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia.

Physical Description

Two storey limestone building with steeply pitched roof, verandahs at ground and first floor level, front gable and two towers with domed roofs. Brick detailing to some parts of the building. Original roof has been replaced with green colour bond corrugated steel sheeting.
The Old School building is a two-storey school building with face brick building with rendered bands and detailing, steeply pitched gabled roof with crucifix to Apex and fleche tower in the middle of the gable roof.

History

The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Perth from Ireland in 1846, led by Mother Ursula Frayne. After arriving in Perth, in 1846 the sisters became the first female religious teaching order to establish a school in Australia. Having navigated sectarism in Ireland, they decided to offer a general education to all Christians. The sisters prioritised Aboriginal people, immigrant Irish orphan girls, the poor and the uneducated. The sisters established a fee-paying school, benevolent institution and Western Australia’s first high school.
When the Sisters of Mercy opened their first school in 1846, the number of students slowly grew year by year. But the population expansion brought about by goldrushes of the 1890s and amendments to the Education Act in 1893, created the need for the establishment of further schooling facilities.
In 1895 (the Golden Jubilee of the Sisters arrival in Australia), the foundation stone was laid for two new school buildings, one being Our Lady’s College designed by Cavanagh & Cavanagh (St Joseph’s Day School was constructed at the same time). The building was constructed using Cottesloe freestone with Sydney freestone dressings as well as face brick quoins and window frames and was built by Messrs’ Hill & Moss.
’Our Lady’s College’ building was blessed and opened by Bishop Gibney on 15 August 1896. Bishop Gibney donated both school buildings to the Sisters of Mercy in recognition of their years of service to the Church. Our Lady’s College opened as a boarding school attracting fees, while initially St. Joseph’s was a free school.
In 1929, red brick additions were added to the west side of Our Lady’s College building, used as a senior dormitory. (It was later known as Mercy Wing) This has been further added to and become the Administration building for Mercedes College.
In 1899 the Sisters acquired a two storey home called ‘Romansleigh’ and land east of the ‘Our Ladies College’ on Goderich Street. This was also used as a boarding house for the ‘Our Ladies College’.in 1929 a new Kindergarten was built in front of ‘Our Lady’s College’ abutting and at right angles to Goderich Street. The Goderich Street wall of the former Kindergarten was incorporated into the new Performing Arts Centre constructed in this location in 1990.
Also, in 1929 a two-storey red brick classroom building with steep roof was constructed in front of ‘Romansleigh’ and perpendicular to Goderich Street. This building remains on site today. These classrooms originally housed year 8 and 9 students of ‘Our Lady’s College’ and is also known as the ‘Old School’ building. In 1956 a new two storey classroom block was added to the west side of ‘Romansleigh’, which was later demolished and replaced by a three-storey classroom block in 1983. (now known as ‘McDonald’). ‘Romansleigh’ was demolished in 1969 and a new classroom block named ‘Glenrowan’ was constructed in its place.
In 1967 the two schools of Our Lady’s College and (the non-fee paying) St. Joseph’s were amalgamated to become Mercedes College.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High
Authenticity - Modified and restored.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

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