Nagle College & Christian Brothers House

Statement of Significance

The former St. Patrick's College, now part of Nagle Catholic College, has considerable historic significance as aspects of an institution associated with the Christian Brothers and their provision of youth education. The p lace is important historically and socially as a long established educational institution and as an alternative to the government school system, particularly for its residential student accommodation which has served the large rural Mid West region and beyond for many years. The school building is a unique example of Inter-War Mediterranean style1 and has high aesthetic significance given its prominent location, large dominant scale and built features such as the tower and archways. The building has important landmark value and provides a strong aesthetic contribution to the townscape. Though they are physically removed from one another, St Patrick 's College as a part of the Nagle Catholic College, together with other Roman Catholic buildings including the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and former Bishop's Palace, hold high social significance in the city of Geraldton. Aesthetic Value The former Saint Patrick's College, now a campus of Nagle Catholic College, is a good representative example of the Inter-War Mediterranean style of building6 adopted in the early twentieth century by architects who wished to temper the stereotype for religious buildings with the unclutter ed simplicity of mass and detail favoured by the modernists. Its simple massing and prominent tower give it landmark quality and a distinctive prominence in the Geraldton streetscape. The building has a characteristically Inter-War interpretation of what was then considered appropriate for a large school building and is a competent design that represents a transitional stage in the development of modern institutional architecture in Western Australia. The place is significant in exhibiting aesthetic characteristics that have led to its listing on the Municipal Inventory, demonstrating that its aesthetic qualities are valued by the community. Historic value The place is significant as representing a transitional stage in the development of architectural history in Western Australia and reflects the search for an appropriately up-to-date style in the city of Geraldton. The place is historically significant because of its role in the provision of places of religious and general education and the spread of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia. The place also has special historical significance because of its close associations with the educational programmes of The Christian Brothers and their work in the region over a period of more than lOO years. Social value The place has social significance through its association with the Roman Catholic Church and the provision of religious and general education to the community over a very wide area of Western Australi a. Rarity The place is an increasingly rare and distinctive example of an Inter-War religious education building and the building is unique in Western Australia. It is also one of only a few Inter-War educational buildings still standing. Representativeness The place is significant in demonstrating the principal features of one of the styles of modern education institution building of the period as well as the attributes that identify it as being characteristic of its class. Condition .Authenticity and Integrity The building is in excellent condition and because of the quality of the original design and construction, and the standard of maintenance, the place has a high level of integrity and authenticity. It is in almost the original 1936 condition and substantially unaltered internally, retaining the original structural form and layout as well as fixtures and fittings.

Physical Description

Set in a prominent position on a rise overlooking the North Geraldton seafront, the Nagle College building is a un ique example of Inter-War Mediterranean style architecture2 This building occupies three sides of a quadrangle open to the north. It has a rendered brick upper storey with face brick below, a hipped tile roof and brick arches to the verandah.3 The assessed structure comprises a large brick two storey 'L'-shaped school with a hipped roof of marseilles pattern terracotta tiles punctuated by a centrally located three storey tower with a pyramid shaped hipped roof. The tower forms a breakfront to the west facade and has three small arched windows to the third floor of the front fa9ade with two small rectangular windows below, with the college name and crest above the round arch of the main entry porch . This entrance is approached by a set of five concrete steps from the main circular driveway. A row of round archways in brick run across the whole of the west front forming a dominant visual feature and creating an arcaded verandah on each side of the central entry that shields the windows from the western sun. These windows to the main section are narrow and double hung with 4 panes over a single pane and have rendered sills and lintels. The other side of the 'L' is of similar style two storey brick and tile construction with gable ends and has large double hung timber windows set below concrete lintels. A small curved metal entry porch is set to the centre of the south facade of this block facing George Street.

History

Assessment 2003 Construction 1936 The Christian Brothers organisation (the Brothers) was founded by Edmund Rice in Waterford , Ireland, with the objective of providing an education for poor boys, which later developed into the institutional care of orphans. The Brothers first arrived in eastern Australia in 1868, and then came to Western Australia in 1894. On 22nd June, 1925 Catholic Bishop Ryan of Geraldton wrote to the Australian Provincial of the Christian Brothers asking for two or three Brothers to be sent to Geraldton to operate a school. On the 11th December, 1925, Br. Celsus O'Donnell arrived in Geraldton and towards the end of January, 1926 preparation s were made for the accommodation of the boarders. A four-roomed cottage was fitted out as a dormitory and on 31st January, 1926 the first boarder arrived. The school was opened on 2nd February, 1926 and on 15th February there were 10 boarders and 60 day boys in attendance. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Geraldton donated the 11 acres of land where the present school is situated and the college was built in 1936 at a cost of £9,000. Geraldton, as a major regional centre and a Cathedral city, has always received students from a very wide geographic area and even at this time, although other High Schools have been established further North, students still come from places as far away as Derby and Broome as well as from the Murchison and Pilbara regions. Residential accommodation is now provided on this campus for all the Nagle College boarders. The foundation stone on the former St. Patrick' s College reads "This College of the Irish Christian Brothers was blessed and opened by His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. J. P. O'Collins, Bishop of Geraldton on Sunday, Nov. 1, 1936". (Source: St. Patrick 's College, Geraldton - Diamond Jubilee 1986, p. 39). According to Shirley Scotter the Priest's House was built by Sir Edwardbe and the wall around the college was built by stonemason, Mr. Bochetti.4 In the late 1980s, it was decided to amalgamate the boys and girls school into one co-educational facility. The site of St Patrick's College on Bayly Street became the centre of the College's boarding facility. On this campus are located Kean House, which is the home of the girl boarders, and O'Malley House, where the boy boarders are accommodated. Also on the site is the Brother Duffy Dining Room, which is shared by boarders from both the Boarding Houses.

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Historic Themes

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