St John of God Complex

Child Places

• 18396 Church of Christ (fmr)
• 18395 Private Dwelling (fmr), 20 Spencer Street
• 18394 Private Dwellings (fmr), 14-16 Spencer Street

Statement of Significance

DEMOLISHED St John of God Convent (fmr) provided accommdation and spiritual comfort (in the Chapel) for the Sister of St John of God who nursed and ministered to the needs of patients in the adjoining St John of God Hospital. The convent was also associated with other Catholic Church buildings in the vicinity, including Parish House and St Patrick's Cathedral (demolished 2005).

Physical Description

DEMOLISHED The owners engaged Architect, Ronald Bodycoat in October 2000 to report on the place. He described it as 'a two-storied brick residential building with light-coloured external face brick walls, pitched roof clad in Marseilles pattern terracotta tiles and concrete floor slabs. The building comprises two levels of bedrooms and associated facilities in a "U" shape around a rear courtyard. Access balconies and two concrete stairways provide circulation and access around the courtyard. A two-storied verandah is provided across the front of the building and a single-storied projection at the south end houses part of the convent chapel'. The chapel replaced an earlier one on the same site.

History

The Congregation of the Sisters of St John of God was founded in Ireland in 1871 at a time when hunger and famine were widespread and there was much oppression and suffering. Thomas Furlong, the Bishop of Ferns, called for the establishment of an Order of Nursing Sisters to help the needy of his diocese. Six Sisters responded to the Bishop’s call and they came together on 7 October 1871 as the Sisters of St John of God. The Order expanded and in 1895, eight Sisters (aged 21 to 34) emigrated to Western Australia in answer to Bishop Matthew Gibney’s plea for assistance in caring for victims of typhoid and other diseases. The Sisters established a home and hospital in two houses in Adelaide Terrace, Perth, as well as travelling around Perth and as far away as the Goldfields to attend the sick in their own homes. Over the years, more Sisters joined them and they opened hospitals in Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The St John of God Hospital in Bunbury was one such venture. In September 1927, the Sisters of St John of God purchased the home of Edwin Rose, MLA. It was a large home located on Bury Hill, overlooking the ocean. On 5 October 1927, sisters Ignatius Lynagh, Perpetua Downs and Loyola Vowels arrived in Bunbury to open the St John of God Hospital. They were soon joined by sisters Zita Corbett, Elizabeth Sundre and Rose Fahy. St John of God Hospital, Bunbury, was opened on 17 December 1927. One of the main reasons for choosing Bunbury was to alleviate the added stress of travel for patients going to Perth from the rural South West of the State. The 40 room convent was built for the Sisters of St John of God in 1958 so that they could provide 24 hour care to the patients in the adjoining St John of God Hospital. The convent was a large brick and tile two-storey building of functional design with closed in verandahs at both levels. A chapel was at the southern end of Parkfield Street elevation. The Convent was connected to the St John of God Hospital by covered passageways. The building was part of a group of buildings sold by the St John of God Sisters in November 1999 when the hospital closed and was co-located to a new site with the Bunbury Regional Hospital. The Sisters then moved into private accommodation and continue to serve the people of Bunbury through their ministering work. The building was approved for demolition by the City of Bunbury in 2002.

Integrity/Authenticity

DEMOLISHED 2002

Uses

Creation Date

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