St Aloysius Church

Statement of Significance

St Aloysius' Convent School-Church (former) is of considerable cultural heritage significance for the City of Subiaco: • For its association with the early development of the St Joseph Parish by Father Patrick Verling; • For its association with the provision of a Catholic education for residents of the Subiaco district in the period 1908 to 1972; • As the original centre for the Parish of Rosalie (later Shenton Park), which was separated from the St Joseph Parish in 1937; • For is social significance for those who were educated here; • For is social significance for those who attended Mass here and/or attended important family services (such as weddings, funerals and confirmations); • As a representative (albeit altered) example of a stand-alone school-church that was built away from the mother convent and which was served by nuns who had to travel daily to the site. • As a representative (albeit altered) example of a multipurpose building that was designed to serve a community without the population/resources to support the construction of a separate, dedicated church. • As a local landmark that retains a close physical and historical relationship with the 1962 St Aloysius' Parish Church.

Physical Description

St Aloysius' Convent School-Church (former) was designed as a simple hall in a restrained version of the Federation Free Classical style. The main hall, which was designed with a simple rectangular floor plan, was constructed of brick with rendered detailing. The façade is now fully rendered and the face-brick side walls have been painted. The steeply pitched roof, which is hipped with gablet vents at either end of the E-W ridgeline, is partially concealed behind a parapet to the main façade. This is now clad with pre-painted corrugated steel sheeting. The main (eastern) facade displays key elements of Federation Free Classical style in its: • Symmetrical design; • Parapet with a simplified interpretation of classical forms, including the raised triangular pediment; • Prominent pilasters; • Moulded string course at window sill height; • Arched entrance doorway; Other typical elements of this style would have been contrasting materials and textures and it is possible that the façade originally had a combination of face brick, stone and rendered finishes. The windows at the front and along the sides have simple segmental arches over tall rectangular openings. There is also an arched doorway near the front (eastern end) of the north elevation. The façade is now fully rendered and the entrance porch has been interpreted in a free-standing arch, decorated with classical detailing and moulded flower motifs. Further documentary and oral history research would provide a better understanding of the original external detailing and the changes made over time. The front yard is laid out with shrubs, and raised vegetable beds. This area is bounded by a low rendered wall (set behind a low clipped hedge), with tall rendered piers and infill panels of slender, spear-topped metal bars. A modern plaque on this fence provides some historical information about the former St Aloysius Church and Convent School. The former foundation stones for the building have been relocated to the current St Aloysius Church (on the corner of Henry Street and Keightly Road) Along the southern side of the building there is a driveway and car-parking area, together with a pedestrian pathway leading to the current entrance to the house (which is set towards the rear). The surrounding streetscape is mixed, with a combination of early twentieth century houses and late twentieth century re-development.

History

Father Patrick Verling was appointed as the first Parish Priest of the newly formed St Joseph’s Parish, Subiaco, in 1901. At that time the only church serving the area was the small school-church that has been built for the Sisters of St John of God in 1897 (in what is now West Leederville). In 1907 Father Verling purchased Lots 46, 47, 48, 61, 62 & 63 of Deposited Plan 1585 in the newly developing suburb of Rosalie (now Shenton Park) for the purpose of constructing a second church-school to serve the expanding local population. In early to mid 1908, various fund raising activities for the construction of the new church-school were advertised, the Honorary Secretary being named as Edgar J. Henderson. Henderson was an architect who had moved to Western Australia from Victoria in 1896 and who, in addition to residential and commercial projects, had previously prepared a number of designs for the Catholic Church. As well as assisting with fundraising he was also the architect for the St Aloysius' Convent school-church. Tenders were called by Henderson in July 1908 and the new building was officially opened on 24 January 1909: New Church at Subiaco.-Yesterday afternoon the St. Aloysius Convent School Church in Henry-street, Subiaco, was blessed and opened by Father Verling, assisted by Father Donogher as deacon, and Father O'Neill, of Cottesloe, as sub-deacon. There were also present Father Murray and Father Shierman, of the Redemptorist Monastery, and a large number of the laity. Prior to the opening of the sacred edifice a procession was formed, and the Subiaco choir, under the direction of Mr. M. J. McDonnell sang the Litany of Loretto and some appropriate hymns. A sermon was preached by Archdeacon Smyth, who took for his text, " Going therefore, teach ye all nations." From a financial statement made it appeared that the building had cost about £730, the furniture £70 and the land £380 or a total of £1,180. The money promised and received (including £100 from Father Verling) left an indebtedness of £730. The building, which is of brick, and is well ventilated, was erected by Mr. J. Fairweather, the architect being Mr. E J Henderson. The building was dedicated to St Aloysius Gonzaga, and was used as both a school and as the Mass centre for the surrounding area. After this time there were numerous newspaper references to the St Aloysius School in Henry Street - relating to school examinations, music examinations, sporting activities and school concerts. The school was initially staffed by the Sisters of St John of God, but in 1912 administration of St Aloysius' School in Rosalie and St Joseph’s School in West Leederville was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy. These teaching sisters travelled daily by tram from Victoria Square, Perth, to Shenton Park until 1937 when they moved into a new convent in Nicholson Road. In 1937 Rosalie was formed as a new Parish, with Father Doddy as the first Parish Priest, and from this time newspaper notices started to appear for weddings, funerals and confirmation services at St Aloysius Church Rosalie (renamed as the Shenton Park Parish in c.1939). The building was enlarged in 1935, and further extensions were completed in 1953. Based on a comparison of the current physical evidence with historical aerial photographs, the major extensions appear to have been side wings on either side of the main façade (extending across Lots 46 and 48 and facing onto Henry Street), skillion additions along either side of the main hall (all since demolished), and the existing rear wing (which forms the top of a ‘T’ shaped floor plan). Aerial photographs dated 1956 and 1995 also suggest that there was a small, gable-roofed porch in the area now occupied by a detached masonry arch. In 1962, the building became a school only when St Aloysius' Parish Church was opened on the nearby corner of Keightly Road and Henry Street. In 1972 St Aloysius' school closed due to falling enrolments, although it may have continued to be used as a Parish Centre. Aerial photographs dating from that period show the convent school with a rectangular central hall flanked by perpendicular wings at the front and rear (all with hipped roofs). Apart from a large detached building immediately behind the school, the remainder of the site (facing William Street) was vacant (and presumably used as the school play grounds). In 1994 sale of the former school property was arranged by the Parish Priest, Father John Ryan, and a new Certificate of Title was issued for Lots 46, 47, 48, 61, 62 & 63 of Deposited Plan 1585 in October of that year. Funds from this sale enabled the building of a new Parish Centre and enhancements to the nearby church, including the installation of stained glass windows. Redevelopment of the former school site was underway by 1995 and, as part of these works, the central bay of the old school facing Henry Street (on Lot 47) was retained, but the side bays (on Lots 46 and 48) were demolished. The central bay and the rear wing were then adapted as private residence. Lots 46 and 48 and the rear of the site were developed separately, with new detached houses at Nos 19 and 29 Henry Street, and a row of five, townhouse style units at the rear of the site, facing William Street.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - Low: The site is no longer used as a school-church. The original site (comprising Lots 46, 47, 48, 61, 62 & 63 of Deposited Plan 1585) has been adapted for multiple unit residential use, involving partial demolition, extensive alterations and the construction of new buildings. The original hall has been adapted as a private residence. Authenticity - Moderate: The former external detailing of the school-church hall has been altered (including demolition of additions along the Henry Street frontage), but the form and style of the original hall can still be recognised and interpreted in the current external fabric. Rarity/ Representativeness - Catholic convent schools were established in Perth and regional centres from 1846 and there were numerous schools in Western Australia that were run by religious orders by the early twentieth century. Some of these were associated directly with convent buildings while others, such as St Aloysius Convent school-church, Rosalie, was served by Sisters who travelled from established Convents in nearby areas. Fifteen Convent Schools have been included in the State Register of Heritage Places and many more have been identified in local government heritage inventories. The former St Aloysius Convent school-church in Shenton Park is therefore not considered to be rare example of its type. While the former St Aloysius Convent school-church in Shenton Park has been extensively altered as part of it adaptation for residential use, its underlying form and detailing still stands as a representative example of a stand-alone school-church - built away from the mother convent and designed to serve a community without the population/resources to support the construction of a separate, dedicated church.

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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