Local Government
Perth
Region
Metropolitan
86 Victoria Square Perth
Lot 123 D 1641, Lot 124 D 1641, Lot 125 D 1641, Lot 7 D 20489, Lot 8 D 30321, Lot 123 D 30321, Lot 9 D 30321, Lot 2 D 10156, Lot 50 D 4598, Lot 126 D 1641, Lot 127 D 1641, Lot C14 P 223021, Lot C15 P 223021
Girls Orphanage
Holy Cross Convent
Old House
original “Mother House”
School Buildings (Former) (Demolished)
Perth
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1848
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage List | Adopted | 20 Dec 1985 |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 28 Mar 2023 | Category 1 | |
| Local Heritage Survey | Completed\Draft | Category 1 | ||
| Municipal Inventory | Completed\Draft | |||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 13 Mar 2001 | ||
04327 Mercedes College Group, Perth
The place is of aesthetic and historic significance as one of the earliest historic buildings related to the development of Mercedes College and Victoria Square by the Sisters of Mercy. The Convent and St John’s Pro-Cathedral are the earliest Catholic buildings in Perth. The place represents the focus of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia from the 1840's. The place is of social significance to members of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia.
‘The Convent of the Holy Cross’ constructed in 1848 directly behind St. John’s Pro-Cathedral off Victoria Street, Perth, was the site of the first Sisters of Mercy Convent in Australia erected under the leadership of Mother Ursula Frayne. Construction of the two-storey stone building commenced on 3 May 1847 funded by the Sisters of Mercy and was blessed by Bishop John Brady on 3 May 1848. With great courage, facing primitive conditions and hardship, the Convent and School flourished – the sisters would recognise this as “the fruit of trust in Divine Providence”. From this Convent, also known as the ‘Mother House’ at Victoria Square, the Sisters undertook the establishment of schools throughout the state and beyond. It was referred to as the “Old House” after the new Convent was complete. Bishop Brady , along with Rev J.J. Joostens and Dom Rosendo Salvado, blessed the new Convent building and laid the foundation stone for the new schoolrooms on 3rd May 1848.the Sisters had to fundraise to pay for construction of the new School and it was not completed until 1853.The School was a two storey building consisting of two ground floor and two upper floor school rooms with ground and first floor halls and a small oratory on each level. The school was blessed and opened on 25th July 1853. In 1862 a two-storey dormitory and study rooms addition was constructed for boarders at the east end of the School building. After the opening of the new 1871 Sisters of Mercy Convent on the corner of Victoria Square and Goderich Street, the former Convent building became a home for female orphans. The original 1853 School building and dormitory was demolished in 1980/81-for new tennis courts and later in 1990’s the current ‘Ursula Frayne Centre ‘was constructed on the site of the Old School and dormitory. The limestone rendered first Convent building (1848) remains today and is now used as a school building by Mercedes College.
Integrity - High Authenticity - Intact, modified over time
Good
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documenting East Perth and its Historical Development: a pictorial presentation | Alan Lloyd | 2004 | |
| Building Plaque | |||
| Mercedes College: Victoria Square, Perth: Conservation Plan. | Parry and Rosenthal | March 1999 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | RELIGIOUS | Monastery or Convent |
| Original Use | EDUCATIONAL | Other |
| Style |
|---|
| Old Colonial Georgian |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | STONE | Limestone |
| Wall | BRICK | Rendered Brick |
| Roof | METAL | Steel |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES | Education & science |
| PEOPLE | Early settlers |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Land allocation & subdivision |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.