Foundations from Westbury

Rapid expansion of the ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Catholic Education followed the first foundation of the convent and school at Westbury in 1887.

In June, 1888, Dr Murphy, who had just been elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Hobart, visited the community of sisters at Westbury. He was so impressed by their work and spirit that he announced his intention of establishing a foundation of the Institute at Beaconsfield since their numbers had been increased by the entrance of their first postulant, Miss Hegarty.  But the Bishop of Bathurst, Dr. Byrne, who evidently considered that the sisters were still subject to his jurisdiction, judged this foundation to be premature, and protested against it.   As a result, the project lapsed.

Archdeacon Hogan returned from abroad to Westbury on 19 November, 1888, and, though he was delighted to find the sisters well established in his parish, he was dismayed to hear that the Westbury Convent was also destined as a novitiate house for a new foundation, distinct from, and independent of, the parent house at Perthville.  He contemplated asking for a recall of the sisters to Bathurst.

During this difficult time, Father Noone of Latrobe invited the sisters to establish a foundation at Hamilton-On-Forth within his parish.  Cheerfully, Sister M. Francis set out on 24 May, 1889, with the elderly Sister M. Patrick and a postulant, to found the little convent school on the hill.   

The Catholic Standard chronicler of these historic events records that the people of Ulverstone, a larger town some six miles distance from Forth, lost no time in preparing a convent for a community of sisters who were invited to take charge of their parish school.    It seems incredible that within two months of the of the Forth establishment, on 16 July, 1889, the valiant Sister Francis should be once more upon the road to open another convent and school in Ulverstone.  The sisters received most cordial welcome as they were driven up to Ulverstone in Mr James Leary’s buggy.  The kindly friendship of this good friend of the sisters remained a source of comfort and joy to them for over half a century.

It was just over one year later when Sister M. Francis with Sisters Baptist and Ignatius established another convent at Devonport, in January, 1891, thus having the unique record of founding four houses of an infant institute in as many years. 

Further Foundations

In 1893 Sister M. Joseph opened a convent at Oatlands.  This became the Mother House.  Here the novitiate was in the care of Sister M. John who enlisted the services of a competent teacher, Miss Bell, to act as Mistress of Method for the young teachers.

In 1894, Sister M. Ambrose, foundress of the first convent at Lochinvar, opened the convent at Zeehan, a prosperous mining centre on the West Coast. 

Other convent schools were opened at:

CYGNET (1896)	RICHMOND (1899)	TUNNACK (1891)
COLEBROOK (1894)	LYMINGTON (1900)	FRANKLIN (1900)
MOONAH (1932)	GEEVESTON (1938)	NEWSTEAD (1938)
SMITHTON (1951)	ROSEBERY (1958)	LENAH VALLEY (1960)

Regis House

On 2 May, 1946, Regis House, a hostel for business girls, was opened by Archbishop Tweedy in the presence of the Premier, Mr Cosgrove, and the Mayor of Launceston, Mr Hollingsworth.  The hostel system for girls away from home thus became an integral part of the sisters’ ministry.  It was by way of co-operation with the Government that the sisters had willingly accepted control of the hostel, which was to be non-denominational, and were anxious to make it a genuine home.  For this purpose one of the finest residences, ideally suited in the heart of the city of Launceston, was restored and modern facilities added.  The hostel continued to minister to the needs of  young women needing accommodation in the city for fifteen years, until acute shortage of teaching staff compelled the sisters to pass the hostel over to the care of the Missionary Sisters of Service.

Waterton Hall

In recognition of the sisters’ Diamond Jubilee, Archbishop Tweedy in 1947, bought a property on the banks of the Tamar River to serve as a holiday house for the sisters, as well as a boarding school for girls.  The school came into operation in 1951 and catered for the education of young girls between the ages of four and twelve before they continued their education at St Thomas More’s Secondary School at Newstead.

New Town

Sister M. Hyacinth, the former Sister Guardian at Bathurst and later of Whanganui, New Zealand, saw the wisdom of establishing the Mother House and the centre of government for the Archdiocese in a central position.  So Sacred Heart Convent was opened at New Town in 1908.   This foundation was made possible largely by the generosity of Mr J Fahey who donated a large sum of money for the building of a two-storey brick building which was to be the future convent of the sisters.

The sisters began teaching at the school which then consisted of one stone building erected by Archpriest Hennebry in 1887.  Until the sisters came this school had been in the charge of Miss Ethel Saye, a zealous and efficient teacher who later continued her apostolic work at the Brighton Catholic School until 1914.  Then she joined the sisters at New Town, and as Sister M. Josephine, taught as Infant Mistress until her death in 1958.

Sacred Heart Convent and School were both extended by Archbishop Delaney who contributed his own personal money.   In 1923 a new wing was added to the existing building which became the Novitiate, and Scholasticate for the education of postulants.  In 1937 a large building and property across the road from the convent was purchased for the Novitiate, this enabling the sisters to have a chapel in their convent.  This building is now a well developed, functional staff area for Sacred Heart College staff.

To mark the Golden Jubilee of the foundation, Sisters M. Paschal (Sister Guardian) and M. Dominic (Bursar and Head Teacher) commenced a new senior school.  This new building was blessed and opened by Archbishop Guilford Young in 1960.  It was registered as a secondary school with classes ranging from Sub-Primary to Matriculation.  In 1964 new Physics and Biology laboratories were added with the assistance of the Commonwealth Government Science Grant.