Perthville Bathurst Foundation

In 1872 the Bishop of Bathurst, Bishop Mathew Quinn invited the Sisters from Adelaide to the Bathurst diocese. On 16 July 1872, Sr Teresa McDonald (Margaret McDonald), Sr Joseph Dwyer, and Sr Hyacinth Quinlan accompanied by a young Jewish convert, Ada Braham arrived in the Bathurst Diocese. Their first community was established at The Vale Road (now Perthville), a small settlement 12 kilometres from Bathurst.  As their convent had not been completed, they set up a convent in part of a little wooden church and a week later took over the existing Church school that had been conducted by a lay woman. Classes were conducted in another part of the church.   By 1876, they had opened six small schools on the goldfields to the west and south of Bathurst.

Bishop Quinn wanted the Institute to be Diocesan in government with the Bishop as the Superior.   He wanted music taught by the Sisters, but the Original Rule precluded the teaching of music, regarding it as the prerogative of the wealthy and therefore not in harmony with the educational aims of teaching the poor.   These issues were discussed by Bishop Quinn and Mary MacKillop, when they met in Dublin on  September 7, 1874 and whilst no compromise was reached with regard to the issue of government, Mary agreed to allow the Sisters to remain in Bathurst until Quinn returned. Of significance during this period is Quinn’s recruitment of Irish girls for his diocese, nine of whom were intended for the Sisters of St Joseph.

Perthville Convent 2004

Bishop Quinn was influenced by the Irish model of Diocesan congregations, which he preferred as a better design of government for the easier management of personnel within his diocese. It was the approval of the Constitutions and their acceptance by the General Chapter in March 1875, including the confirmation of central government for the Sisters of St Joseph that became the catalyst for Quinn to set about the establishment of a Diocesan congregation. The Sisters of St Joseph, however, had accepted and renewed their vows according to the new Constitutions in August 1875. They were therefore bound by them and their acceptance of Quinn’s Diocesan government would contravene their vows. 

The Sisters had the option of remaining in the Bathurst Diocese under Bishop Quinn’s governance or of remaining faithful to the new Constitutions, under which the Sisters had renewed their vows, and returning to Adelaide. In the midst of the existing dilemma Hyacinth Quinlan emerged as a key figure in her decision to remain in the Bathurst diocese, and thus become the “foundress” of the Diocesan Josephites. Her role was vital in the formation of the Diocesan group and of great significance to the Tasmanian foundation as she exerted immense influence as Superior over a number of years in the new century.

Hyacinth Quinlan, remaining at Perthville, had been appointed to train the nine postulants from Ireland during Teresa’s illness. Mary MacKillop had agreed to allow Hyacinth to remain until the postulants were sufficiently well trained to take over from the Sisters vacating the six schools and returning to Adelaide. Hyacinth, having accomplished this task would then return to Adelaide. However, in spite of this undertaking by Mary MacKillop, the General Council in Adelaide unanimously refused to allow Hyacinth to remain.

Quinn, on hearing of the General Council’s decision to recall Hyacinth to Adelaide, informed Mary MacKillop that he would “compel Sister Hyacinth to stay”. Historians concur that Hyacinth was under considerable duress by Quinn and therefore felt compelled to stay at Perthville. Thus Hyacinth, at twenty-four, became the Sister Guardian of the Diocesan Sisters of St Joseph, commonly known as the “black” Josephites. It was from the is remaining group that diocesan Josephites were formed. From the Perthville community foundations were made at Wanganui, New Zealand, 1880, Goulburn, 1882,  Lochinvar, 1883, and Westbury, Tasmania 1887.