SCHOOL BUILDING, CATHOLIC CONVENT OF MERCY COMPLEX TOODYAY

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Overview

A faded coloured photo of a two storied Flemish bond brick boys' college building within the grounds of the Catholic Convent Complex in Stirling Tce, Toodyay.
A cross is atop the peaked roof at the front with a chimney to the left rear.
The balcony surrounds are painted white.
Three oblong windows are at the front of the building at 2nd level height under which is a small portico with a door into the building.

Historical information

This building is a part of the complex built by the Sisters of Mercy to provide accommodation and a school. This is a two-storey building and was constructed for school rooms and boys dormitories upstairs. It was known as the St Aloysius Convent of Mercy School Classrooms and Boys Boarding House. A Grand Ball was held on 11 August 1921 to mark the opening of the new college building. The function was attended by 200 people and was held on the first floor.
On 3 December 1971 Lancelot Goody, Archbishop of Perth, wrote to the Sisters of Mercy in Toodyay advising of St Aloysius Convent School's imminent closure. In early 1972 the Sisters of Mercy Avondown Complex in Toodyay, of which this building was a part, was duly closed. The Sisters carried on their pastoral work (bush schools, motor missions and town parishioner work) until 1974. From 1973 to 1983 the Sisters ran educational camps in the Avondown Centre.
In 1985 the Catholic Education Commission took over the site.
In January 1999 Avondown became a friary for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Marian Friary of Our Lady Help of Christians. In June 2003 the Sisters of Mercy left Toodyay, having had a presence there for 119 years. The Friars left in 2017 and in 2018 the entire site, including this building, was added to the State Register of Heritage Places.
In 2021 this building was sold into private ownership, along with the rest of the buildings on this site.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-37-2001.1377

Item type

Photographs

Material

Photographic Paper

Width

9 cm

Height or length

13 cm

Themes

Education

Inscriptions and markings

On back of image: in black ink 'No 27 trimmed'; On front of image: two black ink lines drawn parallel across photo;

Keywords

Toodyay

MERCY Convent, Sister Of

Sister Of Mercy RC School

Schools

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Google Maps search term / URL

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1662530744089!6m8!1m7!1sTzgSvnFuhbA8MsuY61axgQ!2m2!1d-31.55489365750264!2d116.4741890455425!3f69.40780792649504!4f2.424308018820213!5f1.800922887047835

Geotag

-31.554691979067, 116.47477994688

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Shire of Toodyay

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