Archives and Heritage Collections - ismapng

04/05/2026

The former Sisters of Mercy convent site in Singleton has now been formally transferred to the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

“This site has been part of the fabric of local life so many here today carry personal memories of this convent, the good people in it, and the good works to come out of it.” Bishop Michael Kennedy.

Read more: https://loom.ly/Z-kH6fk

28/08/2025

Today we remember the West Perth Congregation’s foundation to Kojonup. In the Institute archives we are fortunate to have photographs and objects from the Kojonup community. These include images of the convent and an Apostolic Blessing the sisters received in 1978.

Image 1: St Bernard's Convent of Mercy, Katanning Road, Kojonup, Dec 1951
Image 2: Apostolic Blessing for the Sisters of Mercy Kojonup, 1978

25/07/2025

This week marks the 135th anniversary of Mother Mary Paul Fielding travelling from Yass, NSW to Wilcannia, NSW to establish a convent community. She set out from Yass with three professed sisters, a novice and a postulant. Their journey was eventful as their voyage was interrupted by flooding. Waiting at Dubbo for eleven days, the sisters then took the train to Bourke, where they had to wait again surrounded by flood waters, before travelling onto Wilcannia by steamer.

In 1932, Wilcannia would amalgamate with Cobar, Deniliquin, Broken Hill, Bourke and Balranald to form the Wilcannia-Forbes Congregation.
The image below is of an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour from the Wilcannia-Forbes heritage collection.

22/07/2025

On this day in 1868 a group of Mercy sisters from Goulburn arrived in Albury to set up a convent and school. It was Sr. M. Ignatius Murphy, Sr. M. Francis de Sales Mayler Sr. M. Camillus O'Donnell and Sr. M. Xavier McDonnell who answered the call of Father McAlroy. He had been transferred to Albury from Goulburn and asked for a group of Mercy sisters to accompany him. Sisters Murphy and de Sales were used to starting from scratch; they had been part of the group of pioneering sisters that had come to Goulburn from Westport, Ireland, in 1859. It took six days to travel to Albury where on the way they stayed with accommodating families who welcomed them generously. One of the family’s daughters made the decision to follow the sisters to Albury and become a postulant. The sisters lived and worked in make-shift conditions in Albury until a few years later a complex of buildings opened in 1870 and a chapel in 1879, cementing the sisters’ presence in Albury.
We are grateful to have the original heavy iron seal of the Convent of Our Lady of Mercy St Brigid’s Albury, circa 1870, in the collection.

23/06/2025

ON THIS DAY the 24th of June pioneer sisters arrived in Cooktown, Queensland.

In 1888 Father John Hutchinson, Vicar Apostolic of North Queensland, met with the Sisters of Mercy in Dungarvan, Ireland, and invited them to establish a foundation in Cooktown for the religious instruction and educational needs of the Catholic community of far North Queensland. Mother Mary de Sales Meagher agreed, and her four companions Sr M. Rodrigues Sheehy, Sr M. Josephine Morrissey, Sr M. Evangelist Morrissey, and Sr M. Joseph McGrath left for their journey to Australia on the 26th of April 1888 and eventually arrived in Cooktown on the 24th of June 1888.
Soon after their arrival Mother M de Sales Meagher oversaw the establishment of St. Mary’s Convent of Mercy, Cooktown and soon after opened St. Mary’s School for both boarders and local day-time students.

Image 1: Printing block recently catalogued and made in 1967 of the five pioneer sisters.
Image 2: Printing block side view.
Image 3: Original photograph of the pioneer sisters.

05/05/2025

Archives and museum collections can be filled with unique materials and objects. At the Institute archives our staff often come across many unexpected and interesting items, which caused the team to reflect on how these items came to the archives, how the items were used, who used the items, and what the items can tell us about their owners. Recently, when opening an unprocessed box our team found what we thought to be surprising yet common objects – stereoscopes.
Before the digital world and virtual reality there was the stereoscope, a three dimensional viewing device invented in the 1800s.
In the Institute archives were find some examples. These include the View-Master and the Holmes-type device.
The Holmes-type device, invented by American author Oliver Wendell Holmes, was an instrument which held a card with two images, one for each eye, that created an optical 3D illusion. The View-Master which had a disc or reel with small transparent images was introduced in 1939. It went through many changes and was ultimately outdated by the vibrant plastic versions. The Institute archive holds the Model C, which was produced from 1945 to 1955.

Image 1: Homes-type device
Image 2: View-Master

27/04/2025

Art has historically been proclaimed by the Catholic Church as a tool for devotion. It was never clearer how important art was to the Church than at the meeting of the Council of Trent where in 1563 the Church would decree that art was, in fact, crucial for aiding devotion and not a vehicle for false idol worship as criticisms would have suggested. These Tridentine reforms went so far as to instruct artists on how to render and compose holy scenes in a more comprehensible way so that the religious message behind the work clear. The idea that holy figures and particularly the holy family were human and even accessible was a powerful tool that aided devotion and pilgrimage amongst viewers then, and now.
In our collection, we have objects that were purchased by congregations to beautify their spaces and inspire worship. One such object is the statue of Our Lady of Mercy with the Christ Child from the Wilcannia Forbes Congregation. In this statue, we can see that Mary and Jesus are depicted naturally and aren’t located in an other-worldly space but rather seated on a plinth topped with a pillow. Even more, the drapery of Mary’s robe is pushed to the front around her legs to give her weight and three-dimensionality that grounds her in our reality.

Image 1: Statue of Our Lady of Mercy with the Christ Child

25/04/2025

24/04/2025

One hundred and forty five years ago the Sisters of Mercy established a convent at Mt. Gambier, South Australia.

With the arrival of twelve sisters from Argentina, the first two-storey building in Mt. Gambier, which operated as a store before being utilised by the sisters, became a convent school.

The school was opened on the 12th of July 1880 with 3 pupils. Enrolments increased and by the end of 1880 the convent school had 28 students in attendance.

Needlework had been taught as part of the curriculum since the convent school’s opening. One example, found in the former Adelaide Congregation textile collection is a cross stitch sampler made by a Miss Hilda Jens in 1889, an accomplished student of the convent school.

Image 1 First convent opened in 1880
Image 2 Cross-stitch sampler made by Hilda Jens

22/04/2025

We join the global Catholic community in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. We remember his focus on social justice and environmental stewardship, as well as his emphasis on the importance of studying history, particularly the history of the Church. May his legacy continue to inspire us. Rest in peace.