Abbotsford Convent of the Good Shepherd (7 of 9)
The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park, with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its west..
During the 19th and part of the 20th century, the 6.8 hectare site was occupied by one of the largest convents in Victoria. Today the site and its buildings are used as an arts, educational and cultural hub, the grounds, historic buildings and gardens are occupied by and host artisans; community and cultural events and cultural institutions, a community classical music radio station (3MBS), a Steiner School (Sophia Mundi), live music performances, a gallery, theater, markets, bakery, bar, cafe and an organic pay-as-you-feel restaurant.Between 1863 and 1865, the nuns of the Order of the Good Shepherd purchased the St Heliers and Abbotsford House properties. The work of the French order was to bring 'lost sheep; back to the fold - women and girls in need of rescue and reformation. The nuns selected an isolated place that could house and feed many people. By 1865 seventy penitents lived in the reformatory and worked in the vegetable gardens,pastures and orchards. Over the years a convent, chapel, asylum, industrial school, reformatory and day school were built to accommodate the nuns, novices, penitents and children..
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The huge Convent provided shelter for orphans, the infirm and the sick. At one time there were as many as a thousand inhabitants within its walls, most of whom dined on produce grown here. the penitents operated a commercial laundry, which provided cash for convent purchases..
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Because of the risk of flooding, the river flats were only used to graze cattle and grow lucerne and maize. the main pathway to the grazing paddocks, known as 'the laneway' was laid out by 1880. Our barn was built in the early 1900s..
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In the convent's first 50 years, 8236 people either lived, worked or went to school here..
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Institutional care underwent major reforms in the 1960s and 1970s with needy children being placed in foster care homes in the wider community. In 1974 the convent closed down. The Victorian Government purchased the property for use by a tertiary education institution. Market gardeners leased the farmland and grew vegetables and carnations. The cost of refurbishing the convent complex resulted in its sale to private developers in 1997. Community concern has led to the preservation of the convent and the land.
Abbotsford Convent of the Good Shepherd (7 of 9)
The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park, with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its west..
During the 19th and part of the 20th century, the 6.8 hectare site was occupied by one of the largest convents in Victoria. Today the site and its buildings are used as an arts, educational and cultural hub, the grounds, historic buildings and gardens are occupied by and host artisans; community and cultural events and cultural institutions, a community classical music radio station (3MBS), a Steiner School (Sophia Mundi), live music performances, a gallery, theater, markets, bakery, bar, cafe and an organic pay-as-you-feel restaurant.Between 1863 and 1865, the nuns of the Order of the Good Shepherd purchased the St Heliers and Abbotsford House properties. The work of the French order was to bring 'lost sheep; back to the fold - women and girls in need of rescue and reformation. The nuns selected an isolated place that could house and feed many people. By 1865 seventy penitents lived in the reformatory and worked in the vegetable gardens,pastures and orchards. Over the years a convent, chapel, asylum, industrial school, reformatory and day school were built to accommodate the nuns, novices, penitents and children..
.
The huge Convent provided shelter for orphans, the infirm and the sick. At one time there were as many as a thousand inhabitants within its walls, most of whom dined on produce grown here. the penitents operated a commercial laundry, which provided cash for convent purchases..
.
Because of the risk of flooding, the river flats were only used to graze cattle and grow lucerne and maize. the main pathway to the grazing paddocks, known as 'the laneway' was laid out by 1880. Our barn was built in the early 1900s..
.
In the convent's first 50 years, 8236 people either lived, worked or went to school here..
.
Institutional care underwent major reforms in the 1960s and 1970s with needy children being placed in foster care homes in the wider community. In 1974 the convent closed down. The Victorian Government purchased the property for use by a tertiary education institution. Market gardeners leased the farmland and grew vegetables and carnations. The cost of refurbishing the convent complex resulted in its sale to private developers in 1997. Community concern has led to the preservation of the convent and the land.