Redemptorist Monastery and Church

Statement of Significance

The Redemptorist Monastery & Chapel is an exemplar of the Federation Free Gothic style. It is, perhaps, the finest work of one of the most talented architects of the period, Michael Cavanagh, and bears comparison with other notable Catholic Monasteries and Seminaries. Set within spacious landscaped grounds, the place is a landmark, a grand and finely conceived civic work, which was also the centrepiece of a fine housing estate. It makes a singular contribution to the character of the suburb. The place demonstrates close associations with the Catholic Church, Bishop Gibney, Bishop Clune, the Redemptorist Fathers and Michael Cavanagh.

Physical Description

This substantial three storey building complex is symmetrically arranged about a south facing pedimented four storey entry tower with flanking corner towers. It is basically a three storey dormitory block with the large Chapel forming a western wing, matched by a projecting gabled eastern wing, to form a wide, but shallow, entry court. A further residential wing projects beyond the eastern gabled wing. The Chapel has a separate front entry in its south wall. The building is a vigorous and picturesque design with the rusticated walls set against dressed dado, dressed opening surrounds and mullions, dressed string courses, label moulds and parapet cappings. The composition is enlivened by the treatment of the windows on the third floor as gabled dormers, set against the tiled roof, tall dressed chimneys and corner tourelles on gables providing a silhouette of constant change and interest. The dormitory blocks are served by double height loggias, with twinned columns on tall plinths to both levels. On the upper level the balustrades span between the plinths. The entrance porch is capped with castellated pinnacles and a crucifix finial. The Chapel is in the form of a Latin Cross set north-south, with a great south window of five lancet windows supporting three wheel windows within a dressed Gothic arch, above a rusticated and crennelated entry porch, with diagonal stepped coner buttresses and smaller buttresses flanking the solid timber arched entry door. The south gable, with its decorated gable and cross finial is flanked by pinnacled towers. There is a side porch in the west transept. The western façade has a regular pattern of buttresses separating 5 bays with central lancet windows. Both the eastern and western transepts are gabled with great windows, narrower than the south window, with counter set and stepped corner buttresses. The sanctuary is housed in the semi-circular apse at the north end, formed with buttressed bays and a conical hipped roof. The complex is worthy of comparison with the notable St Patrick's Seminary, Manly, of 1885, designed by Sherrin and Hennessey. Set well back from the street in a landscaped setting with a central driveway None apparent

History

The Redemptorist Monastery and Chapel was built over several years in the early 1900s, for the Redemptorist Fathers, a Catholic order. The Chapel is situated in the western wing of the building. The place was designed by Michael and James Cavanagh, who were responsible for a number of buildings for the Catholic Church and its Orders. Father Thomas O'Farrell of the Redemptorist Fathers arrived in WA on 22 September 1899, at the invitation of Bishop Matthew Gibney. The Bishop intended to build them a monastery at Guildford, but Father O'Farrell did not hear well of the place and was encouraged by Father Ryan of the Oblate Fathers to go to Highgate Hill, where Bishop Gibney owned a number of houses. When the rest of the Redemptorist group arrived in October 1899, they took up residence in two adjoining houses at Highgate Hill (either Nos. 46-48 or Nos. 52-54 Vincent Street, or possibly both) and for the next four years ministered to the needs of the Highgate Hill parish, from the corrugated iron shed which served as the Sacred Heart Church at this time. During this period, Bishop Gibney decided that the Redemptorists should have a Church-owned property in Vincent Street, North Perth, due to its accessibility. However, the North Perth property was split by the undeveloped Chelmsford Road and had already been surveyed into housing allotments and the city sanitary dump adjoined the property. The authorities co-operated with the wishes of Bishop Gibney and the Vincent Street property was transferred to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer as a single block. The City of Perth also resolved to relocate the sanitary dump and re-plan Chelmsford Road (extending from east to west) so as to leave the block intact. The Redemptorist Monastery and Church was opened on Sunday, 13 September 1903, with the Bishop Gibney and Abbot Torres from New Norcia officiating. The surrounding land was subdivided for residential development. New confessionals were installed in the Church circa 1917. In 1911-1912, the east wing was added. This was also designed by Michael and James Cavanagh. Contractor T. J. Green completed additions to the Church, including a sanctuary and transept in 1922 which were again designed by Michael and James Cavanagh. The shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was erected in 1925 and the shrine of Little Flower was a later addition. In 1967 a retreat house designed by Kierath Waldron was completed. Later stand alone additions of meeting and dining rooms, kitchen and dormitory blocks were designed by Oldham Boas Ednie-Brown in the Postwar Brutalist style prevalent in Perth, c. 1970. In the 1990s, alterations were made to the ground floor monastery kitchen and the first and second floor bathrooms, and a new lift installed. Redemptorist Father Patrick Joseph Clune, a member of the group that had arrived in Western Australia in October 1899, served as Bishop of Perth from 21 December 1910 to 24 May 1935. The Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that the Superior/ Rector of the Redemptorist Monastery and Chapel changed several times over the years, including V. Rev Michael Hanagan (1925-1930, Superior), Rev Thomas Robinson (1931-1933, Superior), Rev Denis Grogan (1935-1940, Superior) and Rev F. J. Duffy (1941-1949, Rector). On 27 November 2008 the Redemptorist Monastery and Chapel suffered from a fire in Room 18 on the second floor. The repair works were supported by the Heritage Council subject to specific conditions.

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Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.