The Order of Preachers, Dominicans, was founded by St Dominic Guzman in 1206 in Prouille, France. Introduced to Australia in the Diocese of Maitland from Ireland by Bishop James Murray and Mother Agnes Bourke OP in 1867. (Source: Catholic Archdiocese of Perth)

From this original group of women, foundations spread through out Europe with the first known foundation of Dominican nuns in Ireland established in Galway in 1644. Two other Irish foundations were eventually formed at Drogheda and Sion Hill, in Dublin, and it was from Sion Hill that Mother Mary Gabriel Gill (pictured on left) led a mission to Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1870.

Twenty-nine years later, a small group of Sisters travelled to Western Australia’s Goldfields after Bishop William Kelly, the newly appointed Bishop of Geraldton, invited them to establish a foundation in the recently formed Geraldton Diocese.

In March 1899, Mother Gabriel, together with Sisters di Ricci Kirby, Gonzales Wall, Dominica Murphy, Di Pazzi Miscall, Bonaventure McEntyre and postulant Kate Murphy, were named as the Western Australian founding members. On 7 June 1899 the group arrived in Greenough to form the first foundation of Dominican Sisters in Western Australia. (Source: CEWA Stories)

 

“I can put before you no inducement to come here, but for the love of God.

If you can work for God’s sake and endure hard things and wait for better times, come along.

Should you think the prospects too uninviting, I will not blame you”.

– Bishop Kelly, 5th January 1899

(Source: Domsiswa.org)

 

Construction of the Greenough convent commenced in 1898. The building housed the Dominican Sisters who arrived at Greenough from New Zealand in 1899. The Sisters established a school in the large northern end room in June 1899 which was known as St Joseph’s School. (Source: City of Greater Geraldton Place Record)

In 1901 they relocated to Dongara and established St Dominic’s Priory. (Source: Monument Australia)

Situated on the original main road to Dongara and the port, the Dongara Hotel was built as a single storey limestone rubble structure by William Criddle in 1881. In 1902 the Dominican Sisters purchased the building, added the second storey and renamed the building St. Dominic’s Priory. The large school building to the west was opened in 1926 and named The Dominican Ladies College. The school operated until 1971, when a flood from the Irwin River destroyed the tennis courts, school playground and inundated the building with mud. In the mid 1980’s new owners renovated the building and the hotel licence was restored as The Priory Lodge. (Source: IDHS Records) 2004 The place continues to operate as a hotel with maintenance and renovation works being carried out by the owners. (Source: InHerit WA)

 

The Motto of the Dominican Sisters…

To contemplate and share with others the fruits of contemplation…

has been the guiding force of the lives of the women who lived and worked in this region.

(Source: Monument Australia)

 

It was from this small beginning that the Sisters spread to other rural centres. Three months after their arrival in Greenough, the Sisters agreed to found a second mission in Cue, an early gold mining town situated in a harsh environment. (Source: CEWA Stories)