1973 - April - A public invitation
1973 - Historic Goulburn monastery closes
After 84 years and 281 professions that Passionists congregation has left the Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn.
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Formerly the novitiate house for Australia, Mary's Mount Monastery, at Goulburn, has been transferred to South Australia.
Hey farewell mass for the congregation was recently concelebrated at Goulburn by Archbishop T. V. Carhill and 24 priests. Later, at a gathering at St Patrick's Hall Goulburn, His grace said he hoped that the Passionists' departure would only be temporary, and that they would return to the archdioceses. Father Daniel Lyne, C.P., Provincial superior for the Passionists in Australia, replied that he saw the orders departure as a sign of hope and confidence as the priests were committed to preaching the Gospel in the most effective way. "The fact that we are prepared to part with things very dear to us for the sake of the gospel of Christ, is something that I don't regret. "The fact that we have the strength to make the decision and carry it out is something that we should be proud of, and it is in deed, a sign of great hope, Father Lyne said. In preparation for closing the monastery the Stations of the Cross which stood in the grounds have been moved to the sisters of Mercy novitiate, Goulburn, and graves from the monastery cemetery have been moved to the Passionists section of the Catholic cemetery, Rookwood. |
November 1973 - Monastery & grounds redevelopment
EVENING POST 1ST NOVEMBER 1973
May 1974
THE EVENING POST 16 May 1974
A Goulburn landmark, the 14 marble stations of the Cross at Mary's Mount Monastery will be removed from the grounds and red-erected at St Michael's novitiate in Kenmore St. The erection of the statues began in the early 1950's and took six years to complete. Superior, Fr. Gerard Mahoney, pictured carrying out regular cleaning work on one of the statues, said it would cost $4000 beach to replace them. He was Superior at the Monastery during the time the statues were erected. Work on the project is expected to begin next week. |
July 1974
MOVE OVER
THE EVENING POST 4 JULY 1974 All 14 Stations of the Cross from Mary's Mount Monastery have been transferred to St Michael's noviciate in Kenmore Street. The highly valuable statues have been set around the gardens of the noviciate, run by the sisters of Mercy. The statues have been moved by cranes over the past fortnight. Picture shows Sister Mary Carmella, Mother Provincial of the noviciate (left) and Sister Mary Paul, Mother Superior, inspecting one of the works. |
1974? - Church orders bodies dug up
By Alec Field
The bodies of 22 catholic priests had been exhumed rom the grounds of a Goulburn Monastery. |
Police and Health Department offices supervise the removal of the bodies from a small cemetery at the rear of the Passionless Fathers Monastery at Mary's Mount 2 miles from the centre of Goulburn.
The mass exhumation was ordered by the Church following the sale of the 54 - acre monastery property is to a developer. "It was a very sad decision, the Superior Father of the Monastery, Father Gerrard Mahony, said yesterday. "But after much thought we considered their souls would be happier if the remains were removed to Rookwood Cemetery, where are the Passionless Fathers are buried. "They would not want the graves to stay in the middle of a housing development." The Monastery was sold to Alkel Holdings for $230,000. "The decision to sell the property was taken after church leaders discuss the removal of the grades. "It was not taken lightly," Father Mahoney said. The 40 bedroom monastery had only four tenants during the past four years and was simply too costly." |
1974 ? Monastery Up Three lot sale
The Mary's Mount Monastery been listed for mortgagee sale.
Director of Wade, Hickson, Debenham Pty Ltd., the Sydney real estate agent handling the sale, Mr Morris Weiner, said the property could be sold singularly or in three separate lots. The asking price for the three lots was $340,000. Lot 4 was listed is at $100,000 lot 11 for $70,000 and lot 12 including monastery buildings, $200,000. "Lot 4 can be subdivided for residential purposes subject to cancel approval and amplification of necessary services", is Mr Wheeler said. He said lots 11 and 12 did not appear to have any immediate potential for subdivision. |
However, he recommended that inquiries for potential uses of the three lots be discussed with the town planning Department of the Goulburn City Council.
Some of the uses suggested for the property were development as a country club, health farm, still, is institution, private hospital, is a future casino, or convention/– training centre. The monastery features tree-lined driveway, 40 bedrooms, large ex-chapel, belltower, staircases and stained-glass windows. The Goulburn associate agent's is Alan Salmon Real Estate. |
November 1974Evening Post - November 8 1974
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To the editor
MARY'S MOUNT Sir, - for the first time in 40 years, I recently was privileged to visit Mary's amount. I was in chanted by the beauty of its position and gardens overlooking, as it does the whole of Goulburn in its ring of blue hills, and I was greatly impressed by the potential of the gracious well-designed, well-equipped building. I had asked what was the future of the estate, and I was horrified to be told that, among the variety of rumours about its usage, that it had been sold to developers for possible demolition and subdivision for a new residential suburb. Surely, Goulburn, with its strong historical interest, must have plans for its retention in its present form and use of this unique complex. Granted, it does not come into the category of old colonial, which has led to the preservation of much less attractive and useful buildings. But can a city with pretensions to historical and cultural interests afford to lose a monument which adds picturesqueness and dignity to its skyline, Aswell as providing accommodation for some institution without spending the millions so casually tossed about? Comparable cities like Armadale found a purpose for the whites old Homestead when they were establishing a university and Bathurst found a similar educational use for the old home of the Stuarts, situated much as Mary's Mount is. Why could it not be used as a school for spastic children or a hospital for handicapped people, for an old people's home or as a conference – cultural centre. Indeed, in the country towns I know, there are few buildings of such aesthetic delight, Aswell as being ideally suited for communal living with very little adaption and renovation. Can Goulburn be less and enterprising than these other cities? With so few picturesque buildings in superbly designed grounds in the Australian landscape, surely we should do our utmost to preserve what already exists. DYMPHNA CUSACK 6 Plant St. Balgowlah |
2000 - St Michael's noviciate closes
The Stations of the Cross left Goulburn in year 2000. The Passionists then move them to the Passionist Monastery at Glen Osmond, South Australia.
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March 2008 - views around Mary's Mount
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