St Columba's Convent, Dalby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Columba's Convent (former) |
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St Columba's former Convent, 2010
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| Location | 169 Cunningham Street, Dalby, Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1910s (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | George Bernard Roskell |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: St Columba's Convent (former), Iona | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 9 December 2010 |
| Reference no. | 602761 |
| Significant period | 1913–2010 |
| Significant components | grotto, convent/nunnery, dormitory wing, chapel |
| Builders | John Draney |
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St Columba's Convent is a historic building in Dalby, Australia. It used to be a convent for Roman Catholic nuns. The building is located at 169 Cunningham Street.
It was designed by an architect named George Bernard Roskell. John Draney built it in 1913. The convent is also known as Iona. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on December 9, 2010. This means it is a special place protected for its history.
Contents
A Look Back: History of St Columba's Convent
The St Columba's Convent was built in 1913 for the Sisters of Mercy. These nuns needed a place to live and to teach their boarding students. At that time, Dalby was growing fast. The Sisters of Mercy lived in the convent until 1990. After that, the local church bought it. It was used as a student hostel and later as a youth and community center.
Dalby's Early Days
Dalby grew because it was in the Darling Downs, a very important farming area in Queensland. The town was first planned in 1852. It was named Dalby in 1853, after a place on the Isle of Man. Dalby quickly got important services like a post office in 1854. It became a town in 1863. When the railway line reached Dalby in 1868, the town grew even more.
The Sisters of Mercy Arrive
In 1861, James Quinn became the first Catholic Bishop of Brisbane. Many people in Queensland were Catholic, especially in towns like Dalby. At first, Catholic services in Dalby were not regular. Priests would hold mass in local hotels. The first Catholic school in Dalby opened in 1864. Dalby's first Catholic church, St Joseph's, opened in 1866.
In 1876, Bishop Quinn asked Father Denis Byrne to start a convent in Dalby. The Sisters of Mercy helped with this. They had come to Queensland in 1860 and were very important for starting Catholic schools. A group of Sisters of Mercy arrived in Dalby in 1877. They used a building that was once a hotel, and it became their eleventh school in Queensland, called St Columba's. A new timber church was built in 1886.
Building the New Convent
Dalby continued to grow in the late 1800s and early 1900s. New railways were built, and farming, especially dairying and wheat, became very successful. This growth meant there was a need for a bigger, specially built Catholic convent in Dalby.
In 1910, land was given to the Catholic Church for the new convent. James Duhig, a bishop, laid the foundation stone in November 1910. In 1911, local architect George Bernard Roskell asked for builders to bid on the project. Roskell was a skilled architect who had designed many important buildings. He had worked in Sydney and New Zealand before moving to Dalby in 1909.
St Columba's Convent officially opened on June 8, 1913. About 500 people came to the ceremony. The Parish Priest, Father Nolan, said the convent cost £7,267. People donated money to help pay off the debt. The builder, John Draney, and the Clerk of Works, Michael Kelly, were praised for their hard work.
Life Inside the Convent
The Dalby Herald newspaper described the new convent as being in the Gothic style. It was a large building with strong foundations. The main entrance had a simple porch with the name St Columba's on it. The front verandah had pretty cast iron railings. The floors inside were made of a strong timber called crows ash.
Inside, the main entrance led to a hall. On each side were reception rooms. To the right was a study for the boarding students. This room could be opened up to a dining room for students. There were also music rooms. A staircase led up to the students' dormitory. Behind the entrance was the nuns' dining room. On the left, a grand timber staircase led to the upper floor. Beyond the staircase was the large chapel, which was 63 feet long and 14 feet wide. It had beautiful stained glass windows.
On the first floor, the students' dormitory took up the entire western side. It had very high ceilings. There were also bathrooms with showers. A corridor led to a small hospital room for younger children. The nuns had six small rooms, called cells, to sleep in. The upper floor also had a large community room for the nuns, their bathrooms, and a linen room. The convent had its own water supply and was one of the first buildings in Dalby to have a modern septic system. The ceilings were made of decorative pressed metal.
Changes Over Time
More Catholic buildings were built in Dalby, including a school in 1916 and a new church in 1921. Father Nolan, the priest, was honored in 1930 for his work in building these beautiful churches and schools in Dalby.
Over the years, many Catholic schools were built in the Darling Downs region. St Columba's was one of the important ones. Boarding at St Columba's stopped in the 1960s. The school continued to grow. In 1980, St Mary's College became a school for both boys and girls. St Columba's then became the primary school.
In October 1990, the Sisters of Mercy left Dalby. This was part of a change where more schools became co-educational (for both boys and girls) and were run by lay teachers. In 1991, the Dalby Parish bought the convent. They updated it and opened it as St Joseph's, a hostel for students from rural areas. The St Columba's school building was damaged by fire in 1998. The school eventually moved to a new location. In 2008, St Columba's and St Mary's schools joined together to form Our Lady of the Southern Cross College.
In 1999, St Joseph's Hostel closed. The former convent became known as Iona. It was then used by different community groups. In 2006, the Myall Youth and Community Network Centre (MYCNC) moved in.
What St Columba's Convent Looks Like
The former St Columba's Convent is on a corner block in Dalby. It is a large, two-story building made of brick and timber. It faces Cunningham Street and Edward Street. The building has a strong presence on the street.
The building is shaped like an "H". It stands on concrete foundations with brick and timber supports. The main part of the building is made of reddish bricks. It has white bands around the windows on the front. The brick arches over the windows are curved. You can see some cracks in the brick walls inside and outside.
Some of the timber verandahs (porches) were originally closed in with timber boards. Others have been closed in more recently. The verandahs still have their original timber posts, decorations, and brackets. The ceilings of the ground floor verandahs are made of ripple iron. The first floor verandah ceilings are angled and made of timber boards.
The original timber doors are either single or double doors. Many have rectangular windows above them. Some doors seem to have been moved.
The main roof is covered with corrugated iron. It has two long pointed sections over the main wings, connected by another pointed section in the middle. The ends of the roof sections have decorative timber. Two brick chimneys are on the roof. Celtic crosses decorate the ends of the main roof sections.
The front of the building, facing Cunningham Street, looks very balanced. It has a central porch made of timber. Verandahs run behind it between the brick walls of the two main wings. These verandahs have original white cast iron railings. The porch has double posts and a pointed arch shape at the top. The western side has three tall, narrow windows on each floor with pink and green glass. The eastern side is a bit narrower with two tall windows upstairs and a bay window downstairs.
The north-eastern side of the building still has many open verandah areas. A new timber staircase leads to the first floor verandah. The south-western side has only a small part of the ground floor verandah open. This side also has a two-story brick section with three original windows.
The back of the building has two wings that form a courtyard. Many different types of windows are here, including original timber windows and newer aluminum ones. There is an original external timber staircase in the middle.
Inside the Convent Today
The inside of the building is mostly still the same. Most ceilings are covered with pressed metal in different patterns. Many rooms have a timber picture rail for hanging pictures. Wide timber skirtings are at the bottom of most walls. The timber floors are mostly covered with carpet.
The ground floor layout is largely unchanged. You enter from Cunningham Street into a small lobby. Reception rooms are on either side. The front door is fancy, with patterned glass. Beyond the lobby is a central hallway that connects the two wings.
On the southern side of the corridor are the former nuns' dining room, a small office, and the main staircase. The staircase has a polished silky oak railing. The nuns' dining room has a fireplace with a carved silky oak mantelpiece.
The north-eastern wing holds the chapel and a small room called a sacristy. The altar area in the chapel has stained glass windows with flowers and symbols. All other windows have green leadlight glass. The Stations of the Cross are in timber frames on the walls.
The south-western wing has two large rooms at the northern end. These were the students' study and dining room, separated by large folding timber doors. At the southern end is a kitchen, which has been updated. An original stove area remains.
On the first floor, the middle part of the convent has six small rooms that were the nuns' cells. There is also a large room that was the infirmary (sick room), now divided into two. The enclosed verandah behind these rooms has a kitchen, dining area, and bathroom.
The north-eastern wing on the first floor has a meeting room, three more former nuns' cells, and bathrooms. The south-western wing was once a single long dormitory room for students. It is now divided into five rooms. The original high, curved ceiling of the dormitory can still be seen in some of these rooms. The former student bathrooms are at the southern end of this wing.
Some of the nuns' cells still have old wallpaper. The largest room has a fireplace similar to the one downstairs.
Outside Areas
The grounds of St Columba's have open lawns and various trees and shrubs. Some old trees, like several bottle trees, are still there. There is a parking area at the back. The front fence has two original brick pillars marking the gateway.
Near the north-east side, there is a brick pavilion with a crucifix statue. It has a tiled roof and arches. There is also a grotto made of stone with a garden. A statue of the Virgin Mary is in a small alcove. A marble plaque here remembers Sister Mary Agatha, who died in 1917.
A brass plaque in the front garden celebrates 113 years of the Sisters of Mercy in Dalby. Another plaque near the main door remembers the laying of the foundation stone. A large brass plaque also marks the building's reopening as St Joseph's Parish Hostel in 1991.
Important People Connected to St Columba's
- Ivy May Pearce, a famous aviator (pilot) and fashion designer, was a student at St Columba's.
Why St Columba's Convent is Important
The former St Columba's Convent was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on December 9, 2010. This means it is recognized as a very important historical place.
Showing Queensland's History
St Columba's Convent is a large brick and timber building. It was built in 1913, mostly paid for by donations from local people. This shows how successful farming and grazing were in the Darling Downs region of Queensland at that time.
The convent was designed by local architect George Bernard Roskell for the Sisters of Mercy. It shows how the Catholic Church grew in regional Queensland. It also highlights the big part the Sisters of Mercy played in developing education in the state. They did this by setting up convents, schools, and boarding houses. The Sisters served the Dalby area for 113 years, and lived in St Columba's for 77 of those years until 1990.
Key Features of a Convent
St Columba's Convent is an excellent example of a Sisters of Mercy convent and boarding school. It was built for the wealthy town of Dalby. The building still looks grand on Cunningham Street. Its outside shows key features of this type of building: a front with three pointed roof sections, Gothic designs, and verandahs all around.
Inside, the former convent is also very well preserved. It still has its original layout and finishes. These include the chapel and sacristy on the ground floor, stained glass windows, decorative timberwork, dining rooms, reception rooms, and the nuns' cells and students' dormitory on the first floor with its special pressed metal ceiling.
Beautiful Design
St Columba's Convent is a very elegant and beautiful building. Its front facade has three pointed roof sections, brick walls with white bands, and timber verandahs. The design and size of the convent give it a strong visual presence on Cunningham Street, Dalby's main road. It shares this quality with two other important church buildings nearby: St Joseph's Catholic Church and St John's Church of England.
