New Norcia

Along the way on this amazing trip we meet lots of other like minded nomads/travellers, and we are always swapping stories or giving/receiving advice on where to go and what we have seen or should definitely see.

We take a lot of it on board, and a lot we dismiss.  We did meet a couple many weeks ago, somewhere in the NT, who were raving about this extraordinary little town in Western Australia, they were so excited about it that I did put it on our list of 'must see'.

Well yesterday we found ourselves in the fascinating town of New Norcia, about 145kms north of Perth.

New Norcia
One of Western Australia's most extraordinary architectural sights is the nineteenth century monastic community of New Norcia.

Extravagant buildings, olive trees and church bells, it is like a piece of Old Spain in the middle of the Australian bush.

The first 50 years of New Norcia's history is dominated by the towering figure of Bishop Rosando Salvado.  Along with another Spanish Benedictine monk, Dom Jose Serra, he founded New Norcia in 1846, spending the rest of his life making it one of the most progressive and successful missions in Australian history.

Rev Rosando Salvado as he leaves for Australia

Salvado's original vision was to create, among the indigenous people of the Victorian Plains, a Christian, largely self sufficient village based on agriculture.  However, after the decimation of the
local populations by introduced diseases in the 1860's, he concentrated his activity on giving a practical education to the indigenous children who were brought to New Norcia from all over the state.

 

Like other missionaries of the 19th century, his aim was to 'civilise' and evangelise according to the European ideals of the time, but he did so with sympathy for indigenous culture that was rare in his day.

Around their small monastery they built a small village comprising a church, flour mill, schools and a hostel.

Today the town is one of the great cultural heritage sites of Australia.

Twenty seven of its buildings are classified by the National Trust yet it also continues to be home to a community if Benedictine monks who own and operate this truly unique settlement.

The little township has a tourist information centre, museum and art gallery, with a gift shop of course, a roadhouse and a grand hotel.

We took part in the guided daily walking tour which allowed us to see the elaborate interiors behind the closed doors and we heard stories of the rich history and heritage of this unique town.

Jude and I with our guide Garry



Laurie chatting with the monks



We camped in the Monastery grounds for a nominal fee and enjoyed a wonderful meal, and an Abbey Ale and wine, in the original hostel building which is now a grand hotel.

An extract from Salvado's Diary - 3rd March 1846

          "On our third day in the bush, 3rd March, we were having our standard meal - eight ounces of damper, with some boiled rice and a cup of tea - when quite out of the blue, a crowd of natives appeared, armed with half a dozen or more spears. We faced them smiling, though God knows with what interior agitation, and in sign language offered them tea and bread. However they ignored us and sat down near the river where they palavered a great deal between themselves.

          "We conferred on how to make friendly overtures, and decided to get a lot of damper, tea and sugar ready, and offer to eat and drink with them.

          "We knelt down and asked the Almighty to bless us, and then we went over to the natives with the food stuffs and drink. At this the men resolutely seized their weapons, and the women and children ran off howling. We ate mouthfuls of damper and sugar, and made signs to them to put down their spears and join us in eating.

          "Some of them lowered their weapons, and Father Serra and I handed out sugar and bread, paying special attention to some small boys, who were crying and clinging to their parents' legs and showing every sign of terror.

          "When they first tried the sugar they spat it out suspiciously, but seeing that we were quite happy about it, they tried some more, found they liked it, nodded their heads in signs of approval, and encouraged the others to eat.

          "In a few minutes they had disposed of all we had to spare, and were quarrelling over the precious remnants. And so, through heavenly intervention, the result of this dangerous encounter was a victory for the peaceful missionaries - a victory obtained without bloodshed or noise of arms"