The Convent and Sisters residing there played a large and important role in the local community. They were involved with fundraising for the Catholic parish through concerts, balls and fetes held at the Convent. For example, in 1925 a fete was held to raise money for the Church, with the Sisters and Convent school teachers supervising stalls and the 20 pupils performed as an orchestra (Brisbane Courier, 23 November 1925:19).
As a cornerstone of parish and school for many decades, the Convent grew to accommodate a large number of Sisters during a 30 year period from 1940, where at times up to 20 nuns plus boarders and domestic staff resided there.
The Convent was originally named
The Convent of the Lady of Mt Carmel after Sister Mary Wilfrid’s Mt Carmel School at Yass (formed after the Sisters arrived in the small New South Wales town in 1875). To honour the past, the building was renamed The Mt Carmel Centre as a sign of respect to the Sisters of Mercy.
(Content Courtesy - Australian Heritage Specialists Conservation Management Plan 2016)