New Norcia

It was just 160 km to New Norcia, a place I have always wanted to visit after reading so much about the monastery and the buildings that make up this town. All the reading and information you can gather does not prepare you for how grand and remarkable this place truly is.
 
You don't have to be a Catholic to appreciate this special spot, and if you ever find yourself in Western Australia, a visit to this town should definitely be on everyone's bucket list. It is located about 132 km northeast of Perth in the wheat belt.
 
The town or estate covers 41 square kilometres, and twenty-seven of the buildings are listed on the heritage register. All the revenue generated is reinvested in the estate for the monks' operation. 

New Norcia was founded in 1874 by Spanish Benedictine Monks led by Rosendo Salvado. In those early years, there were eighty monks living here; today, there are only ten.

 

You can explore the town at your own pace, but to truly appreciate and learn about its history, a guided tour is essential. Our $45 ticket included a two-hour tour, as well as access to the museum and art gallery, which we could visit as often as we liked. The tour also allowed us to see the interiors of many buildings that are generally not open to the public.

 

We dined at the hotel on our first evening. Built in 1927 and funded by the Queen of Spain, she planned to visit once it was completed, but never did. All the doors, including the staircase to the second floor, were oversized to accommodate her huge flowing dresses.

The Abbey Church contains the marble tomb of New Norcia's founder, Rosendo Salvado. One of only two large Moser organs built in Germany and imported to Australia in the 1920s is also located in the church and is often played by one of the monks.

The visitor centre features an art gallery, museum, and a well-stocked gift shop. It also contains works by European masters and gifts from the Spanish Queen.

This chalice was presented to Rosendo Salavado by Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1857.

This Gothic-style chalice was presented to Abbot Fulgentius Torres by Pope Pius X in 1910. Abbot Fulgentius Torres was the second abbot after Salvado, who died in December 1900.

This ivory crucifix belonged to Fr Santos Salvado, Chaplain of Her Majesty Queen Isabella II of Spain, and he donated it to the New Norcia mission in November 1868.

This crown which is silver plated with semi-precious stones belonged to D. Pablo Martinez, personal Chaplin to Queen Isabella 2nd of Spain. 1868

The gift shop features locally sourced gifts and a selection of New Norcia's produce, including Olive Oil, Abbey Wines, bread baked on the estate, and Abbey Beer with an alcohol content of 7.3%. The grapes are cultivated south at Bindoon, and the wine matures in the cool cellars beneath the Monastery. 

The Monastery residence is the home to the Benedictine Monks and is a restricted area; however, we were encouraged to take photos of the courtyard.

St Ildephonsus College was also designed by Abbot Fulgentius Torres and originally served as a boys' boarding school operated by the Marist Brothers. The chapel is splendid, and the murals painted on the walls and above the altar are simply breathtaking.

St Gertrude's College was also designed by Abbot Fulgentius Torres. It was initially opened as a girls' boarding school, with the murals in this chapel being more feminine but still spectacular. 

This scrub roller was drawn by horses to loosen and flatten scrub in preparation for burning and clearing.

And this wine press was used on the Benedictine Community's estate south-east of New Norcia.

The current Abbot is Father John Herbert, the 7th Abbot of New Norcia, and we were told on our tour that he speaks ten different languages fluently.
 
Being self-sufficient, we were able to camp on the oval for just $10 a night. If you needed power, toilets, and showers, it was $20 per night behind the roadhouse.