OUTING REPORT
It all began back in 1861 when Collingwood was known as a slum with over 12,500 people living in terrible conditions with disease and infant mortality high. This led the Melbourne Archbishop to contact the sisters of the Good Shepherd in France and asked them to establish a convent in Melbourne.
So out came 4 Irish sisters from France. By 1900 the convent was the largest charitable institution operating in the Southern Hemisphere. Women could admit themselves voluntarily while others were involuntarily admitted by the courts/families. This began a serious class division in all areas – even in the chapel each group had their own area to sit and they were not permitted to mix in case they were contaminated by “fallen women”.
Of particular interest was the commercial laundry where only the involuntary women worked – it was in fact a female prison with dreadful conditions where hard labour was seen as penitence. We were quite shocked to learn that they even had to give up their names and take on the name of a saint – part of the reformation process.
The model of care began to change in the 60’s as the Good Shepherd sisters began to expand their work so by 1974 the convent closed – it was sold in 1975 and is now heritage listed.
I think I would be right in saying all 25 of us have returned home feeling quite moved at learning that the women and the children had such a hard regimented life – an insight into social welfare at that time
Janette James: Convenor Day Trips
