Sacred Heart Convent of Mercy

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Sacred Heart convent of Mercy was established in 1859-1860 in a large Colonial single storey mansion house 'Sunville' erected c 1850 for JW Belcher, and acquired by the Catholic church in 1855. J. L. Shaw, Geelong architect, designed the original orphanage building in 1864 and the Boarding school of 1969, with the new convent building being erected 1872-74 to design by noted church architect T. A. Kelly. This complex of buildings, largely of bluestone with Barrabool freestone dressings, I one of the finest Convents in Victoria suitably styled in the Gothic Revival traditions and with important association with the foundation of catholic education in Victoria.

RECOMMENDATIONS: PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Geelong Regional Commission Register

Historic Buildings Council Register

Australian Heritage Commission register of the National Estate

REFERENCES

Cirillo PR and Moani HE - The Hermitage and Sacred Heart Girls College's - History Research Essay, Department of Architecture, University of Melbourne 1970.

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) File No 1343.

Geelong Advertiser - 27th October, 1863, 31st May, 1864, 18th October, 1864, 28th December, 1864, 4th February, 1867, 1st January, 1868, 23rd August, 1869, 25th October, 1869, 20th November, 1968, 10th December, 1869, 20th November, 1869, 10th December, 1869 - Various tender notices called by JL Shaw.

28th December, 1870 - Tender for additions called by Davidson and Henderson.

77th August, 1973 - Tender for Convent Church called by TA Kelly (Davidson & Henderson, Geelong acting as agents).

15th April, 1879, description of tenders.

7th October, 1885 - Tender for additions called by Joseph Watts.

Brownhill, WR - The History of Geelong and Corio Bay - Wilke and Co, Melbourne 1955, p294.

Smith, James (Ed) - The Cyclopedia of Victoria - 3 Volumes, The cyclopedia Co, Melbourne, 1904 Volume 3, p434.

Geelong Historuc Records Centre - Photographs 1316, 1317, 1318 and 1319

Historic Building Council File.

Group

Education

Category

School - Private