Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Home in the World
What do you get when you combine a rural Australian town and Spanish Benedictine monks? New Norcia. For it was here, 132 km (82 miles) north of Perth, Western Australia, that Spanish monks following The Rule of St Benedict founded a community which, to this day, continues to be Australia’s only monastic town.
The anti-clerical government that existed in Spain in the 1830s and ’40s resulted in the closure of many monasteries, and two monks who found themselves on the receiving end of this – Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado – ended up as missionaries assigned to the first Bishop of Perth, Rt Rev John Brady. Brady led a missionary party to Australia, arriving in Perth in January 1846. And it would be the two Spaniards who would go on to establish the town of New Norcia in 1847 as a mission for local Aboriginal people.
Today, it still only has a population of around 100, with life here revolving predominantly around the Monastery, where the monks live and work. And being only about a 90-minute drive from Perth, it also attracts a number of tourists, who either come here for the day (as my friends and I did) or decide to spend a night or two to really soak up the unique atmosphere.
And unique it most definitely is. An oasis of European architecture and heritage set among the red dirt and eucalyptus trees of outback Australia. We visited on a clear winter’s day in mid-June, and were struck not only by the serenity but also, and more notably, by the ornate buildings for which rural Australian towns are not generally otherwise known – like the New Norcia Hotel, with its elegant yellow balustrades and columns topping graceful white arches, was originally a hostel for the parents of the New Norcia colleges’ boarders, but would in fact look more at home on the Mediterranean coast.
Or the Gothic Revival-style St Gertrude’s College (a former girls’ school), with its red and white geometric brickwork and sweeping driveway lined with lush palms.
Or St Ildephonsus’, the boys’ college, whose architecture, featuring similar brickwork to St Gertude’s, is amazingly influenced by Byzantine styles. Visiting its chapel, boasting work by three master craftsmen – Lesmes Lopez, Salvador Alberich and Juan Casellas – is an experience in itself. As you look up at the great arch of its ceiling and admire the gold glinting off the halos of the angels on the main mural, it is mind-blowing to remember you are indeed in small-town Western Australia and not in some grand European city.
The Monastery itself, a tranquil spiritual sanctuary, has imposing wrought-iron gates topped with relief art of its emblem.
Perhaps the most ‘Spanish’ of all buildings is the Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, housing a German-made Moser organ and the tomb of Dom Rosendo Salvado.
We visited most of the above buildings as part of a short guided tour which operates daily. It also took us through the Flour Mill and an Aboriginal art centre, which showcased paintings of the six seasons that exist in Noongar Aboriginal beliefs.
All in all, New Norcia was quite a revelation to me as a Perth local. Arriving back home, I felt like I had spent the day in a completely different world – yet I had only been a 90-minute drive away. After stopping for a late-afternoon drink at the New Norcia Hotel, my friends and I left the town as dusk began to set in, and the vibe certainly did grow quite eerie as the sun continued to set – no doubt a combination of the quiet, isolated location and an anecdotal history of ghost sightings (including a flying nun dressed in blue). It had certainly been an interesting day, but I was glad to leave as darkness fell. For those that do wish to stay overnight, a number of accommodation options are available here. Would I recommend it as a place to visit? Sure – if you’re willing to make the 90-minute drive out of the city, you’ll be able to experience a tiny slice of (Spanish) Benedictine heritage in rural Australia. And that’s pretty unique.
Trip facts
When I visited: June 2012
Weather: We visited in mid-June, which is late autumn/early winter in Perth. While it can be rainy, you are also quite likely to enjoy the beautiful clear day we did, with temperatures of around 20°C/68°F. Bear in mind that if you visit in summer (December-March), it is common for temperatures to reach 40°C/100°F, particularly being further north and inland from Perth.
