‘Memory is one of God’s Royal Gifts to the Soul’

Words by Robin Scott & Theresa Cronk

become collectors of memory pictures… to be enjoyed as long as life may last. ”

As Mother Gonzaga Barry grew older, she valued her precious memories. She advised her students to collect memories in the picture gallery of their minds; to “become collectors of memory pictures…to be enjoyed as long as life may last.”

True to this advice, we keep Loreto’s precious memories preserved in our Archives Centre, which is just inside the front gates of Loreto College Ballarat; reminding us, as we enter the College, of the history and traditions inherited by each successive Loreto community. The Archives Centre is a combination of old and new, as is appropriate for a 21st century repository for memories of the past kept for the future. The glass front of the Centre reflects our gardens and heritage buildings as well as our students as they walk down the front driveway, just as the collection reflects the history of the Loreto Sisters and the Loreto students and community.

Opened in 2013, the Loreto Archives Centre houses the collections of Loreto’s Australian Province (the Sisters and their missions) and Loreto College Ballarat. The building was originally a little two-room parish primary school constructed in 1908, later a kindergarten, and later still, a performing arts space (The Cottage).

Above: The Cottage before the renovations in 2012

To house our Archives, the 1960’s extensions were removed and new additions, including repositories for College and Province Archives, workroom, reading room and offices, were built. The old schoolhouse became the Heritage Gallery for displays at the heart of the building.

Our Heritage Gallery contains stories of the pioneering sisters, religious life and early education, interpreted with artefacts, photographs and documents from the historic collection. We also have interactive games and activities for our student visitors.

Our current display looks at the ‘Art of the Chapel’. We have on display, works of artists who helped decorate the Chapel, elaborately embroidered vestments, the architectural plans of the Chapel and other artefacts from the Chapel’s building and design. You can also see our orrery, or clockwork model of the solar system used by 19th Century students, and some beautiful sacred objects.

Above: Orrery, or model of the solar system

Later this year we will be looking at Loreto’s Irish roots with a display honouring the bicentenary of the founding of Loreto in Ireland (the Irish Branch of Mary Ward women) by Mother Teresa Ball and the many Irish Sisters who came to Australia to establish convents and schools.

Some of the treasures of our collection are also available in digital form and can be explored on the Loreto Sisters’ website - https://www.loreto.org.au/about-us/ archives/

Collection highlights and stories are regularly posted on the Loreto Archives Centre Facebook page.

We welcome visitors and researchers who are interested in understanding and interpreting the history of Loreto College Ballarat as well as the activities of Loreto Sisters and their missions throughout Australia and South East Asia. Next time you are passing, and you have a moment, please come in and see our displays.

Above: Artwork inside the Archives Centre