It all started with an episode of “Masterchef”.
“Your challenge today is in Abbotsford Convent Bakery.”
We were inspired!
Oh we should take a day trip out to New Norcia Bakery (once run by the Benedictine monks). Let’s go this WA Day long weekend.
After a little Googling we discover via the New Norcia Bakery website that bread is no longer sold at the original New Norcia Bakery but instead here in Perth. But we read on about the New Norcia Benedictine Community and decide it is still definitely worth a day trip in the car with kids.
We consult Google Maps for directions, it will take us almost 2 hours to drive.
Our New Norcia Day Trip
So at 9am on Monday morning we are in the car packed for the road trip with water, snacks and activities for Lewis.
Lewis is so eager to play Eye Spy he starts before we back out the driveway. Half way up the Mitchell Freeway he has moved onto his colouring. Needless to say he runs out of activities before we are half way there. We endure 30 minutes of how much longer? Spending much of the time educating him about the signage on country roads, one of which states how many kilometres to the next town – we are counting down. Fortunately, there is little traffic on the road and we make good time.
We pull into the car park behind the New Norcia museum and are astounded at the number of people waiting for the 11am tour. We quickly purchase a family combination ticket ($60) for the tour and museum.
Outside our tour guide, Sue is ready to get started. She begins by advising us that while New Norcia sits within the Victoria Plains Shire it is not an official town, it is actually a monastic town – the only one in Australia – owned and run by the Benedictine Monks, not by the government. Sue adds, during our walking tour the terrain will be rocky and at times a little unsteady – be careful (I’ll add, it would be hopeless if you had a pram).
We move on up grassy slopes and crunch along the gravel road to stop at a well. It is here that the story begins.
The Benedictine Monks led by Rosendo Salvado arrived onto this land in the summer of 1846. The land and river were dry, it was thanks to the local Yued Aboriginal people who showed Salvado how to find water, and so began his work with the Australian Aborigines.
Salvado was the first Abbot of New Norcia, his plan was to learn about the local indigenous people and to try to work harmoniously with them. He did not want to change the Aborigines but to make them feel welcome to stay. Sue tells us how he built the Aboriginals housing and offered the young children education, yet knowing that they lived a different way of life Salvado did not force the Aborigines to stay when they wanted to go walkabout but welcomed them back on their return, he also did not make the Aboriginal children sit in formal classrooms as European children would.
He appeared to be a very forward thinking man.
When Salvado passed away Torres became the second Abbot of New Norica and the direction of the monastery shifted from focussing on the local bush community to the local pastoral and rural community. Torres was an architect who loved the arts and built a girls and a boys boarding school for farming children that include elaborate chapels with hand painted walls. Torres also built onto the monks Monastery and decorated the Abbey Church with etchings carved into the plaster walls and ornate wood carvings in the fixtures.
Sue continues on with the storytelling guiding us across the highway to the site of a famous fire in 1848.
The fire was driven towards the newly built buildings and corn harvests by a strong wind. All hands tried to fight the fire, but nothing was slowing it down. When all hope was lost the monks brought out a picture of Our Lady of God Counsel the wind turned and the fire was out. All who witnessed this could not believe the miracle.
Next, we stroll over to the Monastery, Sue tells us that the monks are very welcoming of all people no matter their religion and you are welcome to stay at the monastery accommodations. The accommodation is designed for people who want peace and a time to reflect – there is no TV in the rooms and you are expected to eat when the monks eat and what they eat.
Across the road is the Abbey Church and we step inside to look at the most beautiful art work on the walls, wood carving in the fixtures, a stunning pipe organ and see the tomb of Salvado.
We make our way back across the highway and up to the Old Flour Mill that was built in 1850 the new one mill was built in 1879 and is still in use today.
The new flour mill that is still in use today supplies flour for the owners of the New Norcia Bakeries who are under agreement with the Benedictine monks that they must bake bread daily in the old stone ovens in the monastery. This bread is for the monks, the hotel, and a limited amount of loaves are also sold at the museum.
Before our tour ends Sue gives a quick look inside St Gertrude’s (for girls) school chapel which opened in 1908
and St Illephonsus (for boys) school chapel which opened in 1913. Both schools closed 1991 due to dwindling numbers and are now available for hire by school camp groups.
We thoroughly enjoy the tour and love exploring the monastic town under Sue’s guidance who retold us so many more stories than I have shared with you.
Of cour, e if you are trying to save your pennies; the town has really good signage to help you learn about the old buildings. But, you would miss much of the wonderful tales that Sue spent the morning retelling – truly worth every the money.
With the tour finished we are now famished and head over to the New Norcia Hotel, once the hostel for parents for a sleep after they had dropped off their children for school.
I line up to order and overhear that meals will be at least an hour (I don’t know if it is just extremely busy because of the long weekend, or it is always like this), I have to admit I am a little disappointed as the meals coming out look good and I had wanted to try the local bread and wine from the Benedictine Monastery. In hindsight, I should have gone with one of my easy picnic meal ideas and packed some cold meats and cheese and bought a loaf of bread in the museum before the tour.
So we take a quick tour of the museum as we had paid. There are a lot of old relics and painting from the area, though much of the museum seemed to cover a lot of what was already discussed on the tour.
Then it’s back down the highway towards Perth stopping in at Bindoon bakery (30 minutes away) for that delicious pie we had originally thought about when we watched the Masterchef episode.
Has TV or a movie inspired a trip for you?
I love a day trip! Especially when there’s a bakery at the end of it…
It certainly makes for a perfect ending for the whole family doesn’t it.
Wow! Good on you for taking that two hour drive with the kids. It sounds as though it was well worth it with so much to see and do. Some of those old buildings are amazing, aren’t they?! #teamIBOT
The building certainly were Renee, I was so amazed at how elaborate they were out in country WA.
I love visiting places with historical stories to tell. It’s always heartening to see townships like that being preserved.
I always find visiting a historical place is a great way to learn about the history Gael, and the tours help with the cost of preservation.
I can’t believe the coincidence. I am a fan of MasterChef Australia (I watch on YouTube). And, can you believe the next episode I am going to watch is the one about the bakery challenge (I assume I am a little bit behind because I have to wait for people to upload the episodes)? My husband and I were excited about the challenge since my husband works at a bakery. Now, I am more excited because of this article. New Norcia looks like a place taken straight out of Italy.
Well Ruth, New Norcia is actually named after the “Monastero di San Benedetto di Norcia” located in Nursia, Italy. I wonder if they chose that location as it reminded them of Italy?
What a great day trip. I love how respectful the monk was of the Aboriginals, a few people could have learned from him.
As always, Thanks for joining in #wednesdaywanderlust this week
Yes malinda he was so inspirational especially considering this was nearly 200 years ago.
What a fabulous trip. I’ve always been fascinated by Benedictine Monks. I’d love to do this. Thank you for the inspiration x
Your welcome Bele, I have to say we never imagined the day trip to be so interesting.
Sounds like a thorough success. Maybe I will try some TV inspired day trips! Unfortunately, it always makes me nervous when I hear about interactions between religious organisations/the government and Aboriginal people, but it seems like this was done right. What a relief!
What is truly amazing Rachel, is that this successful interaction between a religious group and the Aborigines is that it happened nearly 200 years ago – who would have thought such a thing was possible in era of reported cruelty.
Oh you have taken me back! I once stayed the night in New Norcia, just loved the history and the beautiful architecture of the town. The hotel was so huge and grand. Thanks for trip down memory lane and good to hear the story of New Norcia again.
I’m glad you enjoyed the journey Seana, apparently the hotel wasn’t that grand back in the day – with only curtains separating the beds.
New Norcia is a fascinating town. We used to go there for daytrips when I was a child. (We took a packed picnic!)
In hindsight Fairlie a packed picnic would have been ideal.
What a lovely day out, so full of history. Those old school buildings almost look like they’re out of Disney! Pity you didn’t get to try any of the famous bread. I’m trying to think if I’ve ever been inspired to take a trip because of a TV programme; I’m not sure that I have. #weekendwanderlust #mondayescapes
To me Phoebe it was the history that really made the day trip – so unexpected.
How nice!!!
Yes, a movie definitely inspired me to take a few trips 😀
Or also some trips have inspired me to watch some movies!!
Same thing with books I guess!! It’s so nice to visit a place you saw in a movie or read about on a book!!
#MondayEscapes
Yes it is nicec to visit a place you read about and see it actually come to life othe than what you pictured in your own mind.
What a beautiful place. I love going to historic places and getting great stories from the guides. It often turns out to be much more interesting than you had expected. Thanks for sharing with the #BlogFair.
A good guide is worth their weight in gold – they really can help bring a place to life can’t they Karen?
a fascinating bit of Australian history I wasn’t aware of
Exactly Becky – we found it enthralling.
This looks very interesting, I didn’t realise that Australia still had monasteries never mind a monastic town. I don’t think any exist in the UK, but I never really thought about it.
What a forward thinking man to actually give aboriginal children the option to receive a European style education, without forcing it upon them. Nice to know he considered their culture too.
It looks like a very interesting place to visit.
Thanks for linking up to #whatevertheweather 🙂 x
Yes I totally agree Jenny ho was such a forward thinking man. So unusual for that era to have a European care about the indigenous culture
What a fascinating trip and such beautiful buildings. It’s a shame the school has now shut down. It’s lovely that you took the tour and heard so many fascinating stories from Sue. I think tours really bring to life the places you look around and add a bit more magic to days out don’t they? Thank you so much for linking this up to #whatevertheweather . Your photos are so beautiful. It sounds ike you had a really great time. x
Thank you Chloe. I agree tours can really mak a place come alive earning all the little stories you don’t get in guide books.