Management CITY OF SOUTH Category LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY A+ PLACE RECORD FORM Prepared by Heritage Today , March 2000 Most recent update by City of South Perth, November 2015

Place No: SPCnt 1 Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent

(Heritage Today, 1999)

LOCATION Name of Place Dennehy House - Saint Joseph’s Convent Other / former names Saint Joseph’s Convent Address 16 York Street Suburb South Perth Local Government Authority City of South Perth Scope of listing This heritage listing applies the entire site.

LAND DESCRIPTION Reserve No. Lot No. Location No. Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio - 3 P342, P343 41944 V 525 F 124A

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 2

LISTINGS BY OTHER BODIES Name of Body Reference No. Grade of Listing Date Heritage Council of 2383 Permanent 21 April 2006 Art Deco Significant Building Survey Completed 19 Sep 2014 Inventory Completed 1 July 1998

PERIOD Federation Design Style Federation Filigree Construction Date Late 1890s-early 1900s Source/Details

USE(S) OF PLACE Original Residence Present Convent (Provincial house for the Sisters of Saint Joseph) Other / former

HISTORICAL NOTES

(This information is largely drawn from the Heritage Council of Western Australia Assessment document prepared in April 2006.)

The Sisters of Saint Joseph first came to Western Australia in 1887, settling in Northampton. In January 1915, led by Sister Padua Callinan, the Sisters came to this South Perth site. The principal building at Dennehy House - Saint Joseph’s Convent , now used as the Provincial offices, was originally known as Dennehy House. It was designed by Richard John Dennehy in 1908 as his own house. Dennehy was a well-known Western Australian architect who specialised in religious architecture. In 1914, the Catholic Church purchased the property for the sum of £3,000 for use as a church/school. Dennehy also designed the Home of the Good Shepherd in West Leederville, built 1898, and the Church of the Sacred Heart in Leederville, built 1905.

Dennehy House - Saint Joseph’s Convent and surrounding buildings, demonstrate the rapid expansion of the Catholic Church in Western Australia during the time of Bishop Mathew Gibney (1887-1910), Archbishop Patrick Clune (1911-1935) and Archbishop (1935-1968).

Although the physical fabric of the place is of little significance, the Saint Joseph’s Convent (1957) is important for its provision of nursing home facilities in South Perth from 1959-60, and its provision of retirement facilities for senior Sisters from 1971-72.

Dennehy House - Saint Joseph’s Convent is intrinsically linked to the Sisters of St Joseph who, after the establishment of the place as the Province Administration Centre in South Perth in 1917, used it as accommodation for sisters engaged in administration, home duties, caring for boarders, and as a respite for sisters working in the Eastern Goldfields.

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 3

DESCRIPTION

(This information is largely drawn from the Heritage Council of Western Australia Assessment document prepared in April 2006.)

Dennehy House (1908) is the oldest building on the site and comprises a substantial two-storey brick and tile Federation building, with Filigree influences. It is a well resolved example of the Federation Queen Anne style, featuring a picturesque asymmetrical form, warm face-brickwork with ornate timber detailing and Donnybrook stone and accents on the roofline which once included tall masonry chimneys (so longer existing) and a belvedere (turret) (1969). Entry to Dennehy House is from York Street. The red brick building has a projecting wing, with a deep verandah across the rest of the building on both levels. The verandahs are supported by pairs of timber posts, adorned with a timber lattice valance and balustrading. Rendered, painted string coursing breaks the starkness of the red brick.

Saint Joseph’s Convent comprises a series complex of one and two-storey brick and tile buildngs, including Denney House (1908), the Mary MacKillop Centre (1927), Chapel (1939), Convent (1957, 1974), Irene Villa (1959-60, 1982), and MacKillop Court (1971), set within expansive gardens featuring a variety of mature trees. The grounds include a memorial rose garden dedicated to Sister Irene McCormack.

(Details of other elements of the complex are contained within the Heritage Council assessment document.)

ASSOCIATIONS ASSOCIATION TYPE Richard John Dennehy Architect and original owner of the house. Sisters of Saint Joseph Provided education to local children from 1915-1989 Sisters of Mercy Other

HISTORIC THEME / Sub-theme CATEGORIES OF SIGNIFICANCE Community Efforts/ Religion Aesthetic Historic Social Representative Rarity

RATING AND ASSESSMENT High Low Aesthetic value (streetscape, setting) 1 2 3 4 5 Architectural merit (design features) 1 2 3 4 5 Rarity value 1 2 3 4 5 Value as part of a group/precinct 1 2 3 4 5 Condition 1 2 3 4 5 Integrity 1 2 3 4 5

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Dennehy House - Saint Joseph’s Convent has aesthetic, historic, social, rarity and representative cultural heritage significance. It would have been an imposing residence in its time, which has been adapted over time to meet the needs of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The Sisters first came to Western Australia in 1887 and have made a valuable social contribution since that time. The building is a fine representative example of a substantial Federation residence.

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 4

MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Management Category A+ : Exceptional significance – Registered Conservation essential. Essential to the heritage of the locality. Rare or outstanding example. Registered by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. Demolition or significant alteration to a place in Management Category A+ of the Heritage List is not permitted. Any alterations or additions are to be guided by a Conservation Plan, if any, and reinforce the heritage values of the place.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION / BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Florey, C Peninsular City A Social History of the City of South Perth. Publishers City of South Perth 1995. • City of South Perth Municipal Heritage Inventory (No. 1) 1994. • Reviews of Municipal Heritage Inventory by Heritage Today in 2000 and 2006. • Article on the Sisters of Saint Joseph, South Perth c1997 by Phillip Pendal, Historical Society. • South Perth Local Studies – Information Sheet.

HISTORY OF HERITAGE LISTING BY CITY OF SOUTH PERTH Date Adopted by Council Initial listing in MHI December 1994 Update of MHI February 1996 Update of MHI December 1996 Update of MHI December 1997 Review of MHI by Heritage Today June 2000 Update of MHI June 2002 Update of MHI March 2003 Review of MHI by Heritage Today February 2006 Interim Heritage List – Policy P313 ‘Local Heritage Listing’ April 2013 Updated in renamed LHI November 2015

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 5

Two views of Saint Joseph’s Convent buildings. (Heritage Today, 1999)

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 6

St Joseph’s school. (Heritage Today, 1999)

York Street entrance to Saint Joseph’s Convent. (Jenny Dans, City of South Perth, 1994)

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY

Place No. SPCnt 1 : Dennehy House – Saint Joseph’s Convent Page 7

1930 aerial image of the site. 2014 aerial image of the site, showing the extent (City records) to which the complex has expanded. (City records)

LOCATION MAP

(Digital Cadastral Data supplied by Landgate, WA. P295)

CITY OF SOUTH PERTH LOCAL HERITAGE INVENTORY