From a remote hilltop

This photo was submitted by the Collingwood Historical Society as part of week 47 of the the 2014 Flickr Challenge Friday group for the theme of "Remote".

It was taken in Yarra Bend Park overlooking the Abbotsford Convent to the Melbourne skyline.

Sr Mary of Mt Carmel Curtain #blogjune Day 29

Sr Mary of Mt Carmel Curtain 365/173 #2013PAD, a photo by Hecuba's Story on Flickr.

Long term superior of the Good Shepherd Convent in Abbotsford, Sister Mary of Mount Carmel Curtain is actually still buried in the crypt under the Chapel. The site of her burial was open for viewing during the recent Behind the Veil exhibition at the Abbotsford Convent.Sister Mary of Mount Carmel was not among the first group of four nuns who arrived in 1863 but arrived in another of the early groups.  Other early nuns previously buried at the convent were disinterred and reburied here at the Boroondara Cemetery in Kew in 1975. The memorial stone pictured above is in the main aisle of the chapel.

Behind the Veil exhibition #blogjune Day 21

Behind the Veil is an exhibition curated by Rebecca Louise which honours the many women and girls who have been a part of the Good Shepherd history particularly in Abbotsford.  The exhibition was held in the Abbotsford Convent in the Chapel and Crypt on the weekends of 22 and 23 June and 29 and 39 June only. The exhibition complements the exhibits and videos in the interpretive so it is a pity that it was only open for such a short period.

Good Shepherd Festival Day #blogjune Day 20

 The Good Shepherd Festival Day on Saturday 22 June at the Abbotsford Convent celebrated the arrival 150 years ago on the 24 June 1863 of the first four Good Shepherd Sisters in Victoria.  The Chapel, the Chapel Crypt, the Parlour, the Bishop's Parlour, the Community Room and the Linen Room were open for viewing and tours taken by some of the sisters who had lived and worked in the Convent also took participants to some of the buildings where the girls had lived.

It is a great pity that this Festival was only for one day as there was so much to see.  However, the new interpretive centre in the antechamber to the Chapel is open every weekday and there is plenty to view there covering the whole history of the Abbotsford Convent while it was managed by the Good Shepherd Sisters.

The Convent #blogjune Day 18

Another novel that you might like to read in the context of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Good Shepherd nuns in Victoria on 24 June 1863 is Maureen McCarthy's The Convent published by Allen & Unwin in late 2012.  This is a work of fiction and imagination, as is the Kerry Greenwood title in the previous post, but does draw on the place and the history of the convent and the site and is a good read too.

Unnatural habits #blogjune Day 17

If you are going to the Abbotsford Convent you might like to celebrate by reading the latest Kerry Greenwood book in the Phryne Fisher series which has recently been turned into a television series greatly acclaimed not only here where one might expect it but also in France and the US.  Number 19 in the Phryne Fisher crime series came out in October 2012 and is called Unnatural Habits.  The Abbotsford Convent is a main character in this book.

Abbotsford Convent 150 celebrations! #blogjune Day 16

Convent Gardens 52/5/2, a photo by Collingwood Historical Society on Flickr.

The Good Shepherd Convent in Abbotsford is celebrating 150 years! There will be a free open day, the Good Shepherd Festival Day, this coming Saturday 22 June 2013 to celebrate the arrival of the first four nuns 150 years ago. So come along and celebrate. Details can be found here and include an historical display and guided tours. Walk, ride or catch public transport on the day! A free shuttle bus will run between Collingwood Station (Stanton St) and the Convent every 15 minutes. And don't forget that the Slow Food Farmers' Market is also on at the Convent that Saturday.

Convent Gardens 52/5/2

Convent Gardens 52/5/2, a photo by Collingwood Historical Society on Flickr.

In the 1980's the Abbotsford Convent was the venue for a music festival - Music In the Round - a weekend of chamber music performed by Melbourne's outstanding classical musicians. Throughout the day, music would waft across the gardens as festival-goers enjoyed picnicking outdoors on the lawns while listening to string quartets. Wonderful!

Music continues to have a home here, and while I was scouting the area for photo opportunities, Indian sitar music was being played for patrons of the restaurants on the east side of the convent. pm

This photo has been included in the Friday 2012 photo challenge for the weekly theme of "outdoors".