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Address

New Norcia Benedictine Community
New Norcia Road
New Norcia WA 6509

Getting There

Main Office

T: +61 8 9654 8018
F: +61 8 9654 8097
E: information@newnorcia.com.au

Friends of New Norcia / Volunteering

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: friends@newnorcia.com.au

Museum & Art Gallery

T: +61 8 9654 8056
E: museum@newnorcia.com.au

Group Accommodation & Education Centre

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: groups@newnorcia.com.au

Communications

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: communications@newnorcia.com.au

Guesthouse

T: +61 8 9654 8002
E: guesthouse@newnorcia.com.au

Roadhouse

T: +61 8 9654 8020
E: roadhouse@newnorcia.com.au

Visit New Norcia

People visit New Norcia for many reasons; for spiritual retreat, to join a tour and see inside the magnificent buildings or sometimes just to walk around the town and enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery.

In this section you will find all the information you need for your visit to New Norcia. Details of places to eat and places to stay, details of the town tours and information about some of our favourite things to do in Australia’s only monastic town.

We recommend your first port of call is the Museum & Art Gallery to speak to one of the staff about the attractions and experiences New Norcia has to offer. The Museum & Art Gallery is also a Visitor Information Centre and is the point from which town tours leave.

Stay at New Norcia

There are so many different options for accommodation at New Norcia.

The Guesthouse is perfect for a quiet, retreat like experience - a world away from the rigours of modern life. You can join a Benedictine retreat here or be housed in the Hermitage for a silent retreat. Groups can be accommodated in the Old Convent or the historic boarding school colleges. Smaller groups are also able to book the Hostel, with its comfortable rooms, neo-classical architecture, scenic deck and heritage veranda, as well as St Ildephonsus' Cottage.

Please click on the areas on the right for more information.

Eat & Drink

Hospitality is a tenet of the Rule of St Benedict, the Rule by which the monks of New Norcia live, so wherever you choose to eat in town, our aim is for you to experience warm monastic hospitality.

Education & Research

From the earliest days of its foundation New Norcia has been focussed on education. The first Abbot, of New Norcia (Rosendo Salvado) established the Aboriginal girls and boys schools and the second Abbot of New Norcia, Fulgentius Torres built and opened the European girls and boys schools, which closed in 1991.

Since the closing of the schools, New Norcia's school buildings and grounds have been utilised by groups undertaking education programmes.

However, New Norcia also has a tradition of research and academia, with its impressive archival records and library collection, and scholars and researchers alike have delighted over the years in the information available in the town's records.

This section also provides information on the archives and library and provides link to forms which will give you access to the records of New Norcia.

Protecting a Unique Heritage

New Norcia is Australia’s only monastic town and has a unique heritage. Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the town has had many purposes; a mission, a monastery, a provider of education and now as a place of spiritual retreat.

Delve into the town's unique history, discover the ongoing and completed work necessary for the upkeep and restoration of this special part of Australia.

But it is not only the majestic buildings set amongst the Australian bush that sets New Norcia apart; its history is also encapsulated in the archival records of New Norcia and in the library and museum collections.

In this section we also have information about how you can donate to New Norcia to help the Community restore and maintain this treasure.

What's Happening at New Norcia

We hold a diverse array of events throughout the year at New Norcia.

Each year we host a full programme of events including a spiritual retreat programme presented by the Institute for Benedictine Studies, dinners at the New Norcia Hostel and a few other surprises!

Watch this space for all the updated information about "What's on at New Norcia".

News

Wednesday, 8th February 2017

The Community Statement to the Royal Commission

STATEMENT

Re: Case Study 50 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

It is with deep and profound sadness that we acknowledge the findings of the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse relating to our community.

The information we provided to the Royal Commission regarding historical cases of sexual abuse in the period between the 1950s and the 1970s is disturbing and a great source of sorrow and shame.

While it is a painful process for all involved, especially the victims, the Royal Commission provides the whole Church, and indeed all institutions, with the opportunity to publically acknowledge the truth of this evil, and to now work towards assuring that our children are honoured and protected in the future.

For our part, we have in recent years attempted to respond to the victims of these atrocities through the Towards Healing process. Limited though it may be, we have listened to each complainant, assured them that we believe what they have told us, offered a sincere apology, and attempted to respond to their particular needs.

While this has been a good development for some, we are aware that for others this response is deemed inadequate, so we look forward to considering the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission in order to explore ways in which we may be able to offer further redress.

In the meantime, our efforts are also directed towards assuring the prevention of this abuse now and in the future. These include:

  • Present zero tolerance regarding the sexual abuse of children
  • All monks and relevant staff are checked and have a Working with Children Card
  • Provision of Child Protection training to monks and relevant staff
  • We have begun the process of registering all monks on the Australian Catholic Ministry Register (ACMR)
  • Psychological screening and on-going psychological formation of candidates
  • On-going study of the professional standards code of conduct documents Integrity in Ministry (for monks) and Integrity in the Service of the Church (for staff and volunteers)
  • Development of a clear risk management framework aligned to governance structures
  • Participation in archdiocesan professional standards formation programmes
  • Appointment of two lay Safeguarding Officers (one parishioner, one member of staff) as part of the archdiocesan Safeguarding Programme
  • Participation in the new initiatives of the wider Catholic Church e.g. Catholic Professional Standards (CPS)

We take this opportunity to again acknowledge our failures, to again sincerely apologise to anyone who has been abused by a past member of our community, to pledge that we will make every effort to achieve some kind of healing for them and to strive tirelessly towards developing processes and procedures that will protect all children who pass our way.

New Norcia Benedictine Community