Description

Abbotsford Convent is located on part of the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people. The nearby junction of the Merri Creek and Birrarung at Dights Falls continues to be an important meeting place for the people of the Kulin Nation.

Today an engine room of creativity and home to more than 150 artists and creators, Abbotsford Convent was once one of the largest Catholic complexes in Australia. Founded by The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863, the Convent operated as a monastic site until 1975, providing refuge, education and shelter for thousands of women and girls. The Abbotsford Convent Foundation honours the stories of these women through sharing their history to create a culture of healing.

Inscribed on the National Heritage List in 2017, the Convent and surrounding gardens and grounds are recognised for demonstrating Australia’s social and welfare history. The architectural styles of the Convent’s 11 buildings range from French Gothic/Medieval, European Baroque Revival to utilitarian early colonial architecture. Most buildings were constructed between 1868 and 1908.  Today, these buildings can be experienced through a dynamic arts, culture, and events program that respects the history of these sites whilst building a living heritage of continued community use and engagements.

What's On

Free offers include social history tours, behind-the-scenes opportunities to explore open artists’ studios, entertainment, installations, archival and future-focused videos and architectural & historical tours of the grounds.

Ticketed tours include the Mary Magdalen Laundries architects' tour led by Peter Williams, the Gardens and Landscape Tour with writer and environmentalist Sophie Cunningham and heritage architect Nigel Lewis, the Sacred Heart Restoration tour by Lynn Chew representing Kirsten Thompson Architects and the Wurundjeri River Walk led by Wurundjeri Elders.

Participants will be invited back to a panel discussion, Living Heritage: Innovative Design Approaches, chaired by esteemed landscape architect Ron Jones.

Venues will be open for visitors to explore.

This site is mobility-friendly and neurodiverse considerate. Find out more on our new Access Map. 

In Collaboration With:

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  Peter Williams LFRAIA | Ron Jones FAILA. Landscape Architect and Urban Designer

  Peter is the founding director of the award-winning firm, Williams Boag architects (WBa). WBa designed key restorations at the Abbotsford Convent including the Magdalene Laundry, Infirmary and Cork Oak Path. Peter is a registered APEC architect and Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.
  
  Director of award-winning firm Jones & Whitehead, Ron is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and served as a valued member of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation Board. Ron played a leading role in shaping the City of Melbourne, developing Melbourne's urban design strategy and park master plans.

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  Wurundjeri Elders

  In the early 1980’s a small group of passionate Wurundjeri Elders, the Traditional Owners of Greater Melbourne, developed a shared vision for themselves and future generations of Wurundjeri people. By 1985, their vision had crystalised and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, a representative body, was born.

• 

  Lynn Chew, Associate Principal from Kerstin Thompson Architects

  KTA is an industry-leading architecture firm, known for embracing a multi-disciplinary approach in their practice.
  
  Amongst many high-profile commissions, they were also responsible for the restoration of the Sacred Heart building at the AbbotsfordConvent which won the National 2019 Knight Award for Heritage Architecture.