The Sisters of Charity in Australia

Permanent exhibition

The story of the Sisters of Charity in Australia began in Ireland when Bede Polding wrote to Mary Aikenhead in Ireland, requesting Sisters to be sent to the fledgling colony of Australia to minister to female inmates at the Parramatta Female Factory. Five women volunteer for the mission and boarded the Francis Spaight, sailing across the seas to lands unknown.

Arriving in Sydney on 31 December 1838, the Sisters of Charity were the first women religious to set foot on Australian soil. Since their arrival, the Sisters have left a massive legacy on education and healthcare within Australia.

Through a display of the history of the Congregation, from their arrival and the purchase of their first convent, Tarmons, to the opening of the first St Vincent’s Hospital and the establishment of the many schools the Sisters have been involved in, the work of the Congregation, their mission and charism is made clear.

Explore how the Congregation’s Fourth Vow, Service of the Poor, has defined their work through an interactive display and navigating a series of pathways and choices. Become part of the story, and consider how members of the community can serve as agents of change for the poor and disadvantaged.