IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE AMONGST ORDERS BASED IN INLAND RURAL DIOCESES TO ESTABLISH A CITY BASE WHICH COULD THEN BE USED FOR A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL, TRAINING AND SOCIAL PURPOSES RELATING TO THE SISTERS. IN 1923 THE GOULBURN SISTERS OF MERCY ESTABLISHED JUST SUCH A FOUNDATION IN THE SUBURB OF DEE WHY IN SYDNEY. ST KEVIN'S CONVENT SCHOOL WAS CONDUCTED IN THE LITTLE WOODEN CHURCH BUILDING IN OAKS AVENUE WHILE THE SISTERS WERE PROVIDED WITH A COTTAGE OVER THE ROAD WHICH BECAME THE CONVENT OF MERCY. ALTHOUGH THE SCHOOL FLOURISHED AND GAVE TWO VOCATIONS TO THE ORDER THE SISTERS SADLY HAD TO WITHDRAW FROM DEE WHY IN 1932. AFTER A BRIEF HIATUS THE SCHOOL WAS THEN TAKEN OVER BY THE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

AT THE INVITATION OF FATHER THOMAS LYNCH, THE PARISH PRIEST OF GOOLOGONG, THE SISTERS OF MERCY ARRIVED IN THAT TOWNSHIP IN JULY 1916 TO ESTABLISH A CONVENT SCHOOL. THEY FOUND A COMFORTABLE HOUSE ALREADY AWAITING THEM ALTHOUGH THEY HAD TO WAIT THREE YEARS FOR A SCHOOL BUILDING TO BE BUILT. THE SISTERS TAUGHT BOTH INFANTS AND PRIMARY AND ALSO OPENED A SMALL BOARDING SCHOOL TO CATER FOR ISOLATED CHILDREN LIVING ON THE SURROUNDING RURAL PROPERTIES. BY THE LATE 1960's HOWEVER IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION HAD REDUCED THE NEED FOR THE LATTER AND THE VILLAGE ITSELF COULD NO LONGER SUSTAIN THE SCHOOL. IN 1971 THE SISTERS WITHDREW FROM GOOLOOGONG AFTER FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE. THE SCHOOL CONTINUED FOR A FEW YEARS UNDER LAY LEADERSHIP BEFORE IT TOO WAS CLOSED DOWN THUS BRINGING TO AN END THE ERA OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN GOOLOOGONG.

THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE CONVENT WAS LAID ON 6 MAY 1915 BY BISHOP JOHN GALLAGHER. FATHER LYNCH WAS DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE MADE READY FOR THE SISTERS' ARRIVAL WHICH WAS TO FOLLOW THE NEXT YEAR. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A COMFORTABLE HOME IT SUFFERED FROM THE LACK OF ELECTRICITY EVEN AS LATE AS THE WAR YEARS. OTHER INCONVENIENCES ALSO RESULTED FROM THE OUTDOOR BATHROOM AND LACK OF RUNNING WATER.

THE RIGHT-HAND VERANDAH WAS ENCLOSED TO USE AS THE BOARDING SCHOOL IN THE 1920's AND THIS CAN STILL BE SEEN TODAY. AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE PARISH THE CONVENT WAS SOLD. IT HAS SINCE BEEN FAITHFULLY PRESERVED AS A PRIVATE HOME.

INITIALLY THE SCHOOL WAS HELD IN THE OLD CHURCH UNTIL THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1919 (BELOW). THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE SCHOOL WAS LAID IN 1917 ON THE SAME DAY THE CONVENT WAS FORMALLY BLESSED BY BISHOP GALLAGHER AND SERVED THE CATHOLICS OF THE GOOLAGONG AREA THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL'S LIFE. AFTER THE NEW CHURCH WAS COMPLETED IN 1953 THE INFANTS CLASSES WERE HELD FOR A TIME IN THE OLD CHURCH UNTIL FATHER MOORE BUILT A LARGE CLASSROOM ON THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL FOR THEM. IN 1971 THE SISTERS WITHDREW FROM GOOLOOGONG AND FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS THE SCHOOL CONTINUED UNDER LAY LEADERSHIPUNTIL IT TOO CLOSED AT THE END OF 1973 AND THE BUILDING SOLD. TODAY IT IS USED BY THE GOOLOOGONG PLAYGROUP.

THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS DRAWN LARGELY FROM HELD IN OUR HEARTS THE HISTORY OF THE GOULBURN SISTERS OF MERCY BY SISTER EILEEN CASEY RSM. ANYONE SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ORDERS IS REFERRED TO THIS SOURCE.