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New Norcia Photo and Postcards Gallery
New Norcia
It's the last thing you expect to see in the Australian bush -- a Benedictine monastery town with elegant European architecture, a fine museum, and a collection of Renaissance art -- but New Norcia is no mirage. Boasting a population of 70 (when everyone's at home), this pretty town and the surrounding 8,000-hectare (19,760-acre) farm were established in 1846 by Spanish Benedictine missionaries.
Monks from the Benedictine order founded the New Norcia Monastery and community one hundred and fifty years ago to pursue a simple life of religious contemplation.
Breads, wines and olive oils have formed the basis of the Benedictine diet since the sixth century. This tradition continues today at the New Norcia monastery. Olive groves form a picturesque backdrop to the beautiful monastery and its outbuildings
In 1886 the monks of New Norcia decided a new, wood-fired oven would better produce their daily bread. Today, this same oven is used by New Norcia Bakeries
Less than a two hour drive from Perth, New Norcia is a much visited
town with a museum, art gallery, hotel and a variety of accommodation
and recreational facilities to enjoy. Visitors are welcome to celebrate
Mass with the monks each morning and daily tours of the town provide
a unique glimpse into an older, more serene time.
The Museum and Art Gallery is full of relics from the monks' past -- old mechanical and musical instruments, artifacts from the days when New Norcia was an Aboriginal mission, gifts to the monks from the queen of Spain, and an astounding collection of paintings by Spanish and Italian artists, dating from the 1400s. Give yourself at least an hour here. The museum and gallery are open daily August through October from 9:30am to 5pm, and November through July from 10am to 4:30pm (closed Dec 25). Don't leave the gift shop without some of the famous New Norcia nut cake, made at the monastery bakery.
Located 132 km from Perth, New Norcia is a combination of a monastery,
two schools, a church, and a number of tourist attractions. It is, by
any measure, one of the architectural wonders of Western Australia.
(visit www.newnorcia.wa.edu.au)