Category: About the Convent

There are two other family members who often sneak into photos and who warrant a higher profile on my blog – my lovable and loyal dogs, Roxy and Tango. These funny little beings have spent nearly five years of their lives being indoor townhouse dwellers with limited exposure to the outside world. I was a little concerned as to how they would take to such a big adjustment and country life but I could not have been more mistaken. They appear to love every minute here – they jump in the car to leave Sydney and make use of every aspect of the Convent and garden.

Roxy is a perky, active and very friendly Pomeranian/mini Fox Terrier cross – she has the looks of a Pomeranian, being a ball of fluff, with the colouring and personality of a Foxie – a picture book dog. She is interested in everything and everyone, loves everyone she meets, always on the lookout for action and has turned into a ‘hunter’ in the country, well at least she looks for creatures – birds, lizards, anything that moves (or doesn’t) – fortunately she never actually harms anything, just finds them and barks.

Tango on the other hand is the opposite – she is half Japanese Chin, one of the most cat-like of breeds and displays many cat characteristics. The other half is possibly Shih Tzu. She is shy, quirky and sedentary and prefers the indoors, sleeping in strange places like my bag. She is a bit of a doggy Howard Hughes – not that she is a billionaire philanthropist aviator movie mogul – more of a quirky eccentric recluse. Sometimes I think she would have made a good nun – one of those who spends most of their time on retreat and in solitude. On the other hand she is also curious, caring and gentle and as a result, birds and animals tend not to run away from her, providing much amusement watching her interact with other creatures.

The Convent suits both dogs for very different reasons. Roxy loves the open spaces to run and explore. Tango loves the peacefulness and country life, although is now becoming much more confident in meeting people, exploring and joining in with activities.

Both dogs are a joy – they give so much love and companionship without qualification. They provide me with a great deal of entertainment and company at the Convent and we often have lengthy serious conversations on important decisions and share many activities and new experiences together.

Their latest discovery is heaters. Previously they have been used to reverse cycle airconditioning, rather than direct heat. Whilst the Convent is a cold building, they are loving lying in front of heaters and basking directly in the warmth. The kitsch fake fire radiator is their absolute favourite, with both jockeying for poll position.

Expect to see more of my two good friends popping up through blogs from time to time.

A unique feature of the building is obviously the private chapel, something few homes boast. The Convent was purpose built and one of the important features was to provide the nuns with a private place for prayer and reflection. The Chapel was also used to give babies a private blessing after Christenings at the Church out the back but was not publicly used.

The Chapel is an intimate but a good size room. It has beautiful attention to detail without being ornate – with gentle arches and raised floor, amber leadlight windows which face the front as well as, interestingly, the internal passage, and lovely coloured leadlight cross windows which catch the setting sun late in the afternoons. The front windows face the front porch and the leadlight windows look beautiful from the street when the chapel lights are turned on at night.

The room is likely to be put to practical use as a cosy lounge/theatre room, but capable of easily being used for the public when required for community events. The cross will be coming back home, courtesy of the Church, and I’m looking for statues and other religious items to refurbish the Chapel appropriately.

At present it looks starkly bare compared to previous photos but the painters are keen to restore it and the polished floorboards will only add to the character and warmth.

I’ve been warned that the Convent will be cold. The nuns weren’t overly spoilt for comfort and the large solid building that boasts being cool in summer looks like being bitterly cold in winter. Given the late settlement and other priorities, I haven’t had time to get someone in to look at the disabled fireplaces and am hoping some heaters might just get me through this winter.

That being said, the signs are ominous. Every local is warning me about the garden and what the frosts will “get”. I’m currently hooked on Game of Thrones and the Stark phrase “Winter is coming” keeps running through my head. Probably not so bad if you have Sean Bean to spend it with but they killed him off the first season.

Here’s hoping this photo will not be reminiscent of Kandos and the back escarpment doesn’t end up looking like The Wall.

We now have ponies residing in the paddock next door. I’m surprised at how many visitors they have from the locals. Not being a country person, I would have thought they weren’t a novelty but I guess most people don’t own horses and everyone loves ponies.

Anyway, it means a stream of visitors come to pat and feed them and they are most obliging ponies. Roxy and Tango, being city dogs, are still excited by other dogs, let alone ponies. They are fascinated by them. As expected, Roxy barks, but Tango goes right up to them for a chat, which they seem comfortable with.

Hopefully they stay as it’s lovely to go outside to scratch their noses and give them the odd carrot.

Kandos and the Convent would be a fitting setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film, given the multitude of birds in the area. I’ve been told that most varieties of native birds can be found here and definitely seen birds I’ve never seen before.

Of course there are the usual suspects, masses of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos – the characters and vandals of the bird world. I’ve all but given up on seed bells as they just unhook them half way through and fly off holding the remainder by the wire.

Also Galahs (I’ve had a family with babies), Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets, King Parrots – far more peaceful than their other parrot family members. For the first time in the wild I’ve seen the yellow tailed black cockatoos – they come out and scream across the sky with their mournful cries just before rain. I don’t know why they seem to always fly in threes – maybe they just have one chick each nesting?

I’ve found wild quails in leaf litter on the back porch. Lots of lovely tiny wrens – willy wagtails, little blue and green wrens who love to have showers on the driveway when the spray hoses are turned on. Of course sparrows – I’d forgotten how long it’s been since I’ve seen sparrows in my area in Sydney.

Lots of tiny pretty finches, including the pretty little zebra finches which I’ve only seen in captivity. The latest are the tiny little hummingbirds who just hover in the air and have discovered the salvias and sages.

Given I’m currently cutting down neglected old shrubs, I’m mindful that these are also homes and protection to local wildlife and endeavouring to pace cutting down with replanting and growing, supplemented by bird feeders and bird baths. It’s comforting to notice that the birdlife appears to be growing rapidly rather than depleting as they find seed, water and new plants. Roxy lives for finding and chasing the local wildlife, but the block is large and she barely makes an impression on the birds. The magpies take delight in teasing her and given her mini status, I sometimes worry she’ll end up lining a bird’s nest.

Anyway, I’ve gone from someone who though bird watching was incredibly boring to buying a bird species book and ordering binoculars! Today I also bought a hanging timber bird feeder which is far more practical than my feeding efforts to date. I’ll post photos of the feathered locals as I manage to capture them.

The Church and the old school building served as a primary school from the ’30s through to the ’70s and many locals passed through.

This weekend I noticed a family with a camera at my back gate. When asked if I could help them, they asked if the building was still a Convent or owned by the Church. It turned out that the woman had been through primary school and taught by the nuns.  She had brought her family to the area from Sydney for the day to show them her old home area.

She had been to primary school in the ’60s and had some lovely stories to tell including:

• when she missed the bus in Winter. Her Dad had a 30 – 40 minute drive from their country property to pick her up. In the meantime, she was one of the privileged few to be allowed inside the Convent, where the nuns took her to the kitchen for hot buttered toast. She reminded me of the harsh life the nuns led in those days with no stipend/salary and only basic needs being met.
• I showed her the newly restored Grotto and she recounted how in Kindy she had been bullied and one of the ‘big girls’ took her into the Grotto to comfort and talk to her.

Her family took lots of photos of her around the Convent, including trying to replicate where her first Communion photo was taken.

It served as a timely reminder of the role the Convent has played on so many people’s lives.