St Ignatius Convent School

“In the heat of late January 1892, five sisters set out on a gruelling overland trek to settle in the busy riverboat town at the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers”

The story of St Ignatius Convent School begins here. Arriving in the town of Wentworth on the 31st of January 1892 the founder of the school M. Gertrude Enright (one of the five sisters) commenced Catholic schooling with the term beginning early February of the same year.

Wentworth was named a town in June, 1859 and proclaimed a municipality nearly 20 years later. It was soon to become the third largest port in the country and was a major inland trading centre.

 In 1911 a new school was built within the Convent's grounds, a simple tall wooden building which is essentially a single room structure. The school was described as a ‘select day school’ and offered a ‘thorough English education’. Boarding for students was reserved alongside the nuns in the adjacent convent building.

 St Ignatius is an unusual building. It demonstrates a unique construction in the area and of the time. It is a beautiful and symmetrical structure with many original features remaining. It is a cross section of our heritage and is both architecturally and historically important.

 The students attending the school were in close proximity to significant feats of early outback exploration.  St Ignatious is for example in close proximity to the river junction discovered in January 1830 by explorer Charles Sturt. Within 20 years of this event Captain Cadell steamed past in the ‘Lady Augusta’ on the first inland venture by paddle steamer.

 The school was utilized until 1925 when it became a kindergarten which in turn eventually closed at the end of 1950. The building fell into a state of disrepair and was subject to vandalism. The local tourism association prevented the property from being demolished for scrap in 1979 and later received a $20,000 grant from the Heritage Council of NSW.

 In April, 1988 the National Trust began restoring the school with the guidance of a local committee. This restoration began with re-painting the property in its original color scheme and reconstructing the first chimney which had been destroyed.

 In 1989 the Trust opened its most remote property. St Ignatius School today serves as a fascinating college museum and a fitting commemoration to education and those who pioneered it in this area.

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