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Address

New Norcia Benedictine Community
New Norcia Road
New Norcia WA 6509

Getting There

Main Office

T: +61 8 9654 8018
F: +61 8 9654 8097
E: information@newnorcia.com.au

Friends of New Norcia / Volunteering

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: friends@newnorcia.com.au

Museum & Art Gallery

T: +61 8 9654 8056
E: museum@newnorcia.com.au

Group Accommodation & Education Centre

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: groups@newnorcia.com.au

Communications

T: +61 8 9654 8018
E: communications@newnorcia.com.au

Guesthouse

T: +61 8 9654 8002
E: guesthouse@newnorcia.com.au

Roadhouse

T: +61 8 9654 8020
E: roadhouse@newnorcia.com.au

Visit New Norcia

People visit New Norcia for many reasons; for spiritual retreat, to join a tour and see inside the magnificent buildings or sometimes just to walk around the town and enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery.

In this section you will find all the information you need for your visit to New Norcia. Details of places to eat and places to stay, details of the town tours and information about some of our favourite things to do in Australia’s only monastic town.

We recommend your first port of call is the Museum & Art Gallery to speak to one of the staff about the attractions and experiences New Norcia has to offer. The Museum & Art Gallery is also a Visitor Information Centre and is the point from which town tours leave.

Stay at New Norcia

There are so many different options for accommodation at New Norcia.

The Guesthouse is perfect for a quiet, retreat like experience - a world away from the rigours of modern life. You can join a Benedictine retreat here or be housed in the Hermitage for a silent retreat. Groups can be accommodated in the Old Convent or the historic boarding school colleges. Smaller groups are also able to book the Hostel, with its comfortable rooms, neo-classical architecture, scenic deck and heritage veranda, as well as St Ildephonsus' Cottage.

Please click on the areas on the right for more information.

Eat & Drink

Hospitality is a tenet of the Rule of St Benedict, the Rule by which the monks of New Norcia live, so wherever you choose to eat in town, our aim is for you to experience warm monastic hospitality.

Education & Research

From the earliest days of its foundation New Norcia has been focussed on education. The first Abbot, of New Norcia (Rosendo Salvado) established the Aboriginal girls and boys schools and the second Abbot of New Norcia, Fulgentius Torres built and opened the European girls and boys schools, which closed in 1991.

Since the closing of the schools, New Norcia's school buildings and grounds have been utilised by groups undertaking education programmes.

However, New Norcia also has a tradition of research and academia, with its impressive archival records and library collection, and scholars and researchers alike have delighted over the years in the information available in the town's records.

This section also provides information on the archives and library and provides link to forms which will give you access to the records of New Norcia.

Protecting a Unique Heritage

New Norcia is Australia’s only monastic town and has a unique heritage. Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the town has had many purposes; a mission, a monastery, a provider of education and now as a place of spiritual retreat.

Delve into the town's unique history, discover the ongoing and completed work necessary for the upkeep and restoration of this special part of Australia.

But it is not only the majestic buildings set amongst the Australian bush that sets New Norcia apart; its history is also encapsulated in the archival records of New Norcia and in the library and museum collections.

In this section we also have information about how you can donate to New Norcia to help the Community restore and maintain this treasure.

What's Happening at New Norcia

We hold a diverse array of events throughout the year at New Norcia.

Each year we host a full programme of events including a spiritual retreat programme presented by the Institute for Benedictine Studies, dinners at the New Norcia Hostel and a few other surprises!

Watch this space for all the updated information about "What's on at New Norcia".

Careers

Studies Day 2026

Date: Friday, 2nd October 2026
Price: $100 or $85 for seniors and students
Tickets:

Tickets can be purchased from New Norcia’s web shop site.
Studies Day 2026

The Studies Day this year represents an exciting milestone as it will be the 30th Studies Day since its inauguration in 1991. To mark this historic occasion, it has been decided to hold the event on a Friday instead of the previously customary Saturday event. This is so that librarians and archivists, as well our usual attendees, can attend a professional development day, especially now that the traditional professional development Library Day is held on alternate years following the merger of the archives and library departments.

The programme this year will include translator Judy McGuinness’ s review of the second published volume of the Santos Salvado letters  (although the first, chronologically), Spain and Italy 1849-1868, together with an update on the last phase of the Santos  letters; Abbot John’s news on the restoration works at New Norcia, and an audio-visual presentation from Mexico-based Sarah Connor on her work on the joint New Norcia – Perth Catholic Archdiocese project, the Bishop Griver correspondence.  There will also be two musically-themed papers, one from New Norcia’s new Music Collections curator and former Abbot Placid scholar and soprano, Allegra Giagu, who will be talking about her research into Bishop Salvado’s music; the second paper will be from our current Abbot Placid scholar, Paul Watt, on Gregorian Chant. Hopefully we can persuade Allegra to give a performance!

The papers will be delivered in the stunning chapel of St Gertrude’s College with lunch in St Ildephonsus’ dining room. Morning and afternoon teas will be served in St Gertrude’s and entry to the museum and art gallery will be free to those wearing their name tags.  Geoff Moor has very kindly agreed to be available again to give people a demonstration of printing techniques in the Abbey Press and print your “hot off the press” Studies Day bookmark.

Admission costs are $100 or $85 for seniors and students and they can be purchased from New Norcia’s web shop site (https://shop.newnorcia.com.au/collections/special-items).

Looking forward to seeing you on 2nd October!

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