Enter your details below to sign up and become a part of this historic community.
As a Friend of New Norcia you will receive a regular newsletter with news of New Norcia and its events and will have the opportunity to participate in preserving and sharing this unique national treasure.
Menu
Contact Us
Address
New Norcia Benedictine Community New Norcia Road New Norcia WA 6509
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".
Left to Right: Greg Manzie, Ian MacLeod, Teresa Reha, Abbot John, Klara Hebestreit, Peter Hocking.
On the May 19th, Teresa Reha, accompanied by her friend Klara Hebestreit under the guidance of long-term art restorer Greg Manzie travelled to New Norcia specifically to donate a very special painting from the estate of her late husband to New Norcia, a safe home for the artwork.
The artwork is painted on wooden panels and bears a small metal name plate with the artist’s name Juan de las Roelas. Roelas, 1570 – 1625 was a Flemish painter whose entire documented career took place in Spain. At the end of his career, he was painting in the Baroque style that we are so familiar with in New Norcia.
The painting has been in the Reha family since before World War II when they lived in the former Czech Republic. It has an intriguing story of survival from the onslaught of war and the Nazi occupation, then survived the Russians and Communism under the care of Yaroslav Reha who later gave the painting into the care of his son Mirko. Mirko eventually (Teresa thinks perhaps in the Dubček era) fled the Czech Republic to Austria to escape the communists and it is here that he met Teresa, and they were married. Later they migrated to Australia. At a later stage they shipped a crate of belongings from their former house in Austria, and the painting was a part of the shipment.
Teresa told of how Mirko always believed that the painting should belong to a museum and, because it depicts the passion of Christ, and was purportedly painted in Spain, she resolved to gift it to New Norcia, where more people could enjoy it and be nourished by it.
In receiving the painting, Abbot John said that it will enhance the continuing narrative of the Benedictine Community here in New Norcia. Here it has been placed in a safe home at last.
It is a clearly a portrait of pain, one that may assist many people to feel a deep connection of their own pain to the passion of the Christ.
Repainting the monastery buildings: Stage 1 (façade) and Stage 2 (Central Cloister)
Machinery and men from LT Plastering were on site to commence the preparation of the monastery building walls for painting. The task is huge, with all the walls having to be pressure cleaned to remove the flaking paint, and prepare all cracks and imperfections for repair prior to commencement of the painting works. This is, of course, a heritage building, so all work is being done accordingly.
At this very moment the cloister is looking a little sad, but of course we have stripped it back to the fabric of the building in many places, and after all the preparation works have been completed, we will ready for the painting process, and the buildings will be returned to their former glory.
Easter Joy Continued
Easter joy continued with the gathering of Jasmine and Simon Neal for the baptism of their twin daughters Kari Rose and Harper Mae.
The Neal Family
Although they live in Perth, Jasmine stems from the Maher family, so it was very fitting to have the baptisms at New Norcia.
Many family members who gathered on the beautiful autumn morning (Saturday 10th May) were also baptised at the same New Norcia font - so it was a very special occasion indeed.
Jasmine was also baptised by one of the monks, the late Fr. Antony Lovis OSB, who was parish priest at New Norcia for many years. He was very close to the Maher family and made a significant impact on the lives of many of its members.
Abbot John felt it was both an honour and a privilege to be part of the family tradition, and the Neal family were deeply grateful for the guidance they received, and for the Benedictine Community welcoming their children into the faith with "warmth and grace."
Home Schoolers Visit
On a beautiful, sunny, late Autumn day a group of home schoolers and their parents came to New Norcia for a day visit.
Having heard about New Norcia after watching a documentary about the art at the Museum/Art Gallery, the organiser, Melissa, thought it would be a wonderful experience for the students.
The children and parents thoroughly enjoyed the town tour, asking lots of questions and "oohing" and "ahhing" over the amazing architecture and stories about New Norcia and the experiences of the monks and school students throughout the years.
They ended their day with a visit to the Museum and Art Gallery, completing question sheets and buying treats from the gift shop.
We loved having them in New Norcia, the children were very polite and enthusiastic about the day and the parents all said that they would be back with other family members in the future.
Lighting upgrade in St Gertrude’s and St Ildephonsus’ chapels
The special lighting for the chapels of St Gertrude’s and St Ildephonsus’ chapels were in need of upgrade, so that they could be more efficiently operated by tour guides and others using the chapels. These two chapels are two of the absolute jewels of New Norcia, as can be seen in the photograph.
Ian and Oleksandr from our Grounds and Maintenance team set up scaffolding in the chapel in St Ildephonsus’ College to enable the team from UNIOS Lighting and Pauly Electrical Contractors to access lighting and make the necessary adjustments for the new controllers. Thankfully, the scaffolding was not required in St Gertrude’s College chapel, as all this work was happening in the same week as the olive harvest.
Much to Celebrate
Abbot John, Sarah, and Paul
Along with Easter joy, there was much to celebrate at the Autumn Abbot's Table, 17th May at the New Norcia Hostel.
Twenty years ago, Luana MacDermott celebrated her 30th birthday and the Hostel (then the Hotel), and we were delighted to have her back for her 50th!
We were also blessed to have Abbot John's older brother Paul and his niece Sarah at table. They were the first guests to stay in the newly renovated Kelly's Cottage.
Olive Harvest
L to R: Levan, Shady, Ian, Sona, George, Chris, Oelxandr, Hector, Dimitri. The Mercy Care workers are all Honduran refugees.
In early May the Grounds and Maintenance team, bolstered by three additional people from Mercy Care in Perth, harvested the available olives from our groves.
Sadly, the harvest was small again this year, though better than 2024 when we had no olives to harvest at all. This year the harvest yielded around 400 litres of oil, and was over in just one week.
The photos depict the process. We set mats, or the mechanised “oli net”, under each tree, then use a combination of electric rakes and hand picking to harvest the olives. They are then hand cleaned and placed in large green bins. Those bins are then transported across to the York Olive Oil Company for processing through their very modern plant.
The photos depict the process.
VALE Edward (Ted) Smith
Long-time friend, retreatant, and benefactor Edward Patrick Smith (Ted), a devout Roman Catholic, sadly passed away at the age of 92, on 12 May 2025 at Regis Nursing Home in Nedlands.
Ted was a true gentleman and took much interest in all things New Norcia.
The monks fondly recall a visit to Ted's former home, the Tukurua mansion in Cottesloe, which he lovingly restored over many years.
Abbot John represented the community at his Requiem Mass at Holy Rosary church, Nedlands and on Wednesday 21st May.
May he rest in peace.
We Value Your Feedback
At New Norcia, your feedback helps shape a better experience for every visitor. We actively listen through a variety of channels:
Our in-house visitor survey
Reviews on TripAdvisor and WikiCamps
Conversations and comments on Facebook and Instagram
Whether it’s a suggestion, a story, or a snapshot—every bit of feedback helps us grow and improve.
