History and heritage: The chance to own a former Bungendore convent

When you set your eyes on 54 Turallo Terrace, you are immediately overcome with a sense of awe.

This building has significant cultural and historical importance in Bungendore. Completed in 1891, it was once an integral part of the town’s Catholic community, housing the nuns of St Joseph’s.

Sitting on a large parcel of land, the convent is positioned between St Mary’s Church and the former Bungendore Catholic School.

For the first 40 years,  it was solely a residence for the nuns but, in the 1930s, was extended to become a boarding house for students at the neighbouring school who lived on outlying farms.

It ceased operation as a convent when the Catholic Church sold the property in the 1970s. Since then it has had four owners and has served as a bed and breakfast, played host to murder mystery parties and a benevolent institution.

The current owner, Pamela Orr, has owned the convent since 2001 and lived in it for most of that time.

“I have a farm adjacent to Bungendore which didn’t have a house at that time … I found out through word of mouth the convent was coming up for sale. I would always drive past it and think it was a nice place – it was perfect timing,” she says.

Orr is now selling her beloved home, giving buyers a saintly opportunity.

Upon walking into the home, to the left there is a small room with a fireplace at its centrepiece. Orr says this was the room where the nuns received visitors – it was the only place the public could visit in the house.

Beyond the waiting room is where the mystical sense of the convent is fully realised. The convent remains in very much original condition and has been meticulously kept.

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One of the convent’s claims to fame is Saint Mary McKillop, the foundress of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, who used to stay in the convent during her trips to Bungendore.

There’s a cosy room upstairs with a beautiful outlook and a fireplace – it’s by far the best out of the eight bedrooms.  

“That is the room Mary McKillop would have slept in when she was here,” says Orr.

Just when you think you have seen the entire house, there is a door to the eastern side of the building that takes you through to hidden quarters. The home feels like a maze – it would be the perfect place for children to play hide and seek.

A highlight of the eastern side is the former chapel. It’s a simple room but is complemented by amazing stained-glass windows.

Off the chapel, the former confessional window still stands in place.

The convent is currently set up to have two dwellings and, in total, there are eight bedrooms and six bathrooms. Of those, four form their own guest suites – perfect for someone who would like to reignite its former arrangement as a bed and breakfast.

The opportunities for the convent are endless. It could be a home, gallery, restaurant, wedding venue or even medical centre.

Orr says there’s a lot of “hidden potential” for the home.

“I hope, and it’s a very fond hope, that whatever happens to this place it will be a happy and lively place and people will appreciate it,” she adds.