The Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA)

Whilst my main work as Archivist here at St Margaret’s is to research, guard and protect the school’s archives, I am also honoured to be the Sisters’ Archivist. Many of the SSA’s items have been in storage whilst work has been carried out on Community House. These items are slowly making their way out of their wrappings to once again see the light of day. I think it is timely that we look back on just what our Sisters became involved with over the years.    

At a time when women had no rights and definitely no say in matters, it is interesting to read the following timeline of our Sisters.

1893     Home of the Good Shepherd is opened

1894     St John’s Day School re-opens at the cathedral

1895     Eton High School – later St Margaret’s

1901     Home of the Good Shepherd becomes Tufnell Home

1909     St Catharine’s Stanthorpe and then Warwick

1911     The Industrial School opens in London Road and later becomes St Michael’s

1916     Management of the Pyrmont Hospital

1916     Sisters move to St John’s Mission House to continue their ‘urban’ mission work

1917     St Anne’s Townsville

1918     Mary Sumner Maternity Hospital at Highgate Hill

1918     St Mary’s Herberton

1921     St Gabriel’s Charters Towers

1921     Management of All Saints’ Hostel for Girls Charleville

1922     St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital

1929     St Aidan’s Corinda

1931     St Faith’s Yeppoon

1932     Management of Parkerville Children’s Home in Perth

1948     Wafer Room established

Even though this timeline ends here, it does not mean that our Sisters stopped their work. They continued to be involved in many of these endeavours. The timeline gives you an overall picture of the many and varied undertakings of the Sisters. And their work continues…

Per Volar Sunata

Mary Surtees
Archivist