In the years between 1884 and 1891, the foundation of the Wilcannia-Forbes Congregation was laid as follows:

1884 Cobar was founded from Bathurst.

1887 Deniliquin was founded from Albury (now Goulburn Congregation)

1889 Broken Hill was founded from Singleton.

1890 Wilcannia was founded from Yass (now Goulburn Congregation)

1891 Bourke was founded from Cobar and Bathurst.

Cobar was founded as a branch house from Bathurst in 1884. With the establishment of the Diocese of Wilcannia in 1887 many Sisters in the new Diocese were required to set up their own Head House, to come under the jurisdiction of the new Bishop. Bishop Dunne and the Cobar Sisters chose Bourke as the site for their Head House and Novitiate, and with further Sisters to help from Bathurst, they established a Convent in Bourke in 1891, with Cobar as its Branch House. In 1894 a foundation was made from Bourke at Brewarrina, some miles east of Bourke on the Darling River and in 1913 a Convent was built in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.

The next foundation in chronological order was that of Deniliquin. The Sisters set out from Albury in 1887 to this once fairly small town situated on the Edwards River in the Riverina to found St. Michael’s Convent. In 1892, so many young women had entered the Deniliquin Convent, that the Sisters were able to establish a Convent at Wentworth, which, because of its distance, was made independent of Deniliquin. By 1905, Wentworth had a Branch House of Mildura. In 1920, Wentworth and Mildura were amalgamated with the Melbourne Mercy Congregation. In 1894 a convent at Balranald previously occupied by Sisters of St. Joseph was taken over by a community of Sisters from Deniliquin as a branch house, but in 1907 it became independent of Deniliquin.

In 1889 six Sisters came from Singleton to establish their first Convent and Novitiate in Broken Hill in a modest wood and iron structure which they occupied for several years. They established Schools in each area of the Hill and in 1898 added St. Anne’s Orphanage to this list. Branches from this foundation were made at South Broken Hill in 1900, Mt. Barker, South Australia in 1902 and at Brighton, South Australia in 1915.

Six Sisters left Yass on 2^nd July 1890, the year of the historic ’90 flood, travelling by rail to Bourke, thence by paddle steamer to Wilcannia. They arrived twenty days later on. In 1900 a foundation was made from Wilcannia at White Cliffs where the parish priest of Wilcannia had already had a Convent erected and ready for occupation on their arrival.

After 1918 there were branches established in Parkes, Trundle, Peak Hill, Condobolin, Mathoura and Sans Souci. Sisters were involved in local parish schools, in visiting the people in their homes, in local hospitals and jails. However, in recent times there has been much sadness for both Sisters and people as, due to falling numbers, Sisters have had to withdraw from many of these convents.

In the list of Sisters for this Congregation it seems that the date of death given is often the date of burial.

If further information is required about individual Sisters the following address is given:

The Archivist

Wilcannia-Forbes Congregation Sisters of Mercy

P.O. Box 231

PARKES NSW 2870

In writing to the Archivist, it would be appropriate that a financial contribution be made for the Archivist’s time and expertise.

Religious Orders or Congregations have released the details on their members. It is understood that the copyright of any material (including the listing of the names of the Sisters) relevant to a particular Order or Congregation in this publication remains with the relevant Order or Congregation.