This year, 2026, marks the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Novitiate of the Sisters of Saint of Joseph of the Sacred Heart at Baulkham Hills, New South Wales.
For the Darug people, the traditional owners of the land, Baulkham Hills has always been “holy ground” where sacred ceremonies and graced moments were celebrated.
In the 1950s when St Joseph’s Novitiate at Mount Street, North Sydney had become overcrowded, it became imperative to find a place for a larger Novitiate. Mr Tom Noonan, the father of two of our Sisters, came upon a property named “Bellevue” which was up for sale. It was 116 acres, approximately 10 kms from Parramatta. Mother Leone Ryan had been looking for properties in this area, with its dirt roads and tracks connecting paddocks and large farming properties, so she was well pleased to select this rural property on which to plan and build the new Novitiate.
In 1953, Cardinal Gilroy blessed the foundation stone. Hundreds of school children from Josephite Schools all over Sydney were present proudly supporting the choir amid the heat and dust.
In 1956, the new Novitiate was opened in the presence of three Cardinals. It was the first official celebration of the Eucharistic Congress being held in Sydney.
Over time, the new Novitiate became self-sufficient with dairy cows, vegetable gardens, chickens and pigs. The Novitiate even had its own bakehouse, baking bread for both the Motherhouse and Novitiate communities. While still maintaining its rural setting, the Novitiate was a place of quiet discernment and spiritual growth where each novice deepened her call to Religious Life. With the increased number of young women joining religious life in the 1960s, it soon became apparent that more accommodation was necessary and this resulted in the addition of a three-storied building, joining the east and west wings to the south. In a spirit of hospitality, novices from other Congregations were welcomed to join in the Novitiate formation program, and in 1962, a small group from the Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians arrived for their Canonical Year.
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, 36 Missionary Sisters of Mary, Queen of the World in Vietnam, found St Joseph’s Novitiate a place of shelter and safety from their war-torn country.
Over time the number of novices slowly declined. In 1995, the novices moved to a more suitable property at Quakers Hill and a new era of formation for Religious Life was introduced.
With this move, the Novitiate was renamed St Joseph’s Centre for Spirituality and Reflective Living, providing courses and retreats of various lengths for Religious and lay people. The Congregation offered scholarships to Religious from Asia and Oceania to participate in sabbatical and intercultural formation programs.
Over the years many renovations and additions have taken place and now one-bedroom en-suite rooms have replaced dormitories and communal shower blocks. Lounge rooms were added to each floor, and a swimming pool was a welcome addition for summer.
On 17 October 2026, the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Baulkham Hills Novitiate will be celebrated with an afternoon of sharing memories, reflections and prayers of thanksgiving.
The site now called Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Baulkham Hills continues to offer spirituality courses and retreats to men and women of all cultures and faith traditions. Indeed, all who come continue to walk on Holy Ground.
For the Lord is present
and where God is, is Holy.
Berenice Cornish rsj
