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The Convent
A City Finds Its Heart
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Format: Paperback / softback
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What was behind the wall and the wire? The local people knew. Fine courtyards. An old swimming pool. Dilapidated tennis courts and a remnant garden, now wild and sprawling. The Convent: A City Finds its Heart tells the story of a site's rich history and the efforts to preserve it. This is an uplifting tale of community activism.
From nunnery to eatery and cultural epicentre, trace the vibrant history of the national treasure.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
What was behind the wall and the wire? The local people knew . . . fine courtyards . . . an old swimming pool . . . dilapidated tennis courts and a remnant garden, now wild and sprawling.
The Abbotsford Convent was this haunted place, left to languish for years after the last of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd had gone. In its prime, it had been a school, a refuge, a retreat, a workhouse, and a prisonβthe single largest charitable institution in the southern hemisphere.
In the late 1990s, a proposed high-density development threatened the idyllic riverside location, sparking outrage in the local community and further afield. Years of protesting, negotiating, and fundraising followed, and the convent, now on Australia's National Heritage List, has started a new life as a vibrant centre for art and culture.
The Convent: A City Finds its Heart tells the story of the site's rich history and the efforts to preserve it. It is an uplifting tale of community activismβa tangible reminder that the magic of the past can endure and what people-power can achieve.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780522876598
Publisher: Melbourne University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 March 2020
Country: Australia
Imprint: Melbourne University Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 323g
Pages: 277
About the Author
Stuart Kells is one of Australia's leading writers on the history of business and finance. Adjunct Professor at La Trobe Business School, he has twice won the Ashurst Business Literature Prize. His shorter works have been published around the world including in Smithsonian, The Paris Review, The Guardian and LitHub. His book The Library- A Catalogue of Wonders was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award and the NSW Premier's general history prize.
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