Fullarton, Adelaide's St Joseph's Refuge on the market

Fullarton, Adelaide's St Joseph's Refuge on the market
Jessie RichardsonDecember 7, 2020

St Joseph's Refuge in Adelaide's Fullarton is up for sale.

The handcrafted sandstone building, on a 4,350 square metre plot, is over 100 years old, constructed circa 1900.

Currently used as a Christian church, the two storey building has around 20 separate rooms for meetings, offices or event spaces, plus bathrooms and kitchen areas, one approaching commercial size. The church congregation owns the estate.

Marketing agents Peter McMillan and Eloise McMillan of Toop & Toop Hyde Park note in the property's listing that the property could be used for student or aged care accommodation, or as an educational, healthcare or religious institution, or as a particularly large family home.

They are accepting expressions of interest for the property at 82 Wattle Street in Fullarton until 8 April.

The building was established as two 30 bed dormitories with a large hall and community room, with construction beginning in late 1900. Architect E J Woods designed the premises on the plot, which previously held a jam factory. Lady Tennyson opened the facility in September of 1901.

According to a 1900 issue of Adelaide's The Advertiser, the Catholic refuge was originally intended to shelter young expectant mothers or recent mothers who were unmarried, no matter their religion or denomination.

The Adelaide Observer in 1901 noted, however, that the Sisters of St Joseph's refuge also provided accommodation and care for women with criminal backgrounds and new migrants. The organisation, founded by Mother Mary MacKillop in 1963, was funded by a combination of public donations, church collections and earnings from the women themselves, some of whom worked in the laundry.

The refuge moved into the Fullarton premises after becoming too large for their previous Norwood premises. The Fullarton refuge provided room for "80 inmates and 30 babies", as well as the 10 or so sisters, according to the Adelaide Observer.

In 1963, the Daughters of Charity took over the institution, and it later became known as Louise Place.

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