Our Lady of Assumption Convent, Warwick, Former convent in Warwick, Queensland, Australia
Our Lady of Assumption Convent is a two-storeyed sandstone building on Locke Street, with a central bay flanked by transverse wings and a chapel wing. Brisbane architects Simkin and Ibler designed it; the central bay and eastern chapel wing went up first, and the western wing followed in 1904. An early drawing shows the plan as a mirror image of the present layout, with chapel wings and tower to the left of the entrance porch.
The Sisters of Mercy founded this educational institution in 1891, with Archbishop Robert Dunne laying the foundation stone and officially opening it in 1893. The convent became a respected center for girls' education in the region.
The convent's name changed with its uses: after the Sisters of Mercy left Warwick in 1988, Assumption College was kept as a tertiary campus and the building was renamed "Sophia", Greek for wisdom, opening on 17 February 1989. Since 2015 it has been known as Abbey of the Roses, a wedding venue and accommodation.
The building stands at 8 Locke Street, on a rise above the town, and is reached from the street front; the 1994 conversion added a toilet block to the west of the main structure. It operates as a wedding venue and accommodation under the name Abbey of the Roses, so visits are best arranged around booked events rather than assumed open access.
During World War II, the convent sheltered students evacuated from All Hallows' Convent in Brisbane who needed to escape the city. This temporary role shows how the building served the community beyond its original purpose.
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