Audio available here
More about the Magdalen Laundry
More about the Stage 1 Restoration
Welcome to Country: Aunty Di Kerr – Wurundjeri Elder
Panel: Chair: Collette Brennan, Abbotsford Convent Foundation; Panellists: Peter Williams, Williams Boag Architects; Evelina Ericsson, Heritage Victoria; and Cameron Jackson, FDC Construction.
Aunty Di Kerr:
I honour my ancestors and my Elders. I pay homage to this sacred ground that we’re on. I wish to acknowledge Auntie Alice that’s here. My nephew is here somewhere, Jordan. I still can’t see him—smile!
I acknowledge Amber, my granddaughter; and I have my great granddaughter here, little Jayda. I think this is her ninth ceremony, and she comes with us. She’s a pleasure. She keeps me going, even on my hardest days.
I’d like to acknowledge Elders and Elders of different nations. I acknowledge any Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders here. I knowledge any First Nation peoples. I acknowledge all of you, and I pay my respects to your ancestors and families.
We were here few months ago, probably not even that, I can’t even remember because life is so exciting here. And we had a lovely smoking ceremony. All I can remember; it was really hot. I can’t swear, but it was really hot. And we had a smoking ceremony. It rained. We had people dancing in the rain, and the rain left us for the opening of this beautiful building. And we have smoked this area before and to walk in here today… it was like “Wow! How exciting is this?”
It’s so different, and it’s beautiful! It’s absolutely stunning, and congratulations! My bed goes over there for when I need to stay in Melbourne. Free accommodation sounds good to me! But it’s lovely, and I’ve been thinking about our travels and journey with the Convent, and it’s always being positive. And there’s not a day that I’m not happy about being here. And I was very unhappy about coming here, which I’ve told people before. Sorry, if I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry, but I’m getting old and I can do that. But we had family in here, and there were other people, non-Indigenous women here that were here and particularly in this area, in the dormitories. It didn’t have a good journey, and to now have a space where people can express freely, and have a voice freely, and for us to listen to peoples journeys is awesome.
I was only saying the other day that we had the Indigenous Dreamtime Games, and that was, is, a voice for us as well. And the different guernseys they have with the different patterns, and some of those patterns are sad, and some are good, some are about their family, but they all end in a good journey. And this is the same here.
So, I’m really honoured to be here with my family, and I hope that you enjoy this evening. You’ll have to excuse me and my family. I have to leave as soon as I finish my welcome. I need to go to Lilydale, and I’m really sorry that I need to go, but if I don’t go, my other daughter will be really cranky with me and I don’t need that today!
[Audience laughs]
But, I love you all. We need to tell each other every day that we love each other. We need to share our stories. We need to enjoy each other’s journeys. We need to hold each other’s hand in harmony so that we can live in peace. All it takes is an open heart and an open hand. So, I offer you all my hand in friendship so that we can all journey together. May Bunjil, my creator, surround you and keep you safe and country. On behalf of my elders, I said Wominjeka Wurundjeri Balluk yearmenn koondee bik that reads “Welcome to the traditional country of the Wurundjeri People. Noon godgen. Thank you.
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
I always get emotional in this great way when you speak, Aunty Di, because you go right to the heart of it. You know, you speak about heart, and love, and family, and connection, and openness. Thank you. Your Eldership is inspirational. Very generous. But I do know your daughter, and I understand why you need to get home. Really, we are so honoured to have you, so everyone again, thank you Aunty Di.
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
So tonight, you know my team is going to look after you. We are going to serve drinks, and if you need to get up and get some food, do do that. A bit of housekeeping, because it’s all new, the bathrooms are just there, and they’re right near a thing called the mezzanine. And you have to check out the mezzanine tonight. Promise me you will. It’s accessible by stairs or lift, and do check out the lift, because it’s pretty special. That space, the mezzanine, and the lift was generously funded by the John T Reid Charitable Trust. They provided the funds to purchase, as well some of the core production equipment here in the Laundry, and for that we’re forever grateful.
I want to note an apology from long-time Convent supporter the Honourable Richard Wynne, Member for Richmond, Minister for Planning, Housing, and Multicultural Affairs. Without the support and generosity of the Victorian Government, who through the Heritage Victoria’s Living Heritage programme, invested $2.7 million, this first stage of restoration works would not have been possible.
A project of this scale and scope requires the input, support, and generosity of many, so I do want to acknowledge many friends, partners and supporters here tonight including our incredible Chair, Victoria Marles, the passionate Abbottsford Convent Board, and Committee members past and present. Steven Avery, Executive Director of Heritage Victoria, it’s just so wonderful to have you here. Convent community member Joanne Saunders, who performed two wonderful recorder pieces composed by Marguerite Boland, as well as the wonderfully moving ‘Isabel’, a French piece played to honour the girls and women who worked and lived here. Thank you so much, Jo, just stunning.
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
While today, the Convent is a secular independent not-for-profit arts and cultural community precinct, we honour the experiences of past residents and acknowledge the many generations connected to this site. I especially wish to recognise the sisters, girls, and women who lived in a Sacred Heart building and worked here in the Magdalen Laundry during the time when the Convent was part of the Good Shepherd Sisters. We also share our deepest respect for any former residents of the Convent here tonight. Tonight, you’ll hear from our Chair, Victoria Marles, and then we’re going to have a quick sort of Q&A panel. I really wanted you to hear first-hand from the incredible Laundry project team: Peter Williams from Williams Boag Architects, our project architect; Cameron Jackson from our wonderful builders and partners FDC; and Evelina Ericsson from Heritage Victoria, who invested with us and worked with us all to deliver the highest heritage standards. For now, please join with me in welcoming the Convent Chair Victoria Marles to the stage.
Victoria Marles:
Thank you very much Collette. Yes, my name is Vic Marles, and as Chair of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation Board, I’m really pleased that you’ve been able to join us this evening and to celebrate this really special event. I also want to thank Auntie Di for welcoming us tonight, and for her warm and very kind support of what we do here.
So, my role is to just talk a little bit about the history of this site before we commence the panel discussion. I know that many of you are familiar with this, but not everybody is. So yes, a little bit of about what has happened, and what this site’s history is, and what it represents. For over a century, from 1863 to 1974, thousands of girls and women were placed here at the Convent. And many of them resided here, in the Sacred Heart building, and they also laboured here, in the Magdalen Laundry. Originally built in the 1880s, these spaces operated as a commercial laundry until 1974, and after the Convent closed in 1975 then the space really was not used anymore. It became dilapidated, as did much of the rest of the site.
So, for more than 20 years, longer really, this was completely unseen and untouched by the public. Then more than 20 years ago a group of local community residents came together to stop, really, the whole of the site being converted into a multistorey residential development. And they became known as the Abbotsford Convent Coalition. It took them nearly seven years of campaigning to save the whole of this site. A remarkable site. And their goal at the time was to transform what you can picture was a dilapidated place that really hadn’t been used a lot. It at some parts have been used for different things, but their vision was to convert this into an arts, cultural, and learning precinct.
So, it goes without saying I think, as we stand here tonight that we are completely indebted to that group of campaigners – and that’s what they were; campaigners who fought so hard that the community can be here today. And, also so that the Abbotsford Convent Foundation as stewards of this precinct can continue to restore, protect, and then enliven these incredible spaces. And we’ve been doing that over the last 15 years, piece by piece. We’ve been focused on the restoration and then the activation of these heritage buildings and grounds.
As I said, the Magdalen Laundries were dilapidated. Completely out of bounds to the general public for many, many years. And so, to see this space alive tonight is a major milestone. I want to thank everybody who’s contributed to this, and many of you are here in this room. We see this as the initial stage of the project, and we really want to thank our project funders, architects, and builders. They have been an amazing team. With the completion of these base build works, the Laundry is on track as one of Australia’s most iconic multi-use arts, cultural, and community spaces.
We see that we’re off to a great start, but the scope of this nationally significant project is unlike any other restoration work we’ve been we’ve completed to date. The restoration and fit-out of these enormous spaces is a multimillion-dollar project, and we see that these initial works are just the beginning. Preserving and enlivening this precious space is an ongoing significant and expensive mission. We’re going to be relying on public and private support to complete this project over the coming years and to bring these extraordinary spaces to life in their fullest capacity for our community. So, I hope you have a lovely time tonight, and thank you so much for everything that you’ve put into it and for coming this evening.
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
Fantastic Victoria. So as you all know, we’re a vibrant arts, cultural learning, and well-being hub. Everything happens here. Markets, exhibitions, performances, thinktanks, meetings… so it’s a dynamic and ever-changing place. We’re really excited about the Magdalen Laundry, obviously! We think it’s a stellar venue. We think it offers something different, and it’s the largest venue that we have here at the Convent. The Magdalen Laundry especially, when it’s fully restored, we think, will really enable a dynamic that’s fertile and nurturing and boundary blurring and risk taking and enlivening for audiences and collaborators. We really want to space for artists, audiences, communities to experience new practises, narratives, and histories while respecting the heritage and social history of the precinct.
The harm of institutionalisation and the trauma experienced by many residents is acknowledged as part of the Convent’s heritage. As recognised in our National Heritage Listing, the Laundry is an important physical record for those Australians and their families known as the ‘Forgotten Australians’. As with any development on the Convent site, it is our intention to respect this history, while working to develop this space into the future as one which creates positive stories and impacts for the community through arts and culture. Very much as Auntie Di set the tone at the start of this evening. So we needed to get this project to happen with that level of sensitivity. We needed a meticulous, detailed, and sensitive hardworking team, and we got that. And we needed a team that really honoured this space. And we wanted a team that wanted to create something positive and practical, a space where communities could come together to hopefully make the world a better place. Which brings me to our panel.
We’re going to have a quick chat, because I got to hang out with these incredible people, but I wanted to share them with you. We’re going to explore very quickly some of the ideas around conservation and contemporary use. We’re actually going to record it, because as many of you know, we do social history tours. We’re going to then use that as some of our social history tour content and information for our guides.
Our panellists tonight are architect Peter Williams from Williams Boag, Evelina Ericsson from Heritage Victoria and Cameron Jackson from FDC. Give them a clap when they come up on stage!
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
Peter is on the end, Evelina, and then this is Cam. So, what is it about a heritage project like this that’s different to the usual projects you work on? I’ll start with you, Peter.
Peter Williams:
Look, the difference between this project and a lot of the other projects we have worked on is the word ‘heritage’. I mean, that is the significant difference between a project that is meeting a brief, which is a functional brief, which is a brief that has certain spatial requirements—it might be responding to geography, it might be responding to geology. But in this particular instance, there’s a sort of a path almost embodied in dealing with this particular project. I guess I can say that when you’re an architect looking at design, what you try to do when you start with a blank paper, is define limits that you can respond to. In this particular instance, when you’re working with an existing building, especially one which I would say is a capital ‘H’ heritage project, the guidelines are already laid out. So, it’s about making judgments within that context, and that can be fairly intense. It’s a different sort of experience entirely to an open-ended architectural aspiration from a blank page. It doesn’t mean the results are less satisfying, but what it does mean is that you have to find the satisfaction in other avenues. And I think that’s the key difference.
Collette Brennan:
That’s a rule to live by really, to find satisfaction in other avenues. Evelina? I mean it sort of feels strange asking you that when you actually work at Heritage Victoria
Evelina Ericsson:
Yeah, well unlike Peter, we work with a lot of projects at Heritage Victoria. The Living Heritage program has funded 92 conservation projects across the state. This is one of 92 projects, but each one is unique. Each heritage project is unique. What’s especially unique about the Laundries, I think, that you’ve already talked about tonight, is the social history and the difficult past of this space. And I think the project team has really done an excellent job in addressing this and using it as a starting point, not only for the conservation works, but also in guiding the future interpretation of this site. That’s been really interesting to follow, and for me to learn from the Convent as well. Yeah, it’s been fantastic.
Collette Brennan:
We’re really excited about the ongoing layers and stories we can build together. There’s a lot of artists, some have already worked in this space, who are already adding to these new layers and textures. And what about for FDC Cam?
Cameron Jackson:
Well I mean for us, builders are very good generally with a sledgehammer, and here we have to use a velvet sledgehammer; because you know this is just such an incredible space. I suppose, for me, I love my heritage. I’ve got a lot of heritage in this country through my family, and to come to a building like this, we’re privileged to work here, we really are. To work with the team. We learned a lot on this project, but we certainly have a deep passion now for heritage projects.
Collette Brennan:
We really felt that. You know, you’re handing over almost your baby; and having the builders coming with such sensitivity and love for it is really beautiful. I’m going to start crying!
What are the special and unique elements in this project that have excited you? Anyone want to dive in first, or shall I boss you around?
Cameron Jackson:
Well, Peters got it all written down. He’s cheated!
Peter Williams:
I’ve scribbled a few notes. I’ll answer that one as well. First off, out of the panel of three. Look, I think the thing that amazes me and that does excite me is that the grand spatial gestures that have been made by those that advise the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to build these buildings. It sort of fits into that area of “if it’s worth doing, will do it well.” And what it’s actually about is a shelter over a fairly humdrum industrial menial task, but somehow rather lifted by an architectural composition that draws heavily on history and buildings from the past. It is absolutely staggering that we’re sitting here in a building which has got longevity back to Roman basilicas. It was a laundry, and we’re celebrating it as a gathering space, not only for the community of the Convent, but the bigger area of Melbourne, Victoria, and hopefully will be acknowledged nationally. That’s what amazes me, and I think it’s incredible that the church actually achieved it and built it, and the Sisters ran the bloody thing. You know, it’s amazing.
Evelina Ericsson:
Yeah, I agree with Peter on that one as well. It’s hard to see tonight in the dark, but this space is really unique. Not only for its history, but also for its architecture and that’s why it’s on the Victorian Heritage Register and recognised for its history and an architecture. It has this really unique basilica roof, and the clerestory windows that you can see as well, so it’s very reminiscent of a cathedral space, which is very unique. Another thing that’s been really interesting in working with this project is that instead of recreating an older decorating scheme, or perhaps beautifying it, we have retained the evolved colours and fittings and all of that character has been retained; and that’s because that story of neglect is really important to this place as well. We heard earlier tonight that this building was almost lost to the community. So it’s been really important to retain that story of neglect following the decommissioning of the laundries in the ’70s. That’s really a different approach to many other heritage projects that are occurring right now, so it’s also been really exciting to work on that. To experience that.
Cameron Jackson:
What I really like about the building is that it does have I past, and certainly I think it’s a very respectful outcome that is now paying passed on to the next generation. There’s a legacy left there by those who had hardship here, and I think it’s a legacy left for the next generation. That’s what our heritage is all about; is remembering it but having a positive outcome from that hardship.
Collette Brennan:
And now we’ve got all of the labour of your teams as well adding to the texture of it. With projects like this, where we’re really trying to balance, or cover conservation, preservation, and adaptive reuse; how do we balance these to make sure we get a really great outcome?
Cameron Jackson:
As builders we do… [Peter also begins to reply] well I’m going first…
As builders, like very good husbands, we do as we’re told.
[Audience laughter]
Evelina Ericsson:
It’s really interesting because adaptive reuse can actually be a really important part of the conservation of a space as well. Finding a new use for buildings, if it’s done sensitively and sympathetically to the significance of a space or a place, it’s actually really essential to ensure that the building is maintained into the future. That’s also been one of the objectives of the of the Living Heritage program, is to increase public access to heritage buildings or places. In this case, without this new future use, it would have just continued to be closed off to the public. So, it’s really important for the conservation of heritage.
Peter Williams:
From a practitioner’s point of view, when you ask the question; “how do you balance these to ensure a great outcome?,” I must say that HV (Heritage Victoria) process helps. Because there is a sort of a reference point there which is about considered responses to a whole range of aspects. And the judgments that have to be made here are really sometimes big picture, but more often than not minutiae.
I think the question is that you can actually end up burying yourself in detail, and lose the big picture. And, I think in a project like this, which is probably a singular or just two spaces— like the annex and this one. You haven’t got a lot of little rooms. You haven’t got a lot of interrelationships and things like that. So, how you actually interpret a space like this becomes really a major weighing up of many factors. I mean, the sorts of things that you not seeing here, is the wonderful industrial artefacts that are underneath the floor here. You know, there’s bases of machines, there’s pipes, there’s pits, and there’s all sorts of stuff in there that really, we know is down there, but you don’t actually see.
So it’s underpinned by a whole lot of hidden things, but it would be lovely to interpret. I think there’s a sort of a design continuum where; ‘are you working towards an adaptive reuse?,’, or ‘are you working towards a preservation, or a conservation outcome?’ And I think where you fit into that sliding scale is a little bit different in every decision you have to make.
Evelina Ericsson:
Yes, and I agree with that as well, Peter. I should also add it’s been great working with Peter and Greg—the other architect who we’ve worked closely with, he’s in the audience—who’ve found really simple and innovative solutions to every single small problem that’s arisen throughout the project. Like with any heritage project, it’s really hard to know what you’re dealing with until you’re really getting started. The builders have, I’m sure, you’ve come across that as well throughout the process.
Cameron Jackson:
We have. Our normal, I suppose, process is a program. And run along with it and we achieve program. But this job was such stop and start process. And I would like to thank our team at FDC for that thought they put into it. Because as builders, we build. But these guys have gained a great discipline in actually stopping, thinking about what heritage is, and they are really skilled at it now, and we absolutely love that.
Collette Brennan:
And you know we segue beautifully because at the Convent, we like to think about ourselves as a learning institution. So, what are the key learnings out of this project?
Cameron Jackson:
The sledgehammer stays in the Ute.
[Audience laughs]
Cameron Jackson:
Our key learning really is working as a team. We might have been the builder, but you know, I suppose the finer detail of what we actually were looking at tonight came from these guys: Heritage Victoria, and the architects. And whilst we had a lot of robust discussions, there was a lot of respect in the room for everyone’s part in it. It was a real team effort. But our learnings has really been about these lots of key people within the project, and as we went along we learned a lot about how we had to do certain things. And whilst that was not our mainstream, we did it very well in the end.
Evelina Erikson:
Yeah, I have to agree with Cameron as well. I think the importance of working with a flexible team that are really open to learnings along the way, and tackling challenges as well. The project team is a whole lot bigger than what’s up here too. I think in the audience, we’ve got the Conservator, we’ve got the Interiors Curator, we’ve got the Heritage Permit Officers from Heritage Victoria, and the Heritage Architect, and all of the builders that worked on site. You know it’s a big, big machine behind a project like this. It’s really been fantastic to learn from all of those people during this journey. I feel very privileged to have been a part of it.
Peter Williams:
And look, it has been a terrific process. I think that the point that I’d make about one key learning here is (that) it certainly is a case where design thinking makes a difference; but I think the important thing is to work out a way to communicate that. I think one of the things that happens is that you tend to say ‘yes, look we’ve got that solved.’ But how someone that’s actually on the end of the power saw who is about to do something actually understands what drives that, and what’s behind that—I think that’s a very special skill that can be worked on and built-up. And I think if you actually do have teams that are very familiar with each other, and know the sort of settings, that you actually end up with less and problems along the line. I reckon the learning that I take out from this project, because this is a project without precedent for me and our practise, but I think that’s something that can be worked on.
Collette Brennan:
And this is the tips for everyone in the room, because you’ll see the rooms, the space differently. You know now that we’re at this part of it, what do you love? What can’t you wait for everyone to see tonight, and to show your loved ones and colleagues?
Cameron Jackson:
Well I’m going to start with something you’re going to hate me for—the big pipes in the male toilets.
Evelina Erikson:
Can we allow everyone to go into the men’s toilets tonight, Collette? Are we making an executive decision?
Collette Brennan:
Yeah, approved! We’re very flexible here at the Convent.
Cameron Jackson:
I think I think we definitely should. Because when you look at that, it’s industrial. It was the heart of the laundry in steam, and stuff like that. To me, it blew me away. I saw it in its raw form, but to see it tonight with the glass in front of it, it is quite incredible.
Collette Brennan:
One of our team members said that that bit made them feel like they’re in New York and not in Abbotsford. So, it’s an amazing toilet experience, so don’t miss out.
Evelina Ericsson:
It’s a journey. It will transport you to another continent.
Collette Brennan:
And what about you, Evelina?
Evelina Ericsson:
I just love seeing people in here. That’s really been fantastic for me. It is one of the main objectives of the Living Heritage program that I mentioned before as well, is increasing public access. Really, it’s so nice to see everyone in here tonight.
I wish I could show the before photos. There are some that are in the corridor and in the men’s bathroom as well again and upon the mezzanine floor. I think those are before the early works package happened. So before those photos were taken, the state of this place was… it was terrible. You didn’t want to go inside. There were layers of toxic waste. Just to imagine how far this space has come only in a couple of years, really is just fantastic.
Peter Williams:
When Vic spoke, she talked about how depressing this place was initially, and how derelict and how neglected it was. I think the thing to show off here is that it doesn’t have to be that. Once something is neglected, it’s not a sentence. It can actually rise above that condition. And I think it fits into my belief that design can make a difference. And I’m talking about design here, not so much about the nice doorknobs or the fittings. I’m talking about design in a holistic sense. About how you bring those forces together to make it something that enhances the human condition. And I think that’s probably what I’m proud about. That we’ve made a contribution here. That somehow offers a cohesive and useful space to a whole range of people that will discover it.
Evelina Ericsson:
And we often say ‘we wish these walls could speak.’ But I actually think they can speak, and you do feel that when you walk into the space—that these walls actually do speak.
Collette Brennan
And you know this is actually glorious—as we keep talking about Stage One. So just to end; there’s a lot more complex work to do to complete the whole Laundry space. What excites you about the future works? What we could build? And, what do you think it would mean to Victoria and the nation?
Peter Williams:
This is sort of the tip of the iceberg. It shows you what can be done, and I think you can talk about physical assets. I think one of the great things about the Convent is its sight, its area, and its garden. So, it’s more than just upgrading the buildings. It’s really got potential for Victoria, which is increasing its population demands on open space. People seeking opportunities for recreation… open, you know, to breathe. It’s a lung for the city, and I think that’s a really important aspect of this.
I think when people can see that you can be very successful with aspects, you can put all those aspects and bits and pieces together to make it a really significant thing for the state. It’s great that the Government could see that and funded this original piece with Heritage Victoria’s input. I think it’s the sort of point for thinking very positively about the whole of the site, and where we end up with identifying next projects.
Evelina Ericsson:
I really look forward to seeing this space evolve overtime, and seeing it used by the local community and visitors.
Cameron Jackson:
I think this is like you say, the tip of the iceberg. This is a fantastic space done on a very tight budget, and it wouldn’t have been done on a tight budget had it not been for a great team. I think if that team can stay together and keep going here, it’d certainly do the space justice and provide a legacy for the future of Victoria.
Collette Brennan:
Now you understand why I wanted to share these three beautiful voices with you, so please join with me in thanking them.
[Audience applause]
Collette Brennan:
We are soon going to let you play in all the nooks and crannies, but I have to say some thank yous. They’re going to stay on stage with me because it’s nicer. I want to start by thanking, standing in front of you, the incredibly talented generous and patient lead architect Peter Williams. It was an absolute joy to work with you. And Project Supervisor Greg Meyers and the whole WBA team. To Heritage Architect, Nigel Lewis—thank you. To our wonderful builders who also worked with us on the Sacred Heart, FDC Construction and Fit Out, including Con Hart and Amy Lampard. Amy is divine and she is here tonight. And lovely Cam, John Lane, Vanessa Borg, Mikayla Bagnell and always here at the Convent; Peter Cowie. Thank you, team!
I said before at another event that I never knew I was going to feel so passionate about builders, but FDC has changed my life.
And to Evelina and to Steven, I really want to thank Heritage Victoria. It’s such a valuable partnership. It’s such an exciting moment for us to be part of, what you’re trying to build for Victoria; such a vision. So to Steven, Evelina and also to Ann Gove, thank you so much team. Thank you on behalf of all of us. Please keep up the good work, and for making these things happen.
The mezzanine room which you’re all going to see is fantastic. John T Reid Charitable Trust, you guys are incredible visionaries, and we thank you.
Now we do a little shout out to my team, because they are exceptional. John Di Natale, thank you. David Campbell is our Project Officer. He’s at the Prague Quadrennial, so he couldn’t be here. But David and John, really, such passion and vision. They worked tirelessly. And tonight, I’m going to do a thing that isn’t usual, but I’m going to take a moment because we’re at a public event. I’m going to make special mention of Convent Producer Chloe Weavers, who with the team… she and our whole team have poured so much love in tonight, into previous events here, into our upcoming Laundry program. And Chloe is leaving us to work at Arts Centre Melbourne. So, it’s her last producing event with us, but we love her. She knows you never stop working for the Convent, so that’s good.
We’ve had some incredible additional production support this evening from our friends at MAV Melbourne, thank you. And finally, to the Convent Community—especially those who have students in Mercator and Sacred Heart—you’ve been patient and so supportive while these building works have been underway. We thank you.
So tonight, all of the food is provided by on-site caterer, Bursaria Fine Food. Dive in, graze away. Enjoy, it’s stellar. Bubbles, wine and beer is from Blackhearts and Sparrows. Thanks to the wonderful team at FDC, the bar is complementary people! That’s right! Thank you FDC.
If you want to come out afterwards, because some of us will want to talk about how great we are, and (how great) the project is for hours to come. Join us at Cam’s in the Convent Building. The incredible new venue is going to be matched by salubrious tunes by the divine, one of my favourite artists, Rose Riebl. You don’t want to miss her work, you’ll love her.And this stunning video work here, we close our eyes when dreaming, is a work that is really a love story to this building by Gabriella Mangano and Silvana Mangano. I’m going to do a bit of a teacher thing. The rest of you can party, except those who worked on the project. So, Heritage Victoria, FDC, John Di Natale, and WBA, come get a photo with us. The rest of you, thank you all so much and have a great night.
