New Norcia

This is the Monastery Grounds at New Norcia, we spent a lovely day here today...

New Norcia is a town in Western Australia, 132 km north of Perth, It is situated next to the banks of the Moore River, in the Shire of Victoria Plains.
New Norcia is the only monastic town in Australia.

On 1 March 1846, a Benedictine mission to the local aborigines was started about 8 km to the north, led by the two Spanish Benedictines, Rosendo Salvado and Joseph Serra.
Within a year the mission was moved to where the town is today, and on 1 March 1847 the foundation stone of the monastery was laid.
The place was named New Norcia, after Norcia in Italy, the birthplace of St Benedict. Unlike the Italian Norcia, which is pronounced "nor-chee-a", New Norcia is pronounced "new nor-sia".

The last Spanish Benedictine monk of New Norcia died on 18 January 2010, aged 99. He continued to prepare the bread for the monks and olive oil almost to his death.