Balgo
Balgo House
Balgo House Captains
THE BALGO HOUSE STORY
The Balgo House story begins in 1827 in Dublin, Ireland, with Catherine McAuley. Catherine was a lay woman who had unexpectedly come into a large fortune, which she used to build the House of Mercy, a refuge for women at risk of exploitation and homelessness. In 1831 Catherine and her companions Anna Maria Doyle and Elizabeth Harley, after a novitiate with the Presentation Sisters, made religious vows, and thus began the congregation of the Sisters of Mercy. Many other women joined, and gave their lives serving people suffering from injustices caused by poverty, sickness or lack of education.
The first Sisters of Mercy came to Australia in 1846, at the invitation of the bishop of Perth, to assist in the education of the children of the Catholic community. Other groups of Mercy Sisters accepted similar invitations from the Catholic clergy across Australia; Sisters arrived in Goulburn in 1859 and have been working in this region in education, healthcare and welfare ever since, including being one of the six religious congregations to provide Sisters to the staff of Catholic Girls’ High School Braddon at its inception. The Sisters of Mercy continue their support of the school, now Merici College, as patrons of Balgo House.
SISTERS OF MERCY AT BALGO
Balgo is a small community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, on the northern edge of the Great Sandy Desert and on the western edge of the Tanami Desert.
Sisters of Mercy were foundation staff at three schools in the region, at Mulan in 1979, Billiluna in 1980, and Balgo in 1984. The Catholic school at Balgo was in answer to a request from the elders in the Balgo community to the bishop of Broome for a Catholic school in which the students would learn to read and write in their own language – Kukatja. The Sisters of Mercy and the de la Salle Brothers responded to the request, and began a Catholic school, named Luurnpa for the kingfisher totem.
Before opening the school, they prepared by undertaking inculturation programmes at the Institute of Aboriginal Development, learning some Language, and most importantly visiting Aboriginal-run schools in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, gathering information for the Balgo elders to decide how they wanted their school to run. Stories were collected, recorded and written in Kukatja. In 1984 the school began, in rundown buildings with only basic equipment of blackboard and chalk. The first advance in technology came at the end of 1988, when phone was connected to the community. Over time, community teachers gained qualifications through courses offered by the Broome campus of Notre Dame University.
There were Sisters of Mercy at the Luurnpa school until 1999. It continues to thrive, and in 2024 celebrated its fortieth anniversary.
THE STUDENTS OF BALGO HOUSE
The Sisters of Mercy follow the philosophy that no one is unworthy of God’s love, and that God does not judge or discriminate. As students of Balgo House, we strive to follow in the footsteps of the Sisters of Mercy, sharing our time and talents by helping others within our community, and giving financial support to the Sisters’ Charitable Foundation, Mercy Works.
THE BALGO CREST
The Balgo House crest includes the Mercy Cross representing the Sisters of Mercy who served in Balgo.
The sun rays symbolize the life and strength of those who like the Sisters of Mercy serve people suffering from injustices caused by poverty, sickness or lack of education.
The Aboriginal meeting place represents a gathering of women of the Kukatja people.
Our Charity – Mercy Works
Mercy Works is an Australian run Catholic charity founded under the values of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy. This charity works with some of the most challenged people in communities all around Australia and the South-East Asia Pacific, supporting long term development projects that engage in partnerships with the communities. The focus of these projects is on the needs of people who are denied access to basic resources like education, health care and social welfare.
Balgo House’s joint work with Mercy Works is helping to benefit the lives of some of the most disadvantaged people close to our own homes, by helping them chose where the funds for their own regional projects will be distributed. Over the years, partnerships established by Balgo House have been with the Bathurst Island Pre-school, the Cape York Academy in Cairns, and a child-care project at the Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation in Mt Druitt.
Mercy Works believes that “it is our duty to do something to help today and every day – to make, as Catherine McAuley also said, “some lasting efforts for relief of the poor and suffering.”
Theme
“Being grateful”.
Scripture Quote
Psalm 100:1-5
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Reflection
The scripture in Psalms 100:1-5 tells us that we should be grateful for all that the Lord gives us, as he has shared his love, goodness, and faithfulness with everyone, and will continue to do so forever. Catherine McAuley has also shared her gifts of her heart, her mind, and of the Spirit. As Balgo girls, we should listen to this Psalm and follow this message. To give thanks to the Lord for sharing his qualities and values with us, and then we, ourselves, need to share these newfound gifts with the people around us, who may not have accepted the Lord’s gifts at first. As Catherine McAuley says, “You must be cheerful and happy, animating all around you.” We must be grateful for our privileged lives, and give thanks to the Lord all the time by being ‘cheerful and happy’ toward everyone in our lives.
