PEOPLE CENTRED HERITAGE // JACQUELINE PEARCE: SACRED HEART CONVENT

“I love this project because I love working on beautiful architecture—but I’m also really looking forward to being involved in the future of conserving this building.” Jacqueline Pearce, Associate Director, Extent Heritage

In the heart of Paddington, Brisbane is the Sacred Heart Precinct, a complex of four heritage-listed buildings with a rich history. Designed by architect Thomas Ramsay Hall, well-known as the architect behind Brisbane City Hall, the Convent is an important part of Brisbane’s history.

The convent, previously the home of the Sisters of Mercy, has not been a place open to the public. The Sisters of Mercy lived there from its construction in 1919 to 2015, and the interior is remarkably in-tact time capsule.

Jacqueline Pearce has been working carefully to ensure the buildings’ future. Her work in the Precinct has included reviewing the Jubilee Parish Masterplan, and preparing a Conservation Management Plan for the Convent.

The aim of the Conservation Management Plan is to provide guidance for the building’s ongoing maintenance and use, and also to detail opportunities and constraints for the future use of the building.
Jacqueline’s passion for the space shines through—from the headlight windows and hidden skylight to the serenity of the convent. “It was a very personal place, it wasn’t open to the public,” says Jacqueline. “The interior gives us an insight into their lifestyle.”

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