pathways, August 2009
Western Australia's New Norcia is recognised as Australia's only monastic town. It is known by many for its buildings and for its cultural heritage, some people recognise the value of its movable culture - its library and museum and art collections.
Relatively few, however, are aware of the surprisingly large, varied and unbroken documentary record that forms a deeper layer of its heritage. Yet, it is this collection of diaries, letters, chronicles, records, photographs, maps and music that pre-eminently holds the story of New Norcia.
And it is to help shine light into the dusty corners of theses historical records that the monks of New Norcia have established a scholarship in honour of their late Abbot, Placid Spearritt, who died suddenly last year while in England.
The scholarship will aim to bring a scholar to New Norcia on an annual basis to work in the monastery's archives, a spot of New Norcia which held a particular place in Dom Placid's mind and heart.
According to the new Abbot, John Herbert, Dom Placid understood that the archives at New Norcia not only allowed the site itself to be interpreted at extraordinary depth, but also that, because the records addressed some of the great themes in Australian history namely Aborigines, immigration, agriculture, education, religion, it also had the potential to make a contribution to the national story.
"And perhaps a unique contribution," Abbot Herbert said, "for while most Australian archives speak with an Anglo-Saxon voice, the records at New Norcia speak with a different one, a Continental European voice.
"However, for all its importance, the archives at New Norcia at the time of his arrival was more like an accumulation than a collection. And so he got to work."
Dom Placid employed the first professional archivist, set up a computerised data base, founded the Archives Research and Publication Committee, introduced New Norcia studies days, created the New Norcia Journal and encouraged the physical expansion and refurbishment of the archives.
"During his time, the archives was transformed from a relative backwater to a busy thriving department staffed by a prominent professional archivist assisted by a core of talented volunteers servicing a broad range of clients including monks, aboriginal past residents, past students of the colleges, local historians, undergraduates and graduates and professional academics," Abbot Herbert said.
"For the last 10 years, it has also provided a week long live-in hands-on learning environment for third year Archives and Records Management students from the Library and Information Studies Department at Curtin University.
"While Placid achieved a great deal in the archives over the 25 years he was Superior at New Norcia, he remained conscious of what had not been achieved, especially in regard to the translation of foundational material held in foreign languages.
"In particular, he was disappointed that, after 163 years, there will still no scholarly transliteration in Spanish, let alone scholarly translation into English, of the daily diary kept by New Norcia's founder Rosendo Salvado. And he was angered whenever another article or, worse still, a book was written about New Norcia without any reference to the primary sources.
"It was this frustration that led him to review his retirement plans and give up his long held idea of writing a scholarly work on Augustine Baker, the late 16th , early 17th century Benedictine writer on mystical prayer.
"Instead, he decided to learn Spanish and undertake translation work in the archives himself for the remainder of his productive years. That was not to be."
In founding the scholarship, Abbot Herbert and the monks of New Norcia hope to make Dom Placid's dream live on.
The original aim was to raise a minimum of $500,000 as an investment and fund the scholar from the annual interest.
The fund-raising campaign was launched in April and, by mid-July, $460,000 had been received in hand and in promises. Until now, the appeal has focused on the support organisation, The Friends of New Norcia.
However, the monks believe there could be many other groups and individuals who may wish to contribute. They are also working with the monastery of Dom Placid's profession, Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire, England (where he also died) to promote the cause, there.
The monks now have raised their aim for The Abbot Placid Memorial Scholarship, leaving the figure open, as a larger investment fund would enable them to employ a scholar for longer and therefore produce more substantial results.
"Already this is a wonderful result - a tribute both to the stature of the man and the importance of the cause," Abbot Herbert said.
"Abbot Placid was a great man and we believe that this scholarship is a perfect way to remember him. Even more than that, while he was usually against naming rights, and especially where his own named was involved, we think that for this cause he would have approved wholeheartedly."
for further details on Abbot Placid Spearitt's life, please refer to previous pathways articles
Anyone interested in receiving a scholarship prospectus are invited to contact Dom Christopher Power, phone 08 96548018, fax 08 9654 8097, email christopher.power@newnorcia.wa.edu.au or write to the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, Great Northern Highway, New Norcia, WA, 6509.
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