KIMBERLEY COMMUNITY PROFILE SEPTEMBER 2017 17

The ordination of Fr Paul Boyers on 1 September 1979Photo: Diocese of Broome Archives

Sister Bernadette O’ConnorBorn in Cloween County Sligo on 5 May 1919, Margaret Ellen O’Connor responded to an advertisement about the Sisters of St John of God and their work among ‘black babies’ in Australia. She entered the Sisters in Wexford with her friend Eileen McPartland, who later became Sr Ita. Both were accepted for the Kimberley Mission. After nearly a year, they arrived in Beagle Bay and were received as novices in May 1940 and Margaret became Sr Bernadette. A major event in Bernadette’s life was the death of

Ita only six months later. She must have felt the loss greatly as she was only beginning her new life as an SSJG in the isolated world of the Kimberley Mission.

Children’s Dormitories and Nursing

For the rest of her life Bernadette worked at the Holy Child Orphanage, Derby Leprosarium (now known as Bungarun), Lombadina and Balgo Missions but most of her time was spent at Beagle Bay. She undertook any type of work assigned to her, cooking for the community dining rooms, managing the girls’ dormitories, overseeing the laundry and sewing rooms. She loved children and was delighted to look after those placed in her care. Over the years she kept in contact with many of them – often as a mother figure.

In 1950 she was sent with Sr Therese to begin work at Lombadina and during her 10 years there she added nursing to her duties.

Devout in Her Religion

Throughout all her religious life Bernadette remained steadfast to

her daily prayer and mass. In Balgo she would accompany Fr Piele when saying mass for the various groups in and around the community. She made many friends both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal and had a special place in her heart for priests, always ensuring they were well fed and had their clothes washed and mended.

Beagle Bay Her First LoveShe was passionate about Beagle Bay as this was the place she came to in 1940, and she repeatedly said she wished to die and be buried there with her friend Sr Ita. In the last few years, she was the only Sister living at Beagle Bay and her great friend Olive Dann used to stay with her each night, thus making it possible for her to remain alone at the little convent. Not long before her death she mentioned that she never regretted the decision to become a Sister of St John of God and loved her religious life to the last.

Her DeathShe had a close contact with God’s creation, a real love of nature, especially through her garden. Bernadette was in the habit of taking long walks in the bush accompanied by her faithful dog. On one such walk she failed to return home. Her death in the bush was quiet, but the story of it captures the imagination and has brought her more fame than she ever knew in life. The day she died, she had walked 14 kilometres, going around in circles and ended up about 4 kilometres from the community. She was found lying on her back with the dog sitting beside her, protecting her, staying with her. Somewhere on this long walk she lost her glasses and her shoes which have never been found. As was her wish, she was buried near Sr Ita on 15 September 2007, three weeks after her death.

REFERENCES

SSJG Archives

Visiting the Beagle Bay Cemetery | Part 4Sisters of St John of God Heritage Centre

Sister Bernadette O’connorThe final burial for the Sisters of St John of God in the Beagle Bay cemetery was one hundred years after their 1907 arrival and two months after the SSJG Kimberley Centenary had been celebrated.

Friends gathered on the marsh where Sr Bernadette was found, at the first anniversary of her death. The cross was erected by the Beagle Bay Community.