From The Archives 

St Benedict's Farm

In 1906, 33 acres were bought for a small farm, called St Benedict’s, which supplied milk, cream, butter, vegetables and meat to the convent, for the nuns and boarders. Two local men, Ned Naughton and Festy Coyne, worked the farm and delivered the produce to the convent kitchens, entering only ever by the Mentone Parade gate.

Festy had become acquainted with the sisters as the driver of the horse tram which travelled along Beach Road, bringing the foundation sisters to Mass at Mentone.

Ned was a trusted worker known to Mr James McGuffie, who had suggested him to run “Reverend Mother’s Farm”. Both were wonderful workers and friends of Kilbreda for nearly 60 years.

From time to time, the boarders would walk up Swanston St in the company of two of the sisters to visit the farm, which, for many, was a reminder of home.

One such visit was captured in a yearbook from the 30s, where the boarders can be seen sampling the produce and chatting to Ned, the stockier of the two, and Festy. In 1944, most of the land was sold to Australian Moulded Products Ltd and the Nylex factory was built there. This in turn made way for the complex including Bunnings on Nepean Highway.

Ned and Festy were allowed to live out their retirement in the house, surrounded by a few acres, facing Oak Avenue. They now rest not far from their beloved sisters in the Old Cheltenham Cemetery, dying in their 80s in the early 60s.

Ned and Festy were involved in local parish affairs, being part of the Mentone H.A.C.B.S. alongside other staunch supporters of the local Catholic community such as John H. Sheedy and local trainer Tom Dempsey, with whom they played a weekly game of cards. Tom was the father of Eileen Dempsey, one of our foundation pupils.

Damian Smith 

Archives