Grampians District Tenants News

Sister Connie Walsh was born in 1932 at Bolton, near Manangatang in the Mallee. She was the middle child of 11 siblings. Both her parents where of Irish decent and settled in the Manangatang area from the Wycheproof district. Her father first in 1915, he married in 1921. Connie attended school in Bolton just over the road from her home as did all her siblings. In 1945 Connie won a scholarship to Sacred Heart Collage in Ballarat where she boarded whilst completing her education. In 1949 she left  to become a student teacher in Manangatang. In 1951 Connie entered The Sisters of Mercy as a postulant. By 1956 Connie was professed as a Sister of Mercy. In 1956 Connie was sent to the western districts to teach and from then on moved round the Ballarat diocese teaching till retiring in 1993.She retired to Robinvale as a parish worker. In 2006 she moved to Sebastopol and became involved in the local church but “my heart is still in the Mallee” said Connie.  Connie has enjoyed her teaching  career but particularly enjoyed her stay at Wycheproof. In the early sisies the Vatican 2 paper was released and that meant for the first time sisters could attend family funerals, weddings and visit family in general. This was a big milestone in Connie's life as her parents died shortly after this.

Looking back on her life Connie enjoyed her trip overseas to Ireland on religious studies and the 2 months she spent at the Mother House for the sisters of Mercy as a volunteer. Sister Connie Walsh has been a good teacher all her life and still gets grateful comments from former students.

Post Script: Sister Connie Walsh has become ill in recent months (May 2011) and has recently move out from the units to a hostel. We wish her all the best.