endowments from the Connor family as they continued their work in the community. In 1903 their first project, a two-storey convent and school, was completed. The Sisters continued to use the Growse building, in later years as an infant school and for music classrooms. The St Aloysius Convent of Mercy school expanded with the construction of the double storey boy's boarding house in 1920. In 1923 a modern presbytery was built for the parish priest across the road from the church on an adjoining block to the school buildings. The location of the earlier Catholic presbytery is unknown. In 1929 the new single storey girl's boarding house was officially opened. Advertisements in The West Australian newspaper and the Toodyay Herald in January and February 1942 mentioned the school as Avondown High School, near Toodyay. In 1956 there was a call by Redmond Prendiville, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, to build a more modern church, and over the next 5½ years fundraising was ongoing. In 1963 the new St John the Baptist Church was constructed in the Convent of Mercy precinct. On the morning of 17 November 1963 a last Mass and Communion were celebrated in the old church by the Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, Miles McKeon. A civic luncheon reception was given to the Bishop by the Toodyay Shire Council and in the afternoon the new church across the road was blessed and opened. Costs for the new church were about £9,400. On 3 December 1971 Lancelot Goody, Archbishop of Perth, wrote to the Sisters of Mercy in Toodyay advising of St Aloysius Convent School's imminent closure. In early 1972 the Sisters of Mercy Avondown Complex in Toodyay was duly closed. The Sisters carried on their pastoral work (bush schools, motor missions and town parishioner work) until 1974. From 1973 to 1983 the Sisters ran educational camps in the Avondown Centre. In 1985 the Catholic Education Commission took over the site. On 6 January 1985 four Sisters of Mercy (Sisters Claver, Conleth, Bernadette and Nance) left Toodyay leaving only two in residence (Justina and Finton). In 1986 the Catholic Education Commission announced plans to continue to run the Avondale Centre as a social and educational group campsite. Dormitories were to be redesigned into small 6-8 bed sleeping units, a former house was to be renovated, and ground improvements were to be made. In 1995 the Avondown Centre ceased operation and