The walls of this former convent whisper history. As a community we can be thankful someone such as Ms Parkyn has undertaken to preserve such an important local building.

The old convent stands in a precinct of Nowra of which we should all be proud. Grand homes, many in weatherboard, speak of more prosperous times when Nowra serviced a thriving dairy industry. The hope should be that many of them survive the pressures of progress and the thirst for development.

So much of Nowra’s built heritage has been lost to ugly and incoherent development. The corner of Junction and Kinghorne streets in the Nowra CBD was once shouldered by two imposing hotels. No one thought to save them and the intersection was allowed to become girded by entirely unlovely concrete and brick buildings housing a bank and a clothing franchise.

We can only wonder as we look at old photographs of the intersection how much more visually appealing Nowra would be if only we had kept those old buildings. 

Thankfully, we still have treasures that haven’t succumbed to development – the Roxy Theatre and Spotlight buildings in Berry Street, and whole blocks to the west of the CBD.

Pressure is mounting on the latter, however, with the new LEP allowing much of old Nowra to be redeveloped as units. With demand for housing growing, it is inevitable developers and investors will begin looking at some of our beautiful old houses as potential cash cows if knocked down and replaced with characterless unit blocks.

That’s why we should be grateful for people like Ms Parkyn, who have made the decision to do their best to see old buildings are saved from the onslaught of insensitive progress.